Fuel tank inspections

[V12diablo]

I will be draining all the old fuel out of my 3 tanks on my new to me 356, and I was thinking of using my endoscope to try to inspect the internals of the tanks while they are empty. I have read on the forums that the auxiliary tank is prone to corrosion and leaking. I was just wondering if anyone has had experience doing this and if it is worth while to do.

Jason

[buster53]

I pumped out my side tanks as I had a lot of water in them, but we couldn’t get to the aft tank without a lot of effort. Anyway, I think that tank is ok, so I’m not too concerned.
However, let me know how you do get to the aft tank. Looks like the aft cabin night stand needs to be completely removed to access the tank.

[Viper]

It doesn't hurt but whether you see anything will depend on whether it's corroding from the inside out or from the outside in. The ones I've done were bottoms from the outside in. In both cases, the tanks were removed and bottoms cut out. You couldn't tell from the inside that there was anything wrong. The outside was obvious though. That's not uncommon if moisture is trapped between the tank and its platform.

[bud37]

Source of the post I will be draining all the old fuel out of my 3 tanks on my new to me 356, and I was thinking of using my endoscope to try to inspect the internals of the tanks while they are empty. I have read on the forums that the auxiliary tank is prone to corrosion and leaking. I was just wondering if anyone has had experience doing this and if it is worth while to do.

Jason

My advice, unless your borescope is certified intrinsically safe I would strongly advise against using it to inspect the inside of your gasoline fuel tanks. Chances are the evidence ( inclusion ) is so small you wouldn't notice it anyway until it leaks.

[Viper]

Ya you have to use a scope that's properly sealed for this purpose but you should ground it if it's a metal probe. In an empty tank, you may be able to see some signs of corrosion depending on severity. Discolouration aside from fuel by-products is usually apparent. The biggest problem you'll have is probably being limited to the immediate section below the opening, baffles in the tank will make it difficult to inspect the whole thing.like bud warns though, there is a safety consideration here due to explosive fumes so unless you're confident in what you're doing, get a pro to do it for you.

[chpsk8]

Do you smell fuel now? If you sniff around the back cabin wall, or open the night stand do you smell anything?

I haven't used my back tank, but I'd like to just to balance the weight in the boat if anything. I was thinking of pressurizing the tank and watching for any drops in pressure over time. I don't smell any fuel near mine and the gauge reads empty. I'd just rather know it's tight before filling it up and needing to deal with it if it does leak. The previous owner said he used it, but who knows... he said a lot when I was buying it. haha.

[V12diablo]

No fuel smells or signs of leakage. I was just thinking more of preventative maintenance as the tanks probably won’t be completely empty again for quite some time.

Jason