Fuel Tank's

[Henry W]

I noticed that there are no posts on fuel tanks. So I thought it would be a good idea to start a new topic. This could help lots of us in many ways. Like saving lots of our hard earned cash on new expensive tanks. There are lots of good used fuel tanks in truck scrap yards so if anyone used or seen a tank that would be good for our projects please share it with us.

Henry

[mobile_bob]

i like new propane tanks for fuel tanks, because they are welded together at the factory
and are clean inside, on the other hand i don't like used tanks they have that godaweful oil inside
to give propane that distictive odor. new ones can be cut/drilled/welded without concern but i still fill them
with water or co2 to be safe.

i am not crazy about plastic, for obvious reasons, but heck it depends on what you need the tank for
how big it is, and what are the chances of fire?

i would not use a galvanized tank, such as one that is used for gasoline, the zinc will react with the diesel
and foul your fuel system, injection pump and injector

if i were to suggest a truck tank, look for a tank off an old ford truck, aluminum preferrably
they use a 4 inch cap which makes inspection of the interior much easier, filling from a bucket easier
and generally those tanks don't bring as much used as a peterbilt or kenworth.  old ford square tanks are
readily available in steel, just check them out with a drop light and stay away from those that look rusty
if you can, unless it is very cheap then you can have it cleaned and sealed at most heavy radiator shops.

for the capacity per dollar offered it is hard to beat a new propane tank in my opinion, they are readily available
and a 100lb tank will hold approx 27gallons, the now extinct 200lb tanks would hold 55 gallons easily
and i would assume the 400lb tank will hold ~120gallons

the larger tanks have in tank gage's which might be useful to you as well, they work with diesel or motor oil
just as well as they do with propane.

then there are those big square totes, 275 and 330 gallon jobs, maybe other sizes as well
they package new oil in them, so i would expect they are ok for diesel as well,, but one might want
to fit them into a containment system in case of a leak?

bob g

[XYZER]

Portable air tanks can be found at a reasonable price and if new are clean. 3-6 gallons are some of the sizes I've seen.

[mbryner]

I use an agri. sprayer tank (15-20 gal) for diesel and I'm looking for another one.   You can easily see the fuel level.   Someone on "the other forum" mentioned this is may be a bad idea, not entirely sure why though.   Brittleness of the plastic eventually, IIRC?   Sure works great and was cheap.   Anyone have any comments?

[cognos]

Off topic:

The chemical added to propane to make it smell is ethyl mercaptan. It is a chemical cousin to what a skunk sprays - which is primarily butyl mercaptan.

It can be neutralized quickly with a caustic solution, sodium hydroxide (lye, caustic soda) in water. Swish it around for a bit, and the smell should be gone. This is how it's done at the plant, with hot water and 15 Bé gravity caustic - roughly a 10% solution. For safe home use, I'd try 2 or 3 %, and let it sit for a while.

(This is also good for if your dog gets hit with a skunk. The old tomato juice trick doesn't work - the stuff is neutralized with a base, not an acid... just keep the solution weak, caustic soda is nasty stuff at higher concentrations.)

[quinnf]

Absolutely so.  Fuel storage carries with it serious safety and liability risks.  Storing fuel in ag spray tanks is an iffy proposition.  Both gas and diesel are blends of a number of chemicals.  Gas, more so.  Each has its own tendency to degrade polyethylene and polypropylene, which are the materials those tanks are usually made from.  I store my fuel in a 6 gallon plastic outboard fuel tank.  If I was to store a larger quantity, my first choice would be to snag one or more steel drums.  55-gal drums should be available for the taking, and they're excellent for storing fuel, building barbecues and shop heaters out of, and make dandy trash cans once you cut the top off.  But if you want to use plastic, you really ought to do the research and determine whether the container is rated for fuel storage. 

Recently, the USCG and UL sanctioned storage of liquid fuels in approved plastic containers.  One thing you'll notice about all of them is that they are opaque.  Can't see though them at all.  Red is for gasoline, yellow for diesel.  I suppose there's a code somewhere that specifies that.  Spray and Ag chemical tanks might be OK for containing water-soluble chemicals and fertilizer solutions, but they represent a risk of embrittlement and failure if you store anything else in them. 

Quinn

[Henry W]

I would like to stay with a metal tank. I feel a plastic tank that is not rated to carry diesel is risky. Two 100 lb. propane tanks sound like a good idea for my projects. I will be using one to store 100% off road diesel. And another for 50/50 mix of off road diesel and WMO. I would also like to find an alluminum tank to store WMO that I will be filtering in the very near future. I feel you have to be very careful with steel 55 gallon drums. They are not very thick and could rust out. But I feel they would be ok for temporary storage.

I also agree about having a containment system for each tank. A matter of fact a 55 gallon drum would make a good containment tank for a 100 lb. propane tank.

Henry

[flywheel]

Future fuel tanks - commonly known as beer kegs, available in various sizes and are stainless or aluminum. They came from my local metal recycler.  Also can be found on ebay at times. Fittings will need to be added to the tanks as well as sealing existing openings. 
Any liquid remaining in the kegs can be drank or just poured out before using them as fuel tanks!!
           
flywheel

[Henry W]

Good idea flywheel!

Henry

[TimSR2]

I have noticed that diesel tanks almost always have at least one  return line. That has always been a hangup for me, finding a tank with the extra fitting. The injector pump return line may have air in it and therefore should be to the top of the tank, while the fuel pickup should never be exactly on the bottom to avoid the water and crud that builds up over time. Some engines have a injector self bleed line also.

I was studying my old OMC  Johnson/Evinrude metal 6 gallon boat gas cans with the later style quick disconnect that included a return line....they are now disallowed as a safety hazard in Canada. (due to the infinite wisdom of the CSA you can no longer fill a metal portable boat fuel can at a service station in Canada without potentially blowing yourself up. The newer style leaky plastic tanks that balloon up in the sunlight and turn themselves half inside out at night are just fine. Sorry I digress,  I'm still smarting over being treated like a criminal at the CO-OP)

I think these steel 6 us gal tanks would be a great candidate for  retrofit to a quick disconnect diesel can. I plan to refit my gen to use these. Might be a good setup for trying alternate fuel supplies too. Paint them yellow for diesel, green for veggie...... As they are no longer legal for their original purpose, why not? The boat style squeeze priming bulb would definitely be a help when you have have to purge a system.



TimSR2

[Henry W]

I have the same problem you have with the plastic portable marine tanks. How can they call them safe.

Henry

[WGB]

I tig welded a 2" nipple on the bottom of a 30 lbs Freon can, then ran a hole saw through the nipple.
Holds about 3 gal. The 1/4" flair valve, and handle makes a good connection point and stand.