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Hands-on advice and instruction.
By Paul Esterle — Spring 2006
HOW TO ADD A FUEL-TANK ACCESS PLATE >>
A professional fuel-polisher is only as good as his ability to access the diesel in your tank. Many times the only access to the top of the tank is through the fuel-gauge sender hole. If the diesel tank has baffles (and most do), access to other tank compartments is usually severely limited-and so are the cleaning opportunities.
One way to resolve this problem is to add an aftermarket fuel tank access plate. SeaBuilt (www.seabuilt.com) makes them in several sizes, and they can be installed in an existing tank from the outside without welding. The process is simple:
1. Remove as much fuel as possible from the tank.
2. Place the access plate where it will be mounted, and trace the mounting-hole location onto the tank's top. Note: If your tank has baffles, several access plates may be needed.
3. Drill the mounting holes.
4. Cut the center hole with a hole saw or saber saw.
5. Tie a string to the folding mounting plate (so you don't drop it into the tank) and pass it though the center hole.
6. Pull the plate tight up against the underside of the tank, with the studs protruding from the tank's top.
7. Place the gasket over the studs to hold the mounting plate in place.
8. Place the cover plate over the studs and tighten to ensure it is leak-proof.
9. Note that some metal filings will fall into the diesel. These should be trapped by your fuel filters, so it's a good idea to change the elements a few times right after you complete the job.
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