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chasiliff
05-12-2005, 01:45 AM
I am a new member to the registry and I have a question for any Donzi 16 or 18 owners out there. This question also applies, generally, to all boat owners as well. My 1967 Donzi 16 has a lot of water and rust in the original tank from this past winter. I was wondering what your best recommendation for cleaning the tank out was or if you have cut the old tank out and installed a new tank for the Donzi. Did you just remove the top of the boat or did you cut it out from under the cockpit floor?

I would appreciate any input or links to old threads for this topic.

Thanks.

gcarter
05-12-2005, 03:57 AM
Good morning, and welcome to the registry!
This has been done many, many times. Just do a search on "fuel tank". But here are some threads of what I've done with my Minx, which uses the same tank as the "18".

http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=36703

and;

http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=36420

With a 16 there's just less to do.
Good luck. :biggrin:

Scott Pearson
05-12-2005, 05:30 AM
Dont cut the floor! Remove the deck. Its not a big deal and its a weekend job. I have done it on many Donzi's. The most recent one we did was Mattys 1967 16. Maybe he has some good pictures of it.....or maybe not....he did drink alot of beer that day and stand around.


Scott
President, LGDCC

mattyboy
05-12-2005, 06:15 AM
first welcome,
yes Scott is right do not cut the floor, lift the deck 4 friends and some food and beer make light work or if you have the werewithall check out geo's lift mechanism or penbrokes they did theirs single handed

Gcarter is a little of base here there is more to do on the 16 when you have the deck off especially on the earlier models with v8's as the bottom of the engine, starter, oil pan are hard to reach with the deck on not quite so hard on an 18 or 22 with more bilge room so while the deck is off replace redo check everything ,Plus and the early 16 and 18 shared the same tank either a 23 or 25 gallon depending on the mfg'r, then the newer 18 and minx's got a bigger tank 40 gallons or so

I got my tank from florida marine tanks it is a FMT 23 dz they were an OEM for donzi
here's the link to my tank replacement

I won't get in to the whole foam non foam stuff but it is not an over welming job but be prepared for the little bumps in the road


Thanks again to Scott, Cliff, Chris, Kenny good friends good times and I learned alot
http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23152


hell Maryland some beers and blue claws and you'll have people lining up :)

Rootsy
05-12-2005, 06:55 AM
that was a helluva good thread and then for some reason it just went south matty...

JR - anti-foam and heartburn free ;)

penbroke
05-12-2005, 07:40 AM
DO NOT CUT THE BOAT! (Did someone already say that?) :confused:

Pulling the deck is not that hard and is really the only way to do it right.

Here (http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=33989) is a link to my project.

There is a lot of experience here and most all are willing to help. We just don't always agree on the BEST way to do something. :bighug:

Feel free to e-mail me if I can help.

Frank

David Ochs
05-12-2005, 09:23 AM
Welcome!
It's been over ten years since I've been through the process of removing the deck of my 1969 16'. I was convinced that the tank was rusted by the fact that the fuel filter was clogged with rust debris. After removing the tank and allowing it to dry, I inspected the inside of the tank with a boroscope. What I found was not a rusted tank, but rather sediment from bad fuel. With brushes and vaccum, it cleaned up beautifully. Unfortunatly it all ended up costing close to $10,000 because I ended up completly restoring the boat since the deck was off!
That being said, your boat is in its late 30's, chances are it could be time. The others are absolutely correct, the lid is not difficult to remove.
Good luck, you're very fortunate to have this forum, everyone here is great and eager to help. I wish it were available when I was re-doing the boat.
Good luck.

MOP
05-12-2005, 11:08 AM
A boat your age may just have a "Tern Steel" tank, they were near indistructable. There only fault was the rivits used to secure the baffles would sometimes get loose causing a leak, if you scratch the tank top it is very easy to see if it is Tern Steel as it is very hard not soft like aluminum, if have no odor of fuel I would give what David Ochs did a try before tearing into the boat.

Phil

Edit: Try cleaning the tank by sucking out it out through the sending unit hole, if you do a search there have been some posts on ding that.

mattyboy
05-12-2005, 11:27 AM
the tank in my 67 was not a tern steel tank it was a plain ole rotted steel tank doubt highly if your 67 tank is any different not to mention the 38 year old fuel lines

Jamie want to show the people what a steel tank from a 67 16 looks like

heading south again !!!!

Rootsy
05-12-2005, 11:43 AM
sure matty... first thing monday morning ;)

JR - out with the new, in with the old

boxy
05-12-2005, 12:05 PM
Jamie want to show the people what a steel tank from a 67 16 looks like

heading south again !!!!

Every thread eventually seems to head south ..........

Rich
05-12-2005, 02:12 PM
chasiliff.........
If your tank is original it is a terne coated steel tank. Terne steel tanks are still made today but not for marine use. Terne is a lead/tin coating on steel. If you have rust in the tank it's because the lead/tin coating has been compromised. It's just a matter of time before it leaks. When I had my '66 2plus3 surveyed for insurance purposes, I had to replace the tank, fuel lines, fuel pump, & vent with up to date parts before they would insure me. The surveyor said the fuel system wasn't legal anymore. When I took the tank out, I could poke holes right through it. It was completely rusted through and the boat had spent its life on a lake so there wasn't even salt water to blame.

Tony
05-12-2005, 08:50 PM
Pop the deck and swap the tank. My '67 16' was very well taken care of, but it is only a matter of time before the tank will rot. It is too dangerous to take shortcuts or risks here, just do some research and tackle the job. I was leery at first but in the end surprised myself. Here are the chronological posts of my project, with lots of pictures:

http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=35831

http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=36114

http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=36402

http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=36558

Do not plan on completing this project over a weekend! The guys that are able to do this must be magicians. Maybe with all materials on hand (a miracle in itself) and 4 guys working three days straight with no sleep, it could be done in a weekend...but I doubt it. Plus, as stated before, you will want to spruce up/replace many items while the deck is off.

Do lots of reading, it is extremely helpful, and post lots of pictures.

GOOD LUCK!

penbroke
05-12-2005, 09:19 PM
Pop the deck and swap the tank.... I was leery at first but in the end surprised myself.

See Tony, we told ya it wouldn't be that bad! ;)

Frank :wavey:

mattyboy
05-12-2005, 09:31 PM
Now that i think of it my tank was a terned tank, it terned to $#!+ ;) :yes:

mattyboy
05-13-2005, 11:47 AM
Along with all the cool boats, and half of Canada..... :D :D :D

BTW, we have a new SeaDogs member...

I'd clue ya in but he is currently on recon towing an empty trailer :eek: :eek:
yeah along with every misquito , piece of plywood and every hurrincane


:tongue:

oh and don't forget the blue haired white knuckled drivers

Donzigo
05-14-2005, 10:17 AM
..........but, Mattyboy, when you drive down around South Beach with your ole hound dog, a case of beer on ice, your big chair in the back of your pick-up and a pair of binoculars, it don't seem all that bad...............Poodle, put up a picture or two of the babes from South Beach, so Mattyboy can see what I'm talking about.

mattyboy
05-14-2005, 01:05 PM
Richard,
you should post a link to your tank project in the 33 ;)
that don't sound all that bad right about now babes from south beach, rich and breathing I'll take well at least for a lil while ;)