screwed

[Dignity]

Was doing a bit of work on replacing my pedestal seats in the old Vision 195 and thought that while I was at it I would fix the flooring as the section near the fuel tank had let go. Pulled the lid off the fuel tank to be able to get to the section needed, managed to clear the old sikaflex and sand it etc Put some new sikaflex in and started rscrewing the section and dropped a screw into the fuel tank well. Could see it alright and tried to move it further down with a long scew driver where there was more room to put something down to get it out and it went under the fuel tank. Tried everything, got a strong picee of wire and bent it L shape and tried for ages to flick it back out but no go. Had to drain about 150 litres of fuel - just as well the truck was on empty and lift the tank with still 50 litres of fuel on board to get the damn screw. Got some rope under the tank and lifted one end up using one of the cross beams on the car port to tie it to.

Turns out there was quite a large depression under tha tank and in all probability the screw would have been happy to lie there for eternity although with my luck the first big swell I hit and it lodges furter under and rubs a hole in the fuel tank.

Lost nearly 3 hours work for a lousy 40 cent screw.

sam

[DaveSue_Fishos_Two]

That's a bugger mate. You wouldn't have been able to use a magnet either, I suppose the screw was stainless.

Cheers
Dave

[finga64]

That's where a dob of the thickest ickiest grease on the tip of the screwdriver comes in handy :)
May have lost a few hours but how many hours and $ may have been lost if you left the screw in??

[a_big_red_1]

Sam, i really think you did the right thing by pulling the tank out, just to be safe, other wise it will always be in the back of your head. i would of done the same thing
lost 3hrs of work :-/ #i'd rather play with the boat :P

Daz

[Dignity]

Dave, it was stainless, also the problem would have been how to get a magnet under the tank without lifting it up.

finga, should have thought of that, was going to go look for some blue tack but thought I would manouvre it further down to a wider area, first mistake.

Daz, same idea crossed my mind.

Also found that the tank bulged in one place and was rubbing on the floor so it was off to Clarks Rubber for some neoprene to stop it rubbing further. Never ends.

sam