alum gas tank builder

[tommy7]

I need an aluminum gas tank that is 82" long 30" wide and 6.5" high....anyone out there that does this for a living and can save me some $$$$ ?

Tommy

[Spear One]

I know a great tank builder here in Florida but shipping from here would likely make it a deal breaker.

[CWitch]

Call Phil at Unique Welding 545-8353. He builds nice tanks and is reasonable.

[tommy7]

Thanks guys! I bumped into a guy down here who is going to build it for us at a great price (comparitivally speaking) :eek:

[Seacidal]

Tommy,
Check with Eric. I turned him onto at least one custom tank builder (John) who'll do it for less than half the price you were quoted.
Hope it works out well. The thought of running out the islands aboard a molotov cocktail would scare the hell out of me. Make sure you clean out all the contaminated really well, as you don't need residual fuel contaminating your bilge water. Could be an expensive citation from the harbor patrol.
BTW, the tank builder can turn it out in 5 days.
Good luck!

[BLACKFIN]

Call Vince at American Tanks in La Mesa, CA. This guy is a pro, can build any shape or size, and is very reasonable compared to stock tanks. His # is: 619.253.7035. Give him the dimensions or your old tank and he will do it. Here is two pics of mine and his link. After getting your new alum tank, I found a great product to paint it with after it's cleaned and etched. Ceram-Kote M99. The 2nd pic is after applying the Ceram-Kote. I included a link for them as well.

http://www.americantanks.net/overview.htm

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h180/blackfin28/Boat003.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h180/blackfin28/Boat007.jpg

http://www.ceram-kote.com/products/index.htm

[Seacidal]

I don't believe I've seen that ceram-kote before. I notice it surpasses epoxy coatings for impact, but how does it compare to flexing forces? The expansion and contraction of a metal tank can be significant, and ceramics traditionally don't fare as well as other coatings. Also, I understand that a number of coatings that are referred to as "epoxy" are more tolerant of flexing and other abuse than traditional coatings.
Still, the ceram-cote looks interesting. How much did it cost? And how much weight did it add to the tank?
And, what is up with the guy behind the tank in the pictures? He doesn't look real.

[Steve-o]

Good point on the longevity of the coating with heat cycling.

Quick and dirty calculations:
aluminum thermal expansion coefficient = approx 13x10^-6 in/in/deg F
for a temp change of 80 degrees gives about a 0.1% length increase on the heating cycle. Enough to cause coating failure? I don't know, but it's an interesting consideration.


This is one project I know is coming one day, and I am not looking forward to it. Hope yours goes well Tommy.

[Seacidal]

Santiago,

I can't vouch for your numbers. But I don't doubt them. I do know however, that I've heard fuel tanks "oil can" when fuel was being added. Whether that was due to temperature, pressure, inadequate tank supports or what, I can't say. I would imagine that the force of fuel sloshing around in a tank could induce some flexing, depending upon construction and installation.

But the "brittleness" (if I can call it that) of a coating could be a factor in deciding which coating to use. Brittleness and flexing could result in fine cracks in the coating, which could become pathways for moisture to penetrate. Just something to consider in making a decision.

After reading more on the ceramic coating, it appears it is also an epoxy-based coating, but with additives. It may well be six of one, half a dozen of another. Who knows. It might be interesting to see a cost comparison of the products. After all, there are many people cheaper than divers. (just kidding!)

[Steve-o]

I hadn't thought about sloshing and deformation due to the pressure exerted by the fuel, and don't have the background knowledge to estimate that kind of deflection. But since were're talking such small changes from thermal cycling, I don't doubt it could happen due to the above causes as well, perhaps even with baffling, etc. I had just assumed that one day when I need a new tank it would be bare aluminum going back in, but now you've got me wondering. It would seem there would almost have the be a satisfactory barrier coating for this kind of thing, but I couldn't tell you what it is. Until you brought it up, I had never considered this problem. Just trying to keep my head in the sand I guess!

[Seacidal]

Steve,

I'm pretty much like you. Until recently, I hadn't given it much thought. I know that the tank in my boat is (or at least sure appears to be) plain aluminum. While it appears in good condition, I have no way (short of cutting up the deck -- not gonna happen!) of inspecting the sides and underside of the tank.

I am just glad that my boat is built with a hull liner, as it should help prevent water accumulation around the tank. I've examined the tank and fittings as well as is possible from all inspection ports and hatches, but I guess everything has a limited lifetime to some extent.

Just run it till it breaks! (not my motto, actually) :)

[BLACKFIN]

I think I paid about $105 for 2 quarts of M99 Ceram-Kote with delivery. Not cheap. It's used on aircraft wings (which flex quite a bit) and many other aluminum applications. I can't quote you flex data, I just know it works great. I'm very, very impressed with the product. The epoxy base seems to flex with the ceramic particles suspended in it quite well. I pulled about a 1" disk out of the bottom of one of the quart cans, and tried to snap it in two - it was tough as nails but had a slight rubber/plastic feel to it. I was only able to bend it slightly. It has a growing application for boat bottoms. There is no anti-foaling, but it's very slick, glossy, easy to clean, and fantastic for trailered boats. I think it's far superior to the use of epoxy coal tar which a lot of tank guys use. With coal tar, you will need a zinc chromate primer. Ceram-Kote is self-priming.