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Adding a drain to the fuel tank cavity of an Outrage
Well, I finally placed my order for the new FMT fuel tank. Now the big question is "how to prevent corrosion from happening again?" It seems like the design of the deck plates above the tank and vent hose are pretty conducive to allowing water into the tank cavity. So if water is going to come into the cavity, how do we get it out?
My idea was to add a thru-hull scupper from the aft bulkhead to the bilge. Theoretically, water will be able to drain into the bilge and the scupper valve will keep bilge water from getting into the tank area.
Anyone tried this? Are there any glaring problems with this design?
Thanks in advance.
Michael
1989 Outrage 22' Whaler Drive, 2014 Honda 250
Water in the central cavity is an issue for Outrage and Revenge models with under floor tanks.
Many have questioned a solution. The prevailing advice is to install a hose with screen at the end into the stern end of the cavity and attach to a prime-less pump (Jeff did this) or leave the other end open to connect to a hand pump. Jeff had photos of his hose install in his restoration article.
I do not recommend drilling any additional holes, especially a through-hull. Just adds one more entry point for water. Thru hull scuppers are problematic in their own right.
When installing the new tank, do not re-foam, use spacer blocks out of starboard/seaboard and orient them to allow water to travel fore/aft and down.
Honestly Michael on the right track. Don McIntyre installed a standard 1" brass thru hull drain on his late 70's 21 Outrage that went through the bulkhead of the fuel tank cavity to the rear bilge. I would have done the same thing had I taken my fuel tank out. When Don had a new tank put back in though he did not foam it in place but built a cradle for it to sit on. This way the water could run around the tank and out the drain.
One thing though Michael, there is no need for you to add a scupper on the bilge side. Honestly water is going to get in there no matter what so, you want it to get out as easy as possible. Also, I have found that those scuppers do not seal well anyways if there is not a large amount of water pushing against it.
I own a 1990 Revenge W/T. I believe the installation of your fuel tank is similar to mine. Here is a link to a thread I started last year. It may be helpful.
Wow, thanks Phil, Jeff, and Norm. It seems like the simplest thing to do would be to add a brass drain tube in the bulkhead.
As far as mounting the tank, I would have never thought to secure it with the inflatable bumpers. What a great idea, Norm. I would love to see those pictures. In my boat there is not a lot of room between the tank and hull, so I'm not sure that I will be able to do that. It looks like the starboard cradle is my best option.
Once again, thank you.
Michael
1989 Outrage 22' Whaler Drive, 2014 Honda 250
I think the drain tube is a good idea, just be careful not to let water freeze in there (not sure if that's a problem where you are...). Also, if your tank is aluminum, try not to have rubber in direct contact as there can be a corrosive reaction over time. Keep us posted as to how it goes!
