When to replace fuel tanks

Ken O

Ken O

Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
Messages
138
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5
C Dory Year
1990
C Dory Model
22 Cruiser
Vessel Name
Ravens' Roost
I was reminded today to be skeptical of 30-year-old parts on my C-22 when my wife reported that we had no steering. Luckily we were only at hull speed and I was able to rig a tiller.

The fuel tanks also appear to be original also-brown plastic 20 gallon tanks. Does anyone have experience with plastic tank longevity? The senders are also bad, so new translucent tanks would be great, but I am balking at the $500+ price for a new pair of tanks.
 
I had a bad pickup in one of the tanks on my 2005 Angler 19. I stripped the tank fitting trying to remove pickup. I decided to replace both tanks and all fuel fittings and hoses. I think I still have one of the original tanks (starboard?). You are welcome to it, just cover shipping. I can provide pics and details if you are interested.

I am happy with my decision to replace them. I plan on keeping my “adventure boat”.

PS. I’ll be going through Billings this August and could throw it in my truck. FREE SHIPPING!
 
Hey Ken, I really have no idea what the life span is for these tanks but the brown ones in my '89 cruiser seem to be in pretty good shape. I gave them a good once over last year when I replaced the fuel senders, fill hoses, and vent hoses in both tanks.

Having said that, they are indeed 32 years old and made of plastic so, maybe it would be prudent to get new ones. Also, mine are only 18 gallons each. It would be nice to have a bit more capacity and be able to get a visual on the fuel level like the transparent tanks.

Since we're talking about this, does anybody know where the fuel pickups end up down there in the tank? Due to the design/location where the pickups enter the tanks both pickups are on the high side (slope of the deck causes them to tilt toward the center) of the tank. Is there some kind of extension tube that allows the pickup to get down to the low side of the tank? If not, I could see my capacity being cut be several gallons just because the pickup isn't getting to the bottom of the low side of the tank.

Does that make sense?
 
FYI
Unknown to the builder, the molds for the plastic tanks were thrown in the garbage during a house cleaning. Factory plastic tanks are gone for good unless new molds are built.
The builder is having to have aluminum tanks built.
 
Thanks for the info folks. Two new senders are $120 and 2 new tanks are $500, so $380 more. I think I'll go for the tanks and cross them off the worry list.

Patrick: Thanks for the offer on the tank. I'll decline, but contact me if you have time to visit when in Billings. Our C-Dory will still be on Yellowstone Lake, but we will be home some in August.
 
I don't think the tanks wear out, it is just everything else on them that does. The gaskets on mine leaked and I tried replacing them, but the little bolts/screws just broke off or stripped out. I bought Modine 19 gallon tanks and they are very similar to the originals.
 
Ken O":3f15vziv said:
Two new senders are $120 and 2 new tanks are $500...
Click to expand...
Is this from the C-Dory factory? Plastic or aluminum? How many gallons per tank?
Thanks...
 
If it is not broken, don't replace it. To my knowledge the original tanks in the 1993 boat I owned are still in use.

Here is what I wrote in 2017, and the PDF still shows the Moeller tanks available:

Moeller Marine still has the Port and Stb FT 2339 and FT 2340 23 gallon tanks listed as available--these are 23 gallon tanks and were used many C Dorys. There is an option of 18 gallon tanks which fit under the splash well also. Other 25 gallon Moeller tanks are about $250 each...
.
Click to expand...

Moeller Marine PDF
 
Those two Moeller part numbers can NOT be purchased in plastic.
Even the factory was NOT aware the molds were dumped in the trash.
Thataway is listing a part number that was for the original plastic tanks.
They are gone.
 
I’ve heard about the lost tank molds also. But here is my experience…

I ordered new tanks for my CDory from Fisheries Supply in Seattle, Washington. The part numbers were FT2339 and FT2340. They are 23 gallon tanks and fit perfectly. Just a tad shorter in height than the original 24 gallon tanks. I paid $299 for each tank. Not cheap, but no other choice. I believe they were custom ordered from Moeller and drop shipped to me. The tanks are made of rotomolded plastic.

I received these tanks in May of 2019. I think this was well after the loss of the original molds.

I would contact Fisheries Supply. www.fisheries supply.com

Have your credit card handy!
 
Resurrecting an old thread here, but I am now in the mess of searching for fuel tanks for a C-Dory 22 Cruiser.

Has anyone found a way to replace the tanks since the last post in 2021? Fisheries Supply now lists the FT2339 and FT2340 as discontinued.

I could go with smaller tanks, just wondering if anyone else has done it and how.
 
Hi all,

I just purchased new fuel tanks for Isle C, so here's the August 2026 update on getting new C-Dory 22 Cruiser fuel tanks along with some ancillary info on why the tanks cost what they cost and why there's no work around if you want the original 23gal tanks.

I started this journey trying to get the open stock tanks (someone posted here) from Moeller going through my Paxton rep as Moeller doesn't sell retail. He was told that that they couldn't sell him the tanks. So my next step was contacting the C-Dory factory (Northwest Marine Industries) and talking to the owner, Greg Little.
He explained that Moeller would fabricate a set number of tanks when he ordered them and would ship the full amount out to Washington and hence, Moeller didn't keep any in stock for drop ship sales to buyers on the east coast.

So anyone wanting tanks... The new tank part #'s are FT2339BR-1 Port and FT2340BR-1 Stb they will fit the older boats, but there is one change as they now incorporate a Fill Limit Valve that is used on the newer boats, but must be removed for use on the older boats that don't have that whole system built into the boats at the factory. Removing the valve from below the tank vent fitting is easy. The tank vent sits in the middle of a 5" aluminum plate screwed down on the tank. You unscrew the plate, cut off the valve that sits just underneath the plate inside that tank and reattach the plate to the tank and your vent will work as always. If you don't remove them you will have issues filling your tanks and can over pressurize them.

The tanks cost $440 each, no sales tax for out of state sales and shipping cost to the east coast was $100/tank for me.

So if you're interested in getting new 23 gal tanks call Northwest Marine Industries, (360) 389-5351)

Things to consider, these tanks do not have the indents in them needed to screw them back down to the floor (Yay!) like the old 18-19gal tanks. My plan is to make an aluminum bracket to go around a tank with 3 points of attachment. One to the hull, one to the transom and a 3rd up to the back of the cockpit side of the splashwell. I'll post pics when I get done with the install.

Attached below are the engineering drawings that Moeller sent me with the old part #.
 

Attachments

Thank you for the update as this will help lots of folks. Glad Moeller took the trouble to resurrect these tanks. As I understand it, a few years ago, the original drawings got inadvertently deep sixed and they could not make any new ones.
 
Moeller did not resurect, Northwest Marine Industries had to pay for the re-tooling of the new molds to make the tanks because the original molds were lost in a ?fire?. So they deserve the thanks.
 
FrankisCaptBobo said:
Moeller did not resurect, Northwest Marine Industries had to pay for the re-tooling of the new molds to make the tanks because the original molds were lost in a ?fire?. So they deserve the thanks.
Click to expand...
Do you know what years of 22 these will fit?
 
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