Tips for Aluminum Marine Fuel Tank Fabrication

by Brandon Hefner Custom Marine Fuel Tanks

Aluminum fuel tanks are broadly accepted in the marine industry to store diesel, gasoline, and other fuels. Aluminum is one of the most sought after material when we talk about fabricating customized boat gas tanks. It gives strength, corrosion resistance, and lightweight design to the tank which typically all boaters desire.

There is a long probe on different forums and articles about what material should be preferred to fabricate a tank. Plastic (polyethylene) and stainless steel is other alternatives which have their own pros and cons.

First of all, you should know the pros and cons of installing a tank in your boat that is made from aluminum.

Pros

One of the best advantages of aluminum fuel tanks is they are built with baffles that ultimately prevents the fuel from swirling and keeps the vessel stable. However, when you consider customized HDPE marine tanks, they can also be designed with baffles.

Aluminum gas tanks can be seamlessly constructed and molded into required shape and design. This becomes key factor when you want to need a compatible storage system. Aluminum is a clean, light, stable, and effective solution that brings anticipated results. It is strong resistant to weight and blows in rough seas that keeps the ride smooth and unlikely to cause leaks.

Cons

It is important to select quality marine grade as there is a long series of aluminum alloys sheets - 5083-O, 2024 T3, 6082-T6, 100, 3003, 5052, and 6061. Though aluminum is corrosion resistant, it’s better to apply a suitable coat (coal tar or epoxy paint) to cover it from saltwater which causes degradation of aluminum.

You can find a number of boat gas tanks manufactures online that also offer other aluminum products and accessories. The fabrication and welding are considered a professional’s work and DIY project can be risky in case you’re not experienced. So you should not hesitate to ask for assistance from professionals. They can decide the right material and build a tank that is right for your vessel.

Tips for fabricating aluminum marine fuel tank

• Make sure you pick the right aluminum sheet as per standards of the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC). The minimum thickness for small tanks is no less than .090 inch, but larger tanks should be thicker - .125 to .250 inch - to meet structural requirements.
• While manufacturing the aluminum gas tanks one of the important things to remember is its protection from environmental elements. Because aluminum is a reactive metal and when you put it in contact with contradictory such as oxygen or water which forms oxidation and leads to atmospheric corrosion.
• Your tank gives life to your engine and the efficiency of your engine and boat performance is largely depends on how the fuel is running into it. Make sure it has all the necessary features including replacement cap, baffles, vents, etc.
• The shape and design of aluminum fuel tanks are determined after the measurement of the available space where they need to be finally installed.
• You have to pressure test the tank to ensure that there are no leaks.

It is recommended to consult professional fabricators of boat fuel systems and they will guide you further on how you can customize the tank.

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Created on Sep 2nd 2019 01:37. Viewed 672 times.

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