1 1/4" Barbed nylon elbow for fuel inlet to gas tank.

[Polecat]

I have moved my 16 gal tank forward to get some weight out of the stern. The tank had what looks like a nylon straight barbed fitting --- no longer have room for it need an elbow.
Anyone know of a source?
jim

[Rachel]

I don't have the guidelines handy, but is a nylon fitting okay to use with gas? I feel like it might not be. If I remember correctly, I used brass (?) fittings when I put a new tank in my A-30. They were metal, at any rate.

If no-one else chimes in with the correct information, I will look it up when I can and re-post. I believe this would be covered in ABYC's H-24 guideline (for gasoline fuel systems).

Oh, also, what is your tank made of, and will the fitting touch the tank? If it's aluminum, there are additional considerations.

Rachel

[Popeye1865]

www.mcmaster.com has a very good selection of various types of plumbing fittings easily browsed online other than that most plumbing supply houses have a selection of fittings made of various materials. as noted above plastic fittings are usually not found in fuel systems gas or diesel. but care should be taken selecting what material your fitting is made of if you tank is aluminum for corrosion reasons.

[mitiempo]

Any fuel tank fitting should be metal. If the tank is aluminum you can purchase aluminum elbows barbed or threaded. For stainless tanks I'd use brass.

[One Way David]

I beg to differ.

Specifically nylon I don't know and I know nothing about ABYC but a variety of plastics are used throught the "fuel industry". Many of the vehicles we drive and lawn equipment have fuel tanks, storage and transport containers and on and on are plastic of some flavor. Many of the fittings inside the carborators and even parts of the carborators themselves are plastic. I think I have used nylon washers in carb rebuilds also, but uncertain.

[mitiempo]

Plastic fuel tanks are common, but if the tank is metal the fittings should be metal I believe. Metal and plastic are not a good match due to differing expansion with temperature change. Same reason you should never use plastic (Marelon) seacocks with bronze through hulls. If the tank is metal I would check with a surveyor as if there was a problem it would be another reason for the insurance company not to write a cheque. It's a simple question any surveyor should be able to help with to be safe.