I have fibreglass fuel tanks, one of which gravity feeds from the bottom. this valve has a slow leak and I would like to remove the valve altogether and use a top feed. I have a few questions:
1. what is the best way to patch this hole ? Simple epoxy and fibreglass or should I gelcoat the interior portion ?
2. What is the best material to use for the fuel hose that runs into the bottom of the tank. The current installation uses copper tubing. Is regular fuel line ok to use or is there another recommendation.
3. This is a transom tank. The configuration is that the bottom of the fuel tank is about 6 inches higher than the level of the BD1005 fuel pump. The tank is 22 inches deep and is located at the stern about 6 feet behind the engine. The primary filter is a Racor 500 located about 12 inches above the engine fuel pump and about 12 inches astern of the fuel pump. Is the BD1005 fuel pump sufficiently strong to pull fuel up the 22 inches and through 8 feet of 5/16 hose to the Racor and then through the Racor and through another 4 feet of hose ?
I generally like to repair fiberglass with the same material that it was constructed with. If the tank can be cleaned and prepped well I would use a good polyester resin and glass mat.
The key here is access to clean and prep the tank and the ability to identify the material that it was made from. If in doubt ask a good fiberglass repair man.
You can purchase a pre-made pick up tube that will install at the top of the tank. The are available in different lengths to be cut to your particular application. They are available in nylon or aluminum.
Your tank to engine run is pretty long and it sounds like you have quite a bit of lift. To assure no problems I would recommend a low pressure (3-4 psi) fuel pump mounted near the tank and controlled by a relay wired into the Beta start panel. These pumps are inexpensive and easy to install.
