I can't tighten my bulkheads

[Benoit Martin]

I think I messed up pretty bad and I need ideas to try to recover.

I am in the middle of a build involving a 120G SCA tank and a DIY stand. When I did my first water test last weekend I had some major leaks on all 3 bulkheads underneath the tank. I have only hand tighten them and I suspect it's not right enough

The problem I am facing is that the nut part of the bulkheads are receded in the holes I made in the stand's top 3/4 plywood. The bulkheads are a little over 2 inches in diameter and I made the whole 3 inches so I only have barely half an inch all around the nut to grab it.
To make matter worse, I have already glued my pipe and one side of a union on each bulkheads so I can't take them out.

I have tried many sizes and shapes of plyers, but none of them fit in the holes of the plywood or give me enough grip to turn.

I'm going to try and be creative tomorrow to build some tool but I'm not very confident I'll build something that works considering the lack of space.

Any ideas are welcome and don't hesitate to call me an idiot to get myself in this situation in the first place [emoji39]

Thank you!

 

[Crabs McJones]

Usually hand tight works just fine. Can you show us a picture? Sometimes getting a look can help with a solution

 

[fishybizzness]

Maybe you can try one of these.

 

[Captain Quint]

Just checking to see if the gasket is on the inside as hand tight plus a quarter turn with wrench usually does it.

These work well:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Lumax-A...PIPHorizontal2_rr-_-303525619-_-302544900-_-N

BTW, you're not an idiot.

 

[reef lover]

Also make sure where everything seats against the glass is clean...no debris and no glass burrs...

 

[ca1ore]

Obvious now I imagine, but you always need to give yourself plenty of access space around the bulkheads should they require servicing. If you can remove some of the encroaching plywood, that’d be a good start.

Even hand tight, bulkheads should not have ‘major’ leaks so I’d suspect you installed them incorrectly (like having the gasket on the wrong side). You might be able to make a wrench out of a piece of PVC. I did this once before concluding it was easier to just make the cutout bigger in the stand.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Another tool idea....adjustable vice grips:

As far as the installation of the bulkhead, regardless of what side the nut is on, the gasket always....ALWAYS...goes on the flange side.

 

[Bayareareefer18]

Maybe you can try one of these.

+1 to basin wrench

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

What are those mad scientist tools LOL
https://www.precisionmarine.com/product/closed-end-bulkhead-wrenches/

Maybe something like this.

 

[Philipgonzales3]

What are those mad scientist tools LOL
https://www.precisionmarine.com/product/closed-end-bulkhead-wrenches/

Maybe something like this.

I think he said he already glued a pipe to his bulkhead. I don't think this will work in that case?

 

[Benoit Martin]

Usually hand tight works just fine. Can you show us a picture? Sometimes getting a look can help with a solution

Hand tighten definitely did not work so there's got to be something else wrong which really worries me now.
That's what it looks like.

 

[Benoit Martin]

Maybe you can try one of these.

I posted some pictures you show my situation but I don't think that'll fit either.
Thank you for the suggestion though

 

[Benoit Martin]

Just checking to see if the gasket is on the inside as hand tight plus a quarter turn with wrench usually does it.

These work well:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Lumax-A...PIPHorizontal2_rr-_-303525619-_-302544900-_-N

BTW, you're not an idiot.

The gasket is definitely on the inside, on the flange side. The quarter turn is what I'm missing since I can't fit a wrench.
I have one of this filter wrenches and that's the first one I tried [emoji16]

 

[Benoit Martin]

Also make sure where everything seats against the glass is clean...no debris and no glass burrs...

I'll have to figure out a way to do that because the overflow is 2 feet deep. It's hard to get to the bottom, my arms are too short

 

[Benoit Martin]

I think he said he already glued a pipe to his bulkhead. I don't think this will work in that case?

Yup, that was my first thought but the union end is the same diameter as the bulkheads but

 

[Benoit Martin]

Obvious now I imagine, but you always need to give yourself plenty of access space around the bulkheads should they require servicing. If you can remove some of the encroaching plywood, that’d be a good start.

Even hand tight, bulkheads should not have ‘major’ leaks so I’d suspect you installed them incorrectly (like having the gasket on the wrong side). You might be able to make a wrench out of a piece of PVC. I did this once before concluding it was easier to just make the cutout bigger in the stand.

You have no idea how many times I said "I should have" [emoji4]

I was worried about the integrity of the stand and didn't to have a big cutout but that clearly the wrong decision. I guess I was over thinking it again.

I thought about removing some of the plywood but haven't done it yet because it makes me nervous to chisel away so close to the glass

 

[fishybizzness]

Maybe I'm missing something but why don't you just unscrew the bulkheads and lift the tank off the stand. You can then tighten them up and cut the hole bigger at the same time. Not sure but by the pics it looks like the bulkheads can fit through the holes.

 

[csb123]

BRS now has tools for tightening bulkheads. Check them out.

 

[Benoit Martin]

Maybe I'm missing something but why don't you just unscrew the bulkheads and lift the tank off the stand. You can then tighten them up and cut the hole bigger at the same time. Not sure but by the pics it looks like the bulkheads can fit through the holes.

Tank is over 200lbs and nobody in the house can help me to move it. I'd have to bribe some friends to come over and help me. I was hoping to avoid going through the trouble of moving the tank but I have been considering it since this morning

 

[fishybizzness]

Wish I was closer. I am following because I'll be setting up the same tank in a few months and I'm trying to figure out as many things as possible. Moving it now and making the cutout bigger will cause less grief in the future! Good luck![emoji4]