Having kick started this forum I would like to keep the momentum up and am suggesting that we put in our observations of things we wish we had known before starting on a Fairey restoration. I certainly have learned a lot from Xanthus over the last few years which I am happy to pass on so let's start with a dirty topic.
She was ashore in the Lymington car park for about 18 months before we bought her. When launched she ran perfectly with not a murmour for the first few outings THEN... all manner of problems started with the engines. The problem - obvious it seems now- was the accumulated dirt of 30 years which had hardened into a thick crud at the bottom of the tanks on standing, broke loose with movement at sea and blocked various parts of the fuel system one after another. At the same time the geriatric GRP of the wing tanks started to break down and flood the system with small fragments.(This is a problem we found with Thames boats going to sea for the first time. Perfect above Teddington but heading for disaster around Sea Reach)
THE THING I WISH I HAD KNOWN? Boats which stand accumulate dirty fuel systems wich will catch you eventually. The solution with your new restoration project? Get the tanks out and steam clean or, if of failing GRP, replace. Refit with new hoses. The cost will be recompensed very soon on the absence of precious boating moments lost owing to an immobile boat.
The tanks come out quite easily on a Fairey. If it means engine removal to get at the wings then the engines can have a clean, new hoses and gaskets or possibly a full overhaul. I did all this eventually but I wish I had known earlier
Things I wish I had known
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JohnSK
- Sub-Lieutenant
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- Location: United Kingdom
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Ben
- Admiral
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John
I know the subject of fuel tanks has been discussed before and its a hugely important subject for our boats.
I had a lot of problems with a lack of fuel on Playtime, eventually I cut some 12 inch access holes in the tops of the tanks and fitted inspection hatches. I'm quite sure, from the debris that I found in the port tank that when one of the workers at Fairey built my tanks, they used a wire brush and left it in there. I removed several handfulls of rotting wood fibres and rusting wire bristles!
That was about 6 years ago, since that time I've had one fuel issue, water in the port tank, it turned out to be the rubber O ring on the deck filler had split, another thing to check each year.
On the matter of things I wish I had known, in a general sense Playtime hasn't given me much trouble (touch wood!) although I do have some quite major plans for next winter.
I suppose had I know how much fun and enjoyment was to be had I would have bought one sooner!
I know the subject of fuel tanks has been discussed before and its a hugely important subject for our boats.
I had a lot of problems with a lack of fuel on Playtime, eventually I cut some 12 inch access holes in the tops of the tanks and fitted inspection hatches. I'm quite sure, from the debris that I found in the port tank that when one of the workers at Fairey built my tanks, they used a wire brush and left it in there. I removed several handfulls of rotting wood fibres and rusting wire bristles!
That was about 6 years ago, since that time I've had one fuel issue, water in the port tank, it turned out to be the rubber O ring on the deck filler had split, another thing to check each year.
On the matter of things I wish I had known, in a general sense Playtime hasn't given me much trouble (touch wood!) although I do have some quite major plans for next winter.
I suppose had I know how much fun and enjoyment was to be had I would have bought one sooner!
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Scott Pett
- Rear Admiral
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What good timing!
I'm just in the process (between snow showers) of cleaning out the fuel tanks for my Huntsman 31.
Getting them out is easy once you've removed the old fuel and palmed it off onto some other unsuspecting club member.
My tanks have access ports in the top, but the retaining bolts were rusty, but came apart with application of a suitable size hacksaw.
I used Marine Clean from Frosts Automotive to wash the tanks out. Hot water and a dose of the stuff shifted alot of the muck from the bottom of the tank. Then I did it again and a load more came out.
On my tanks the fuel pickup is a nylon tube from a brass fitting on the front end of the tank, the other end of which is glassed into the bottom corner (right under all the crud).
I decided to change this tube and had to take a tank cutter to brass fitting and make a new bush in bronze. The glassed-in end of the tube was cut off. I intend to fit a brass weight to the pick-up end to ensure it stays in the bottom of the tank. (a bit like a model aircraft fuel tank, only hopefully I won't be running inverted!)
