CO2 like the pop fountains use is a safe alternative as a purge gas, any gases plus or welding gas supplier will have it for you, as a side note a empty tank is much more dangerous to weld on than a full one as was stated in a earlier post, it's the fumes that cause the big boom not the liquid, it supplies the fumes. If your using a hole saw or a sawsall you won't have to worry about sparks on alminum, just heat. #1 rule of working on fuel tanks if you can't do it safely, take it to someone who can Beautiful boat

 

Great advice....

 

Well, I got the truck back and she's been aligned the best they can do. The spring lift has exceeded the available adjustment, so I'm left with 1/4 degree on the right and 3/4 of a degree on the left, negative camber ... oh well!

Now to pick the boat up and get that tank out of there!

 

Hope ya got a trailer for that boat and yer not tryin to load in the back a the truck. Not that it wouldn't carry but it would be a bear to get it in there by yourself and take a lot a straps to hold it in place.

 

TANK IS OUT!

I feel like a real girl! This guy climbed into the bilge with a grinder, a sawzall and a jigsaw. Thirty minutes later, the tank was out ... still had 1/2 gallon or so of fuel in it, too.

This guy was older than dirt and has been doing this a long time. He told me he only uses CO2 when he's welding a tank that is partially full. He was very confident that the aluminum wouldn't spark and that the fuel odor was not strong enough to explode ... said he might get his eyebrows singed if he wasn't careful enough ...

 

That's about as much thought as I put into this kinda stuff to, I just hate tell others to be so thoughtless about it. I cut into several fuel cells through the years, On Purpose and never had any problems. But this would a been that one time freak thing if you would a tried it.