TOPIC: What size Gas Tank?

I had 2 5 gal cans cans that came with the boat, but now I need to replace as someone has "stolen 3 gas cans and my dead battery"

I would like to put a 15 gal can - low profile in the back, but is that too big for my 15' Wellcraft?

Since I am unfamiliar with the fuel efficiency, just need suggestions.

Thanks,
Wellcrafted1

A 15-gallon tank is alot of fuel.. that will be pretty heavy back there. With the separate tanks, you can move them around to compensate for different loads.
How long do you boat when you take it out? do you usually run 3-tanks worth, or just carry them as extra's.

On another note. I had an extra 12 gallon Moeller tank- so I installed it in the back of my MFG (16'). I can only use about 8-gallons before the pickup starts sucking air in rough water, or taking sharp turns.. This causes the bulb to go soft- and effectively lose it's prime. I wish Moeller would install baffles around the pickup.
Perhaps the taller gunwale saddle tanks would be better?

Wellcrafted1,

For a small outboard runabout like yours, small tanks are by far, the best way to go. Here are some reasons on this thinking.

Small tanks are portable & can be removed from the boat when it is not in use. This is for theft prevention, and to keep the fuel (a potential hazard) out of the boat when it is stored. If theft is a problem, get a vinyl covered cable & lock (the kind used on bicycles) and string the cable through all the tank handles then lock it. You can also mount a cable eye to the hull to lock the tanks to. When some creep sees that, they will move on to an easier target. But remember, don't store your boat with the tanks in there - it's just not a good idea.

Small tanks make fueling up easier. The best practice is to use all the gas in the tank before re filling them. That way, you know how much gas you put in the can, so you can pour in the correct ratio of oil. It is very difficult to do that with an onboard tank.

If the large tank doesn't have a fuel gauge on it - that doesn't do you much good.

Use plastic tanks, not metal. Metal tanks may look cool and vintage, but they condense water, they rust, and they tear up the floor of your boat. Plastic tanks also allow you to glance at them in the sunlight, & you can see the fuel level making a slight shadow through the plastic. Replacements don't cost much.

I like to use 3 outboard tanks. Two of them are 6 gallon, and one is a 3 gallon. 2 six gallon tanks will run most outboards around for a few hours. Experience will show you how much your engine consumes for a given load & speed. I never plan on using the 3 gallon, I just have it there as backup. Once a year, I hook up the 3 gallon and run it dry to keep the fuel from getting too old. I have never run out of gas doing it this way (knock on wood)

Thanks guys....

Just the info I needed....

Now I need to go and pick up a few smaller cans.

Hopefully I will have her back in the water soon.

Wellcrafted1

I'd like to get a recommendation on a quality plastic 6 gal. tank to fit a single line ( 1960) OMC fuel line. I bought a plastic tank about 5 years ago from BoatUS, and it was a piece of junk. It was about 3 or 4 gal. capacity. The threads on the plastic fill cap started binding with the first tank full, and the cap was nearly impossible to get on or off. The only air vent was a screw vent on the cap, and it splashed gas out the top. I used that tank for one trip, and that was enough. I'm sure there are better tanks made, and eventually I'll need one. The cost of metal tanks is getting very high too.

Flea markets and Craigslist usually have the steel OMC tanks in decent shape for 5 to 25 bucks in my area. (Michigan)

I've got one 12 gal and two 6 gal, all Tempo brand. They make a good tank, but the one with the big plastic nut that allows you to turn the pickup to different angles leaks around that nut when it's full and the vent is closed during transport. Other than that, I'm happy with them.

I run dual tempo 6.6 gal in my Alumacraft and it is perfect for me needs. Never any trouble.

Bruce Gerard wrote:

Wellcrafted1,

For a small outboard runabout like yours, small tanks are by far, the best way to go. Here are some reasons on this thinking.

Small tanks are portable & can be removed from the boat when it is not in use. This is for theft prevention, and to keep the fuel (a potential hazard) out of the boat when it is stored. If theft is a problem, get a vinyl covered cable & lock (the kind used on bicycles) and string the cable through all the tank handles then lock it. You can also mount a cable eye to the hull to lock the tanks to. When some creep sees that, they will move on to an easier target. But remember, don't store your boat with the tanks in there - it's just not a good idea.

Small tanks make fueling up easier. The best practice is to use all the gas in the tank before re filling them. That way, you know how much gas you put in the can, so you can pour in the correct ratio of oil. It is very difficult to do that with an onboard tank.

If the large tank doesn't have a fuel gauge on it - that doesn't do you much good.

Use plastic tanks, not metal. Metal tanks may look cool and vintage, but they condense water, they rust, and they tear up the floor of your boat. Plastic tanks also allow you to glance at them in the sunlight, & you can see the fuel level making a slight shadow through the plastic. Replacements don't cost much.

I like to use 3 outboard tanks. Two of them are 6 gallon, and one is a 3 gallon. 2 six gallon tanks will run most outboards around for a few hours. Experience will show you how much your engine consumes for a given load & speed. I never plan on using the 3 gallon, I just have it there as backup. Once a year, I hook up the 3 gallon and run it dry to keep the fuel from getting too old. I have never run out of gas doing it this way (knock on wood)

Sound advice!!

After switching to plastic tanks last year, i wont run anything else. They dont dent, rust or beat the insides of your boat up...easier to carry, easier to see how much fuel you have. Two 6 gallon tanks would be enough for a solid days worth of boating...looks like thats a 65 or 85ish HP Merc?? You could always add a third tank if needed. Walmart sells the stackable Atwood ones for about 25-30 bucks each and they work fantastic.