new aluminum fuel tanks

C

Cessna210g

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Joined
Feb 23, 2006
RO Number
20332
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I'm installing new aluminum fuel tanks in the boat. I would like to know from a marine surveyor if you can coat the bottom of the tank with something like Rhino Lining?
 
Just had new tanks installed and they coated the bottoms, top and outboard sides of the tanks with truck bedliner. left the fronts untreated except for 5 inches from bottom so next owner could see tanks have been replaced.
 
Yes. Make sure you have an air gap at the bottom. Also make sure the tanks are bonded well or youll be replacing them again soon.
 
i used line x to coat my tank, this product is put on hot and it is not a rubber coating. it is like a plastic coating. they claim the rhino coating will absorb water. just my 2 cents...
 
"Rhino Liner" and similar products like SEM Bed-Liner are one and two part urethane rubber products. In essence they are not far off from Sikaflex 290 urethane calking products. Once cured, they will not absorb water no more than a car tire. That is to say they are somewhat porous on the top substrate but will not "soak up" water.
Line-X, on the otherhand is polyurethane/polyurea elastomer which is a hard more dense product like a plastic. It too will have a little surface absorbtion of moisture though not significant and it will not soak up with moisture.
IMO, I'd still Alumaprep the tank, Alodine 1201 it, dry it off well with a hair dryer and then apply either of the bedliner coatings. I did a tank in a 32' gillnetter this way, 7 years ago and it is excellent to this day. I used SEM's bedliner kit.
 
Mine where 159 gallons each and cost $3,400. including shipping and tax. installation cost where a different story as we had to pull both engines.
 
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