I picked up a 21' cuddy cabin with a 60 gallon fuel tank for the 225hp evinrude. There is some issues with the fuel tank and I was wondering the best way to fix them
Aluminum fuel tank repair is IFFY at best. Most don't try. They replace. Since it's encapsulated in foam, I'm betting if you totally remove it you're gunna find a LOT more issues. IMHO you need to replace it.
Agree, that tank looks worst then mine and mine just had one area that was pitted to more the half the original thickness and I replaced it. If you make a drawing you can have one made by Florida Marine Tank out of NC.
I agree with woodonglass and alldodge, but not everyone can afford a brand new custom fuel tank. If I had a low budget to work with, I would first empty, remove and inspect the fuel tank. I would cut an access hole in-between each baffle and clean the inside of the tank very good. The aluminum on that tank looks pretty thick so even if it has some surface pitting, that does not indicate that the entire tank is bad. A good welder can patch the holes and weld a new fill pipe on the tank with no problems. I would also have them pressure test the tank afterwards. I'm not an expert, just my opinion.
Usually the top is better than the bottom . . . and the top looks really bad, so it is a fair bet that the tank is not 'save-able'. Best to look into a new tank.
Coast Guard has rules/regulation when it comes to the maximum allowed corrosion in full tanks as a percentage of sheet thickness. I forgot what it was exactly but, if memory serve, it was less than 30%. From the look of this tank, it has gone way past this point. I am afraid you have to bite the bullet on this one.
If you decide to go with a new aluminum one, don't foam it in. prep it, prime it and paint properly to protect it from any possible corrosion.
