Fiberglass Petrol Tanks

Jono Garton · 28 January 2005, 19:03

Anyone know anything about using fiberglass fuel tanks? I know pro sport use them. Any one know what resin etc must be used? Anyone got any experiance of one that is say five years old and has it lasted?

Louise · 28 January 2005, 19:11

Dunno about the technical stuff but I think Jeff (jwalker) has posted details in the past so worth a search!

Blue Ice's fuel tank is GRP (afaik all Scorps are) and is still going strong (fingers crossed) 8 years later.

HTH

paul tilley · 29 January 2005, 12:39

VECTOR marine used to use them in all of their XR24 boats that they sold in spain & gibralter without any problems to my knowledge ,try talking to scot bader the grp people for technical help . regards paul

Powerboat · 30 January 2005, 09:23

Just an account of an experience we had a while back...

We had twin 1000 Litre tanks incorporated into the hull of a 10 metre twin diesel offshore RIB a good few years back.

We had one major problem mixing fibre glass and fuel !

Large tanks such as this obviously required internal baffles to prevent a half tonne of diesel sloshing around ( not great for directional stability!)

The only problem was that the baffles were also glassed into the inside of the tank. With heavy use a baffle sheared slightly away from its mount and the two broken ends began cheese grating very fine fibres into the fuel which invisibly clogged the Racor filter for that tank and engine.

All we knew was that the affected engine would run fine for an hour before chugging to a halt when the fuel filter was clogged invisibly as the very fine fibres were almost invisible when soaked in fuel... It took us a very frustrating week to finally figure out what was happening !!!

Probably an unusual problem as only larger tanks would require baffles ! I suppose the only point worth noting is to be careful with any fittings in the tank such as sender units etc. which could work loose and cause the cheese grater effect.

nik · 30 January 2005, 10:18

You need to use Neo Pentyl Glycol,
there is a thread on this found here:

http://rib.net/forum/showthread.php?...cule#post34286

and here:

http://www.rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=4193

Nick.

Charles · 30 January 2005, 11:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Louise

Blue Ice's fuel tank is GRP (afaik all Scorps are)

Not correct ....

jwalker · 30 January 2005, 11:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Powerboat

Just an account of an experience we had a while back...
With heavy use a baffle sheared slightly away from its mount and the two broken ends began cheese grating very fine fibres into the fuel ...

Get them built right in the first pace, eh?

codprawn · 30 January 2005, 14:01

http://www.envirotank.com.au/index.htm

These people make underground petrol storage tanks - from fibreglass!!!

They claim to have supplied 300,000 worldwide without any problems.

Biggest they do is 110,000 litres - bit too big for a RIB!!!!

Louise · 30 January 2005, 15:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by ct01

Not correct ....

Ooh sorry! The first part was correct though, and I did say afaik about the second part!

slimtim · 01 February 2005, 23:33

How would you go about building a GRP fuel tank? Would you do it in two halves and then stick it together? If so, how?

I've just realised the plastic fuel tank I was going to buy will not fit in the size of console that will go in my new hull

Tim

Powerboat · 06 February 2005, 20:49

That's exactly the point I was making JW !!

This was a boat that we had chartered in about 10 years ago from the UK for an offshore project with my Army Team. We didn't go on to buy the boat ...But the Norwegian Marines did !!! I met one of the " Happy Owners" subsequently at an International military gathering a few years later!! And we compared "Notes"

! Small World !!

It was the only Summer I ever drank more Diesel than Carlsberg !! ( Sucking blocked diesel pipes 20 miles of shore !!!)

Hence the famous Irish Phrase " Now you're Sucking Diesel !" ( When things finally come good !!)

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwalker

Get them built right in the first pace, eh?

jwalker · 06 February 2005, 23:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Powerboat

It was the only Summer I ever drank more Diesel than Carlsberg

Quote:

Hence the famous Irish Phrase " Now you're Sucking Diesel !"

I've not heard that one...cool.

Re baffles. These are commonly put in vertically but it's not the best way. Imagine a tank capable of holding 95 galls and with 2 vertical baffles (3 compartments). Once the fuel has dropped a short distance each compartment will have near 30gals of fuel sloshing about in it, so all 90gals is actually on the move, albeit limited movement. As the fuel level drops there is more and more space for the sloshing fuel. If a similar tank has 2 horizontal baffles, the fuel below the top baffle (60gals) is trapped and does not move. When the fuel is below the top baffle the lower 30gals is still restrained. The holes through the baffles need to be few and small. I nick off the corners of each baffle before they are attached. Obviously, the more baffles the less fuel movement but the more complex the tank will be to build.

Scary Des · 07 February 2005, 08:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwalker

.......Obviously, the more baffles the less fuel movement but the more complex the tank will be to build.

ATL offer a block of foam as a baffle which appears to be a good idea and possibly less expensive than building in ridged ones

Des

jwalker · 07 February 2005, 11:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scary Des

ATL offer a block of foam as a baffle which appears to be a good idea and possibly less expensive than building in ridged ones

Des

Yeh, could be. Provided it doesn't move about and fret.