scugpg Posted June 28, 2015 Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 All, do any of you notice if your boat has a fairly strong fuel smell when stored indoors such as a garage etc or cover on for a while? Mine has one and being an 18yr old in floor plastic tank I think it's time to replace. Pressure tested OK this year and have all low perm hoses throughout so it must be the tank. If I get a new xlpe tank should I notice an improvement for a few yrs or would it start permeating again quickly? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Ironmaker Posted June 28, 2015 Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 It may be venting fuel from it when it is warm in the garage and if the tank is full. Mine does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecmilley Posted June 28, 2015 Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 the vents on the tank are open to atmosphere at all times and unlike automotive applications are not subject to laws for evaportive emissions, so no charcoal canisters and such, smelling fuel fumes indoors is normal and also reason inboards have blowers on them especially older boats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scugpg Posted June 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 I also notice it more during a temp change thus the venting occurring, but majority of smell appears to be in floor area so wondering if replacing the tank will help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecmilley Posted June 28, 2015 Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 if its passing a pressure test it should be ok, can pull seats or panels ect to access tank(s) it is possible that hoses in vent areas are cracked or clamps let go, maybe even top gaskets in sending units but the fuel smell should be around vents not in the boat it self Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scugpg Posted June 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 if its passing a pressure test it should be ok, can pull seats or panels ect to access tank(s) it is possible that hoses in vent areas are cracked or clamps let go, maybe even top gaskets in sending units but the fuel smell should be around vents not in the boat it self Everything is tight and all new hoses had the floor up recently. It's the tank itself permeating the smell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecmilley Posted June 28, 2015 Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 Everything is tight and all new hoses had the floor up recently. It's the tank itself permeating the smell. never seen a tank do that, anythings possible though and i work on lots of older boats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted June 28, 2015 Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 When I had the bayliner cuddy, I could smell gas when the weather warmed up. After awhile, I thought maybe it was the old seat covering. When we would go for a ride and come back, it was gone. After sitting for a while, the smell would return. I checked the engine area and could not smell it. In the cuddy I couldnt as well. Always came from the floor area. Im not saying you are wrong ecmilley, but just saying I found the same as spooled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecmilley Posted June 28, 2015 Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 When I had the bayliner cuddy, I could smell gas when the weather warmed up. After awhile, I thought maybe it was the old seat covering. When we would go for a ride and come back, it was gone. After sitting for a while, the smell would return. I checked the engine area and could not smell it. In the cuddy I couldnt as well. Always came from the floor area. Im not saying you are wrong ecmilley, but just saying I found the same as spooled.[/quot Just saying i 've never seen it. Usually find ethanol degraded lines and such but no rule saying cant be a tank. My ranger is a 1992 and plastic tanks are good so far but i run non eth fuel now. I would like to look it over myself just for the learning expierance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scugpg Posted June 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 Next time I'm up happy to pop by in reading around appears all plastic tanks permeate fuel and only recently some manufacturers offer low perm formulas. So maybe it's just typical behaviour and it's being exaggerated in a finished storage area? Especially with the open atmospheric venting adding to the smell. Perhaps I should look at additional storage ventilation - I'd not be too happy dropping a ton of $ on an oem tank to find out it didn't really do much to help. :s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scugpg Posted June 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 Interesting note on subject in this doc http://www.moellermarine.com/sites/moellermarine/files/mm182_permanent_tank_afp.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aplumma Posted June 29, 2015 Report Share Posted June 29, 2015 Is your fuel cell made of epoxy or fiberglass? Many older boat are and the resin breaks down and allows fuel to permeate the foam and areas on those boats. Removal of the fuel cell and replacement is needed if this is an issue. I however would say it is just the tank venting off from temp. change. Art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scugpg Posted June 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2015 Is your fuel cell made of epoxy or fiberglass? Many older boat are and the resin breaks down and allows fuel to permeate the foam and areas on those boats. Removal of the fuel cell and replacement is needed if this is an issue. I however would say it is just the tank venting off from temp. change. Art Tank is made of xlpe plastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted June 29, 2015 Report Share Posted June 29, 2015 My 2007 Lund always has that smell if the tops on and she's been sitting in the sun at the dock. No fuel in the bilge and no signs of any leakage anywhere, so can only chalk it up to exactly what you linked there on permeation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Ironmaker Posted June 29, 2015 Report Share Posted June 29, 2015 If any gas has dripped onto the floor you will smell the gas below the boat. I'm not sure how you can detect that the smell is comming from the tank than any other area because of the enclosed space. Is there a smell when it's parked outside? I think you may be a lot like me, looking for complicated questions for problems that have a simple answer. Like my boat sitting high in the bow when it always has but never noticed. You aren't an engineer are you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted June 29, 2015 Report Share Posted June 29, 2015 I also own a plastics plant OI... I understand the cross linked PE issue and can't be bothered to pull up my floor to check since there are no signs of fuel leakage in my boat, as if there was it would have showed up in the bilge by now. I am certain that not a drop of fuel has been spilled on my floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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