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Re: Re: [CSY] Fuel Level
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Rosalie B.
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May 05, 2009 05:42 PDT
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On Tue, 5 May 2009 07:10:31 -0400, you wrote:
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Don and Gwen on Tackless II put a Tank Tender. You can buy a variety of
test positions, from a few up to 5 or maybe even 10. Measures any fluids,
fuel, water, sewage, whatever. Doesn't cross contaminate. They are
expensive, but if you are in the middle of nowhere, and get screwed, it
might not seem like so much.
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We have a tank tender with four positions. One for each fuel tank and
one for each water tank. We don't do the holding tanks.
BUT -
Not all the fuel tanks - not even all the fuel tanks for the WOs are
the same shape, and they aren't all in the same position. I think
this is even more true for the WTs. I know that is true for the WT
water tanks. We do have a plastic sight tube for the water tanks, but
not for the fuel tanks. It is just a pain to get to as the water
tanks are in the engine room.
Our fuel tanks are under the helm seat. Is that where yours are,
Jules? We have two 50 gallon tanks that appear to be the same size
and shape. We have a metal dipstick, and Bob made a separate wooden
one out of those six foot long inserts for making screens. He put the
marks for the levels onto the wooden piece with marker I think - it is
easier to see than on the metal one.
Also we never let the fuel get down that far - that goes for the cars
too. We almost always get fuel at the half-way point. And on a long
trip we also carry jerry jugs.
Each time we get fuel (around here where we are just putting it
directly in the tank), Bob tells me how much fuel he thinks we need,
and I watch the pump (it isn't always visible from where he is filing
the tanks) and count down to where the mark is that he wants to hit so
he can stop the flow of fuel at the right point.
When we get fuel and aren't sure of the quality, we get in a 5 gallon
jug and let it settle out before we put it in the tanks. (We do the
same with water BTW - we take some water and try to make sunshine tea
with it, and if the tea tastes awful, we don't put that water into our
tanks)
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For dipping, why don't you drain the tanks completely, CLEAN the mothers
real well, especailly the bottoms, and put say 5 gallons, mark the stick.
Use a wood dowel or something long enough to reach the bottom and put a
notch with a knife where the wet mark is. Put 5 more, mark the stick.
Those old western gun fighters,didn't they do the same thing? Doesn't
matter what the shape of the tank is, mark the stick all the way to full.
For unusable fuel, there is no guarantee that whom ever made the tank put in
the stick tube. Maybe CSY was short on copper tubing on your lucky day. Or
the jerk that measured the tubing couldn't read a ruler. Or forgot just
WHICH model boat he was working on. Or was hung over. Or stoned. If your
boat was built in the Virgin Islands, I'd jump on any of those! The tube is
removable from the inside of the tank after removing the inspection plate.
Make a longer one fresh, or add on to the existing one. However, the
unusable area might be done that way so as to allow crap to settle down
there. Of course, in nasty weather, it all gets stirred up anyway, and will
plug your fuel filters, maybe enough to stop the engine.
Seems to me some years back, this issue of tankage was reported upon by
someone, maybe Craig Owings or Dave McCampbell. Can't remember. But
someone did. Using clear plastic tubing like a sight galss...David
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jules Shockley" <jshoc-@bellsouth.net>
To: <cs-@topica.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 2009 6:35 AM
Subject: [CSY] Fuel Level
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I downloaded the fuel chart and have been using it as a cross reference.
But I believe I discovered a bit of a problem. It might well measure
total tank volume but I don't believe it accounts for UNUSABLE fuel.
That amount depends on where the pickup tube is placed. My port tank
appears to have around 3 inches of fuel left that I can't burn. Don't
know about the stbd one. I'm going to completely drain both tanks and
recalibrate them. I'll post the results. If your w/o tanks were made by
the Tampa Sheet Metal Company, as were mine, I'm sure they will measure
the same. This is an academic problem if one keeps enough fuel in the
tanks, but if you are in the middle of nowhere, someday, it might become
an issue.
My original question was has anyone figured out how to get an accurate
measurement by dipping the tanks. Has anyone come up with a useful
device, or tool for doing this? The real answer would be to install a
fuel quantity system but, as usual, cost is an issue.
I hope this question does not seem too trivial for the group, but there
are times when this boat is a 38000 lb jigsaw puzzle.
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