Aluminum Fuel Tank

[Dolce_Vita]

Trying to find out if Aluminum tanks were a systematic changeover from Monel, or if Pearson just offered them as a special option.

[Rusty Pelican]

My understanding when I bought my P323 that monel was an upgrade option.
There were too many options to mention

[Dulcinea]

Hull #148 (1978) came with an aluminum tank.

[selene]

Probably a dumb question, but how can you tell?

[Dolce_Vita]

Probably a dumb question, but how can you tell?

Aluminum is a lighter colored metal then Monel, and its corrosion is crumbly white.  It is totally non-magnetic.

Monel, being composed primarily of Nickel, Copper, and iron, is a darker metal, and its corrosion is a smooth layer of greenish-brown, usually found around welded seams.  Depending on the specific alloy, it is usually slightly magnetic.

[My Cyn]

Hi Guys,

Here is the contact information for the company that fabricated the fuel tanks:

Daniela Fiori Jones
Florida Marine Tanks, Inc
120 Peter Gill Rd
Henderson, NC 27536
305-620-9030 x330
252-438-5062 (fax)
dfiori@fmtanks.com

Daniela was nice enough to provide me with a copy of the fabrication print PS-22. She asked me not to post the drawing on-line, so you will have to contact here directly. She may be able to shed some light.

Regards,

Bill 

[selene]

Well, FWIW I am pretty sure Selene' fuel tank is not Aluminium (1980).  There is no corrosion visible, so it is difficult to be sure; but it is still somewhat shiny (you know how dull Al gets), and not as thick as I would expect Al to be.  So I am thinking Monel, or perhaps stainless. I am tending more to Monel as it does not have a consistent color like stainless steel; it looks slightly patchy, like a little bit like galvanised.

[Rusty Pelican]

Sounds like Monel.
Take a pic and post

[Dolce_Vita]

Well, FWIW I am pretty sure Selene' fuel tank is not Aluminium (1980).  There is no corrosion visible, so it is difficult to be sure; but it is still somewhat shiny (you know how dull Al gets), and not as thick as I would expect Al to be.  So I am thinking Monel, or perhaps stainless. I am tending more to Monel as it does not have a consistent color like stainless steel; it looks slightly patchy, like a little bit like galvanised.

If it looks like this, it's Monel.

[selene]

Ha!  They all look silver to me - well, I finally got a bad pic of mine..may help aspiring metallurgists, or may not.

Ed, yours looks like it is rounded?  Mine is squared on all sides.

[Rusty Pelican]

One vote for Aluminium

[Dolce_Vita]

Ed, yours looks like it is rounded?  Mine is squared on all sides.

Yes, the long edges (fore & aft) are radiused with a fairly large radius.  The tank is an OEM Monel 30 gal tank.  It (and the waterlift muffler) were built by the "Cambridge Welded Tank Co, Cambridge, MA".  I havent found any surviving trace of this company.

[selene]

FWIW, I was working on the engine and managed to look at the tag on the fuels tank.  Despite it's appearance - sure looks like steel -  it is also aluminium (photo attached). As previously mentioned, Florida Marine Tanks.

Makes sense - Selene has almost no options (fiberglass sole, single air vent...)