Clarity gets a Fresh Water Header Tank Refurbishment

Take a look at this work Grant Ball just finished. The fresh water tank to my Perkins 4-108 engine, under which the thermostat was mounted, was practically fused to the engine. We needed to get it removed to replace the thermostat to rule out the final possibility of why the engine begins to overheat after running many hours.

In attempting to remove it (in the Bahamas, near Fox Town Abacos), the head to one of the 20" bolts that run through the tank bolting it to the engine snapped off and, not having any sort of machinist equipment available to proceed with a "surgical removal". I elected to to just push on through, sailing as much as possible, until we could get the boat close to Grant, whom I knew could rise to the occasion.

Take a look at his work from start to finish.


#1 - Header tank, after removal from boat


#2 - Note hole, where hole saw cut through the casting (just above & to the right of center of pic) (conical shape


#3 - top view - shows where hole saw removed casting around bolts


#4 - top of header tank, showing the now-drilled-out holes



#5 - clamped in mill and holes drilled to a nominal size


#6 - pins being made of solid bar of aluminum



#7 - pins being made of solid bar of aluminum



#8 - pin being pressed into the header tank


#9 - finished header tank - also shows vent line for overflow tank, which was installed


#10 - finished header tank - also shows vent line for overflow tank, which was installed