HC33 Fuel Tank

[mitchk]

My HC33 has no fuel guage, The top of the tank aprears to be the one under the salon table. There is a fill hose and what looks like a pick up about 3" away from it. Also there is another small diameter hose coming out of the fiberglass about a foot or so behind the SS bolt on tank top. Does anyone know what this smaller hose is and does anyone have a suggestion about fuel guages and if so where in the metal top would you drill so that the guage is in the deepest part of the tank? A diagram of the tank would be nice, did HC ever make these diagrams available to the public? Any help with this would be greatly appreciated!

[pete_cook]

Mitch,
The small hose you asked about may be the vent hose that leads aft from the tank and vents at the stern.

There are several message threads in the archives in which folks describe how they installed sending units to guage their fuel level. Recommend you search these.

Regarding the tank shape, I can tell you what my tank is like because I've had it open. Basically, the tank bottom is shallower in the front than in the back. The bottom is flat in front, then slopes down and flattens out again deeper in the back. The metal tank cover sits directly over the shallower portion of the tank, so the fuel pickup, which is a straight metal tube, does not reach the deeper aft part of the tank. Useable fuel is thus approx 50 gal instead of the tank capacity (80 gal). I remedied this by installing a new fuel pickup that angled toward the rear of the tank, so I now have 80 gal of useable fuel.

Like you, I don't have a fuel guage--after seeing the non-symmetry of the tank shape, I decided a linear measure of the fuel was only valid for the first half of the tank and besides, I don't use that much fuel. Some people find them useful, though, so recommend you search the archives for their ideas.

Pete

[capt_ray]

Mitch,

If your boat was made at the Hansa Yard (Hull # less than 132) the fuel pick up is in the deep part of the tank about 12" aft of the engine water intake thru-hull. I can send you a photo by e-mail as I haven't been able to figure out how to post one here.

Ray[/img]

[mitchk]

Yes I think my boat was made in the Hansa yard, If you could send a pic that would be great! send to mitchkarlson@yahoo.com and Thanks !

[rick_bradshaw]

Ray,

Could you send me a copy of that pic too? The fuel pickup was shortened by the PO to just a vertical one and it supposedly accesses only about half the available fuel. I need to know where to get into the tank and how to "adjust" that pickup so that I can get most of the fuel.

Thanks.