How to Install Fuel Tanks on a Sailboat
If you've installed an engine in your sailboat, it will also need a fuel tank installed. This is a task that is best left to an expert if at all possible. The biggest task may be finding a location within the boat to securely mount the tank before you connect it to the engine. Also, the exact installation can always vary, so read all instructions provided with the fuel tank.
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Things You'll Need
- Marine fuel tank
- Plywood
- Fiberglass matting and resin
- Fir ledger strips
- Cross bolts
- Drill with bits
- 5200 adhesive
- 2-inch plastic strips, 1/4 inch wide
Instructions
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1
Construct a new deck specifically for the tank. Use a sheet of high quality plywood large enough for the tank to rest on. Nail 1-by-4 inch wood frames to the bottom of the deck if your tank is more than 2 feet long to prevent the deck from sagging.
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2
Cover the deck with fiberglass matting, making sure the edges of the wood are completely sealed. Mix the polyester resin for the fiberglass and apply it to the wood's entire surface, and then cover the deck with a sheet of fiberglass. Apply at least one more resin coat and fiberglass sheet, and add a final resin coat on top and let it dry according to the manufacturer's instructions.
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3
Mount the deck to the boat using heavy fir ledger strips. Cover these strips in fiberglass and mount them to the boat's stringers using cross bolts. Screw the deck to the strips about 1/4 inch lower than the surface--this is called counter sinking--and fill in the small gap with 5200 adhesive.
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4
Cut down the plastic strips to lengths 1/4 inch shorter than the width of your tank. Glue these strips to the bottom of the tank with 5200 adhesive, spacing them out 12 inches apart. Wipe away any excess adhesive and wait 24 hours for it to set.
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5
Run two 1/4 inch wide beads of the 5200 adhesive along each plastic strip. With an assistant's help, mount the tank on the deck. Position the tank so there is at least 1/4 inch between it and the hull to prevent water from getting trapped and causing corrosion.
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6
Connect the lines from the sailboat's engine to the tank. This will include the fuel hose, supply hose and vent hose. The exact connection can always vary, but it usually involves inserting the rubber lines into hose clamps at the fittings and turning the clamp's screw with a screwdriver to tighten it. The fittings on the tank should be labeled so you know which line goes where.
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7
Connect the tank's sending unit to the engine's fuel gauge. You normally connect the gauge's pink wire to the sender, the purple wire to the ignition switch and the blue wire to the light switch. Loosen the terminals on the devices with a wrench or screwdriver, place the bare wire leads under the terminals and tighten them back down. Ground the black fuel sender wire to a solid metal ground.
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