The 35 gallon diesel tank in the port hull of Cyclops has begun leaking. It's leaking enough to saturate 1/4 of a Pig diesel absorbent pad every two days. I marked the tank's sight glass, and it's taken about a week for me to be 100% sure that the leak is from the tank itself. The leak must be from a location I can't see, and there isn't corrosion or a crack where I can see.
Has anyone replaced their fuel tank yet? Cyclops is a 1991 P35. I replaced the engine in the port hull 2-3 years ago, and now I'll need to pull that engine back out, so I can have access to the fuel tank area. I *think* that I might be able to extract the tank through the aft cabin, if I cut a hole large enough to slant the tank as I lift it up. I'd really like to avoid having to also cut access through the "sun pad"/roof of the aft cabin, and mess up the anti-skid texture there.
I think I'll have a custom aluminum tank made, and mount it differently than the current tank, so that its exterior will remain dry. The current tank's base gets occasionally wet with bilge water, and I'm guessing that's where the leak is.
I'm not going to immediately replace the tank, just drain it. I've got a bunch of other projects underway, so if I need to fire up that engine in the meantime, I'll install a temporary smaller tank. Maybe even run fuel lines to the other hull too, so I can turn my portable fuel polishing gear into a permanent setup for both tanks, and also be able to pump fuel between the tanks.
When I do replace the leaking tank, I'll be sure to post some pictures and commentary here. Maybe I'll post a YouTube video too.