"fzbuilder" wrote in message
...
Hello all, I have a 86 Bayliner capri 21' with a 55 gal alum. tank
that I fear is leaking. It has some kind of plastic bag the tank is
sitting in that has deteriorated and water has gotten under and around
the tank. I am getting gas in the front of the boat and in the bilge.
I am wondering what the best way to tackle this prob. is and if I need
to pull the tank up, what is the best way to go about it. If I cut the
floor, I want to be able to re-bolt down a access hatch and not make
it permanent again. Any good websites with vids? Thanks

Before you start an expensive job, run a pressure test on the tanks and its
fittings. I didn't do that on a Bayliner cuddy a few years ago. After
punching hundreds of rivets in preparation for lifting the deck, I
discovered a simple clamp on the filler hose near the tank that had come
loose. When the tank was full, fuel would spill into the bilges. The fitting
was nearly impossible to see, and a pressure test would have revealed a
leak, which could have been traced without pulling the deck.

The marine mechanic who advised me on the job was, to say the least,
embarrassed.