zmk1962

Hahaha ... well I used the definition of a metal work pin... not a seamstress pin ! BTW, the Permatex fuel tank repair sticks to metal still wet with gasoline/fuel - so well worth keeping in the bag of tricks Cheers Z

Hey Raiders, I finally had some time to sit infront of the screen so I thought I'd share my learnings in the post to save others having to do research. Two days before the Fathoms Friday trip I had a few free hours so took the opportunity to hook up the boat and top up the tank in preparation. Topped the tank up to full (250L), drove home and reversed the rig into the driveway. Walked to the back to make sure trailer was on the chocks when I smelt fuel. Not good. Looked under the hull and noticed fuel dripping our of the bung holes. Really not good ! Grabbed a fire extinguisher and mixed a strong dose of truckwash in bucket of water - then undid the boat covers and climbed into the boat. Checked the bilge well and sure enough there was fuel pooled and sitting in there. Poured some of the truckwash there to break down the fuel then started the leak diagnosis. The tank had been sitting half full for a month and there had been no leak, so it was clear the leak was somewhere in the top half of the tank. Perhaps: a) the fuel-in line, breather or fuel-out lines had perished, or b) the fuel gauge fitting gasket had failed, or b) there was a crack in the top part of the tank Long story short - I ripped up the floor to expose the fuel tank and fuel tank well. Found the top of tank was bone dry and the fuel gauge gasket was also perfect - no leak that I could see. All the fuel lines were also perfect, bone dry and no cracks. To diagnose further I really had to empty the tank to lighten it and then slide it back in the well to check the rear of the tank. So after borrowing two jerry cans and using the three I already had, and topping up my wifes and daughters cars along the way, I managed to get the boat tank some 140L lighter. Disconnected the fuel lines and slid the tank back and VOILA -- found a small pinhole in the breather tube outlet pipe. It looked like the breather pipe was sitting too snug in the hole drilled through the well side and this had corroded the ally tube. So the pin hole leak was hidden in the 3/4" rear wall of the well. So now to the repairs. First drilled out the rear wall of the well to provide much more clearance, and smeared the hole with silastic. Then cleaned up the ally tube and tank with steel wool and acetone so that I could see what I was dealing with. Gave the pipe a couple of strong pulls in all directions and confirmed the structural integrity of the pipe was still there - so there was just the pin hole to fix. Did some googling and found this wonderful product specifically designed for these types of repairs .... and the bonus is the local Auto parts stores had it in stock ! And heres the finished repair The putty sets to rock hard and bonds to metals. I've refilled the tank to full and been to Browns and back without any fuel leak issues. Fantastic product. During the repair, my neighbour was inquisitive (maybe worried with the smell of fuel in the air) and popped around to see what I was up to. He runs a farm out Lithgow way. Once he saw the product I was using his comment was well you'll never have to touch that bit again - apparently he uses it all the time for various repairs. Great vote of confidence. Sharing in case someone else needs to repair a metal fuel tank. Cheers Zoran

well said Frank ! 🎣

Hey THANK YOU Donna ! Entirely unexpected. FR is just such a great community I’m humbled to be recognized in this way in such great company. cheers Zoran

FG hands down. Albright has a bend in leader so will clunk through guides. cheers Zoran

Thanks @Captain Spanner ! I am definitely moving back to 2-3M sinker leader. I'll also have a look at the crimp sleeve swivels... at present I just tie a paternoster drop loop and shroud it in lumo tube to keep the two strands together. Cheers Z

Hahaha.... hey KC... they are EVERYWHERE .... even 40km offshore. I like to believe in karma. Cheers Z

Yup, as I said earlier.... "ally which looked and acted like a pro boat" as if they owned the joint... raced past us a few times as well.. I saw two on board, and two gemmies boated by them, but they were working Browns and I HOPE they stayed within the bag limits. I recall seeing the bar crusher ... good on ya guys. We were in the red and white haines. As I said, wish we could hoist up a Fishraider flag or pennant ! Anyway, if you are out an about next time and see a red and white haines, call out on VHF16 for Sierra Yankee 404 (SY404) or BARRYCUDA. Out of curiosity, do you slow jig with electric reels or game gear? BTW, I dropped a 900g jig to 200m as our gear consistently seem to get a hit at that depth on the descent, but no joy. Cheers Z

Thanks @Keflapod ... great write up and advice. I ran 200lb braid on my big Alvey ReefKing but since going electric I've dropped to 80lb to get more line capacity on the Tanacom's. I will definitely go back to a longer trace (2-3m) to the sinker and probably drop down to 30lb as well. There were two boats there when we arrived (a full cab unpainted ally which looked and acted like a pro boat) and a large half cab cruise craft - with a friendly guy fishing solo telling us to stick around the ally as they were there every day and knew where the schools were (hmmmm). Then by 10am there would have been about 6 boats all in all - most hovering around the ally. Which one were you in @whiskey299 ?? It would be great to have a Fishraider pennant so we could fly them off our aerials. Thanks @JonD, Part of my problem is training new crew to read when the rig has hit bottom - waiting too long to crank up a few meters for clearance is a sure fire way to snag. Live and learn I guess. Just got to get out more often. Cheers Zoran

Hard to get a hot spoon 40km offshore ! 10-12 tight cinches each way and no need to melt. cheers Z

As per my previous post I cut the leader tag at an angle and run alternating half hitches until I have covered the leader tag. End result is a smooth long knot that slips through easily. The braid breaks before the knot gives. cheers Zoran

Great job. Love DIY !! cheers Zoran

Yup ... somethings just need to be done on a schedule ... glad you found those lost bits Fab ! Cheers Zoran

Glad you found a technique that works for you Baz. I see in that video that he is applying the same wrap pattern as other FG knot techniques, but he applies the tension to bite into the leader at the end of the process ... and then for good measure leaves a 1/16" leader tag just incase it slips. Personally, I'd feel much safer with the tension biting the leader all through the knot tying, also I wouldn't be happy with that small leader tag as its a snag point that could pick up other line etc. I prefer a smooth FG knot - and to achieve that I cut the leader at an angle, and completely cover the end of the leader with alternating braid half hitches. Doing that only leaves a very short and soft braid tag - a very smooth knot. Probably what @Green Hornet implied above. FYI, I'm still using my home made DIY jig for all my FG knots. I broke 80lb braid twice last Friday (see Fathoms Friday post) and the FG knots never slipped or failed. Cheers Zoran

Hey Cristina, Hope you are making progress with the diagnostics so you can get out on the water again. From the video you put up and the tools you were using (volt meter etc) I can see that you are very handy and pretty well know what you are doing - probably more than most. I did a bit more googling and realised that your model Tohatsu is a carbie model - not a direct injection so that vapour lock article I posted previously may not be directly relevant - nevertheless you can still get vapour lock issues with a carbie model. For now start with the tank vent first as that has caused problems for some folks : https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f54/tohatsu-5hp-2-stroke-runs-fine-for-20mins-then-quits-and-wont-restart-202569.html Also, I managed to find a service manual for your Tohatsu. So incase you don't have it you can download from here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/q0ss8sh45lkmcje/Service Manual_3-4 Cylinder 2-Stroke.pdf?dl=0 Just let me know when you no longer need it and I'll take down the link. Best of luck with it. Cheers Zoran