Would fuel tanks improve Hood's crushing-tube protection?

What would Hood gain by replacing steel crushing tubes with fuel tanks in the same protective space?

The clear benefit would be greater range, but fuel would not necessarily absorb an explosion as effectively as water and a hit could contaminate the fuel system with seawater.

Replacing the crushing tubes with tanks would turn protective volume into fuel capacity and extend Hood's cruising range. That does not make fuel an automatic improvement as armour. Its response depends on fuel type and tank condition, and a partly filled or contaminated space can behave differently from a deliberately flooded water layer. An underwater hit could also drive seawater into the fuel system, creating a propulsion problem even if the fuel did not ignite. Crushing tubes were less efficient than water, but the best replacement still has to be judged as both protection and an operating system.