Having seen the crud of 40 years in the bottom my tanks, there's certainly a case for regular washouts, or better filtering on the fill pipe or better filtering in the engine feed.
There is no room in the bottom of a Huntsman 31 for a tank sump which is a shame, but I suspect another pipe from the access plate down to the lowest point of the tank, with some method of sucking out the bottom 1/4 pint of fuel, water and crud would be a good addition to the system. Anyone done anything similar?
Cheers,
Scott
I'm just in the process (between snow showers) of cleaning out the fuel tanks for my Huntsman 31.
Getting them out is easy once you've removed the old fuel and palmed it off onto some other unsuspecting club member.
My tanks have access ports in the top, but the retaining bolts were rusty, but came apart with application of a suitable size hacksaw.
I used Marine Clean from Frosts Automotive to wash the tanks out. Hot water and a dose of the stuff shifted alot of the muck from the bottom of the tank. Then I did it again and a load more came out.
On my tanks the fuel pickup is a nylon tube from a brass fitting on the front end of the tank, the other end of which is glassed into the bottom corner (right under all the crud).
I decided to change this tube and had to take a tank cutter to brass fitting and make a new bush in bronze. The glassed-in end of the tube was cut off. I intend to fit a brass weight to the pick-up end to ensure it stays in the bottom of the tank. (a bit like a model aircraft fuel tank, only hopefully I won't be running inverted!)
Having seen the crud of 40 years in the bottom my tanks, there's certainly a case for regular washouts, or better filtering on the fill pipe or better filtering in the engine feed.
There is no room in the bottom of a Huntsman 31 for a tank sump which is a shame, but I suspect another pipe from the access plate down to the lowest point of the tank, with some method of sucking out the bottom 1/4 pint of fuel, water and crud would be a good addition to the system. Anyone done anything similar?
Cheers,
Scott
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Paul F
- Leading Seaman
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- Location: United Kingdom
Certain aspects of Fairey boat design have troubled me; one is the use of glass fibre tanks. Back in the 60's it was an exciting new do anything material, however we have learned over time that it is has limitations, and certainly no longer permitted by most certification agencies unless special non polyester resins are used.
Not our concern you may rightly say, well not really true. You are going to get 5% Bioethanol in your diesel fuel like it or not. Standard GRP is not impermeable and in old tanks water and fuel will have already leeched into voids in the material. Once you get alcohol (Bioethanol) in old GRP tanks the rate of internal degradation will accelerate dramatically, to the point where it becomes external!
The only way to future proof a Fairy boat with GRP tanks is to replace with alloy or plastic (Tek Tanks).
Another design quirk was the failure to immerse the fuel return pipe. Bosch makes this an absolute requirement and CAV (Delphi) a recommendation. Either way, failure to immerse the diesel return pipe certainly causes harder than necessary starting and resulting is excessive white smoke. When the motor is left for any period of time air works its way back along the return pipe into the pump and has to be cleared by unnecessary cranking.
Not our concern you may rightly say, well not really true. You are going to get 5% Bioethanol in your diesel fuel like it or not. Standard GRP is not impermeable and in old tanks water and fuel will have already leeched into voids in the material. Once you get alcohol (Bioethanol) in old GRP tanks the rate of internal degradation will accelerate dramatically, to the point where it becomes external!
The only way to future proof a Fairy boat with GRP tanks is to replace with alloy or plastic (Tek Tanks).
Another design quirk was the failure to immerse the fuel return pipe. Bosch makes this an absolute requirement and CAV (Delphi) a recommendation. Either way, failure to immerse the diesel return pipe certainly causes harder than necessary starting and resulting is excessive white smoke. When the motor is left for any period of time air works its way back along the return pipe into the pump and has to be cleared by unnecessary cranking.
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Ben
- Admiral
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"failure to immerse the diesel return pipe certainly causes harder than necessary starting and resulting is excessive white smoke. When the motor is left for any period of time air works its way back along the return pipe into the pump and has to be cleared by unnecessary cranking."
Well, I never knew that, interesting.
Well, I never knew that, interesting.