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Water tank cracks

scupper

Vern Gliot
My stb water tank has several cracks. The worst are at both sides the fill filling and vent fitting as well as a diagonal repaired crack maybe a foot long.. It looks to me that the whole end would need to be replaced. So, does anyone know of a repair shop for plastic tanks in Northern CA? Failing that is there anyone still making tanks for our old boats. I know that's a long shot.
Thanks in advance.
 
You can fix it yourself. Get on the web and become a youtube certified plastic welder. There are several video instructions. My tank had a large crack at both fittings and would not tighten and would leak. I tried it and was surprised how easy it is to fix a crack. Welding a seam is another thing but fixing a crack is do-able. You have a job ahead of you taking it out as it is a very tight fit but you can get it out. Be careful not to cut it when sawing the wood top cover. Buy a kit with SS mesh and you take milk jug plastic to lay layers of it over the crack. It will be incredibly strong. I pressurized mine before reinstall and no leaks.. I don't know where to have them made but it would be a shipping nightmare but I am sure a company can make you one new.
 
You can fix it yourself. Get on the web and become a youtube certified plastic welder. There are several video instructions. My tank had a large crack at both fittings and would not tighten and would leak. I tried it and was surprised how easy it is to fix a crack. Welding a seam is another thing but fixing a crack is do-able. You have a job ahead of you taking it out as it is a very tight fit but you can get it out. Be careful not to cut it when sawing the wood top cover. Buy a kit with SS mesh and you take milk jug plastic to lay layers of it over the crack. It will be incredibly strong. I pressurized mine before reinstall and no leaks.. I don't know where to have them made but it would be a shipping nightmare but I am sure a company can make you one new.
Thanks John,
I'm afraid that the cracks may be too wide to weld effectively. 1/8 inch and cross through the fill fitting completely and actually this one goes around the corner of the tank to the side. Plus the threaded fitting is no longer round because of the cracks. I found the PO repaired the end of the tank with glass which of course did not work. I pealed that off by hand. I'll get a photo today to show what it looks like. Thanks again.
 
The starboard tank is Kracor Mold 5083 and the drawing was posted on this site some time ago. If you search here for Kracor 5083 there is more info from folks on this board that have investigated it. Kracor is still in business and owned by Yamaha, I found a catalog but it doesn't have this tank listed. https://pdf.nauticexpo.com/pdf/kracor/water-holding-tanks/29296-50861.html

Rotational molds can be stored for future use and then to make single part runs but they are often discarded after a time if they don't have sales. I don't hold out much hope since the previous posters in 2013 said the mold was gone.

The Kracor drawing is from 2007 and says "Catalina" at the top so maybe that is a tank that can be purchased through them?

I think you could easily have a new one made. I had a port setee tank made by a friend who does plastic welded fabrication, using the Kracor drawing for mold 5082. The shape is basically flat sided so it can be made by welding flat HDPE sheet stock and it doesn't have to be molded. My tank fits nicely and has been working fine. The fill and fittings are just regular tank bulkhead fittings installed with butyl tape. I had baffles installed inside and three clean out ports on top. The clean outs are 4" or 6" Beckson threaded ports and are troublesome to seal so I probably would use something else if I had it to do again, or not have them.

Any shop that can weld repair the old tank can probably make a new one that is better. HDPE fabrication shops in our area do pipe line projects that are using HDPE pipe so you should be able to find such a shop.

Steve
 

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Morning Scupper, I too had issues with my stbd tank leaking. I removed it watched some videos and bought a plastic welder from Harbor Freight. With addition of a welding foot that made it easier I was able to repair the tank. I did call the company Kracor and verified what type of plastic it was and it turned out it was LDPE. My first try was with HDPE and though it welded fine I was always chasing a leak.
Go to search and type in "tank" along with my name and it will bring up pictures. Good luck
 
I would try before ordering a new tank just to see. When it is heated it will bend back somewhat in place. You let it cool. However it surely sounds like the crack is much wider and longer than mine. But I think it can be done. Heat it and try to bring together as much as possible. Leave the crack where it is when cooled and lay plastic over it little by little and see it it holds. With stainless steal mesh, it will keep it together and seal. When I repaired the crack that ran across the fitting and opening, I essentially re melted the opening then while hot, I used a metal female threaded pipe and re-formed the threads in the plastic so that I could place the proper fitting for installation when cooled. No leaks. But again, this may be easier said than done as my tank was not that bad. Good luck which ever way to you go!
 
Thanks John. I feel better knowing I do have some options. At some point I don't have anything to lose.
 
Good News! My stb tank was worse than I initially thought. Cracked completely across from inlet corner to outlet corner, through all three fitting openings and around the corner on the stb side from inlet approx. 3 inches. Cracks were open and all the way through the mat'l so easy to see inside tank through them. I was getting ready to try and effect repair my self without much hope that I would be successful when I found Plastic Depot in Fremont CA.. I highly recommend them. A talented gentleman named Victor completed repairs on both of my tanks. Port tank had minor cracks. His initial thoughts on the stb tank were skeptical that it could be repaired, but he was willing to try. He was professional and it showed in his workmanship. Thank You Victor and all at Plastic Depot! If you are in the SF Bay area and need plastic service of any kind it's definitely the place to go.
Thanks to all who responded to my post. Morgan sailors are always willing to help.
 
That's GREAT news. Sorry I didn't come through for you. I was still trying to find the place. Glad it worked out. And sounds like we have another good place in the area.
Mitchell
 
I have twin plastic tanks in mine. One under each bunk in the salon. If you would like I can pull the name of the company off the taks and the dimensions? Each is 50 gallon if memory serves.
 
I have Morgan 384. I found leak on my front water tank (tank is under v-berth). Probably it has crack on the top.
To get to the tank I have to remove plywood on the top of the tank. I'm planning to cut it few inches from the edges and remove it to get to the top of the tank. Did anybody had similar project? I would like to find out how fare from the edges I have to cut ?
The more plywood left attached to the hull the better for structural integrity and for attaching new v-berth floor. O course I don't want to damage the tank, I hope is repairable.
 
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