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We got one. Resource and Discussion Forum for Key West Boat Owners. Thanks Carolyn, I have been fighting the same problem for a year with the Yanmar 30GM losing several hundred rpms when running over 2000 rpms and then catch up again after a few seconds. When Dave replaced them, the new ones seemed to have as much play as the old ones. Signature required for receipt of shipment.
I looked at the Racor bowl some more and did not see any bubbles when Dave ran the fuel pump. Then you should just be able to find a replacement, even if it is Al it should last a decade or two. The shipping was $ 48.
Initial testing showed that the engine was now running well, so we went ahead and made a trip to Key West to visit friends vacationing there. Weve run the engine over 20 hours since then without even a hiccup. It certainly is a relief to figure these kind of things out after so long a time. This is the second step of my fuel problem diagnostics. EM89, Engineered Materials' one component, room temperature curing, thixotropic, water clear adhesive for use on hard to bond substrates. Cancer and Reproductive WWW.P65Warnings.com. When we had problems with our engine cutting out two years ago, your story convinced us to immediately replace all the fuel lines. After the fuel pump, the fuel is under pressure and will seep out any unsealed areas as a fuel leak. Help is here: Overcoming the First-Year Learning Curve (a free mini-course from The Boat Galley). Enter your email address to be added to the waitlist. Thats also a problem, but wont produce the symptoms we had of an engine losing RPMs and dying. On the water, the dealer was able to duplicate the problem. Yes, its a serious safety issue in addition to being a pain! The lessons that we took away from finding this fuel problem: Wondering how much of what foods to take on your next trip? Depending on how you were heeled, it can siphon out. I would have replaced the fuel lines first. The top of the tank had sagged down with age, and the pick-up tube was resting on the bottom of the tank. After owning 11 boats, one thing I learned is if there is a hint of fuel problems I replace all the lines. Thanks for the tip. Glad you finally found it. This also has the advantage of allowing zoom. If you are not sure about the vent, remove the fill cap fitting. Dave again pumped all the fuel out of the tank and pulled it. Luckily for us good old starboard is our go to girl. When we were struggling with a hard to diagnose fuel problem on our new-to-us boat, I read this carefully. In this case stainless steel bulkhead fittings and stainless steel pickup tubes. If possible, remove the fuel line from the pick-up tube, and then lift the pick-up tube out of the tank. Take my free mini-course: Filed Under: Boat Work Tagged With: Boat Projects - Repairs & Upgrades, DIY Tips, Overcoming, Underway. Not sure if they send outside Florida however. Thats a problem with a lot of boats with baffled tanks. Big sigh. I verify with a small wire as suggested. I had the same problem with engine rpm and air leak onto the fuel. Well, I didnt want to say anything, but really she was the one who told us what to look for . We found some stories of people cutting them and all sorts of stuff. After careful inspection, the dealer called and explained he could not find anything wrong with the engine. There is a second hole (plugged) that I can get a new pickup tube for but was wondering what is going on with the one that had the elbow in it? By Congratulations on a job well worked.
I'm Carolyn Shearlock. This valve is there as a safety in case the fuel line should become cut or broken, it will not siphon gas into the bilge of the boat. Restore formatting, Took another look, and if you remove the sender you may be able to remove the nut holding the bulkhead fitting in place, if not you may be able to file or chisel off What is left of the top and push it down and pull it out. . . One of the main causes of fire aboard vessels is associated with flexible fuel lines.your fuel lines were an accident waiting to happen, you were fortunate they only caused your engine to run like a hairy goatit could have been a lot worse, if you had had an engineroom fire..and I do not mean just the loss of a vessel. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. If you own a Grady White boat or thinking of purchasing a Grady, you have come to the right place. Many years ago I worked on a boat with a similar problem. Not only is this problem annoying but also dangerous in rough seas. I did try and argue out that it should not have failed in only 492 hours, but they didnt agree. In this case, the first thing to do is locate any inspection hatches in the floor of the boat. We took the boat out and motored for over 3 hours in 2 to 3 foot waves. We havent had even a sputter since and our crossing of Hecate Strait was horrible (weather forecast calm seas and no wind hahaha). I got lucky and was able to drill out the aluminum fitting and use a tap to clean up the internal threads. Thanks, Ours supposedly couldnt be taken apart. and then would lose more . The Westerbeke has an electric fuel pump on it, and if we did the bleed procedure 30 to 60 seconds of pumping the fuel it would start again and run well . I thought your site might be good only for cabin and galley issues never thinking that you could address an engine problem that I have not been able to find online.. Overwhelmed with all there is to learn as you're starting to cruise? 250 gallons and we never saw it leave the boat. Found a loose hoseclamp and no more bubbles and engine is running like a dream. and so on, eventually dying. Or at least the way to start the answer. . Sometimes, its someone who isnt familiar with the system who says is this supposed to be like this?. Great article.thanks for sharingair leaks like that can be unbelievably frustrating!
Popular articles you may have missed Every boat, every cruiser, every situation is unique. Includes detailed instructions to edit it for your favorite foods, how much your family eats, and how long youll be gone. I wanted to update the group about a problem I discovered with my 2015 250CC gas tank. Thankyou for posting this we were just about to start trying to diagnose a similar issue. I just bought a 97 baja hammer and it seem to be having the same issue. What a shame to have to go through all that. I ran my fingers down the hose and could feel just a tiny imperfection next to the hose clamp by the fuel pump. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a338ea8c0e989a9eb748770efb8baf9a" );document.getElementById("eb861f0816").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hi! The next day, we went out sailing just for fun. Not testing anything. . Alright so I went off the grid for a bit and finally got this fixed (hopefully). Thanks for reposting this Carolyn.we are literally right in the middle of sorting through this problem. We began with the simple, more common problems and then progressed to checking other things that would cause a fuel problem on a boat: Finally, when we started the engine it ran well. Fuel tamk is in isolated compartment from the. thanks so much for posting the details of your troubleshooting. All other maintenance is equally important and if youre using Racor fill them up. For compatibility then, you'd want to use aluminum or plastic fittings next to the aluminum. Along the way, we sold pretty much everything we owned (twice! Clear fuel lines are available for gasoline engines and diesel does not seem to affect the lines for short term, investigative use. Hopefully it is better now guess we will see at the ozarks. Shop vacs are not designed to suction explosive fumes, and they are not shielded against spark. Not sure if Id use a hair dryer around gas find a non-sparky way to heat it.). Clear editor. Actually, it was pretty easy to remove. So thanks. I was a bit iffy too on the gasket sealer, though I believe the propensity of gas to leak through such a tight fitting is probably unlikely, as it is rarely under significant hydrostatic pressure. Was running engines pretty hard yesterday (motor sailing) when both shut down, right after a large rough storm. I used segments of clear fuel tubing at multiple line junctions and ran the engine at high RPM. Provide your account email address to receive an email to reset your password.We have changed website platforms. A kink in this line or a pin hole or tear in the hose, or even a worn o-ring inside the plug-in connector, can cause the same sort of problems this boater is experiencing. If I hit something that means the pick up is part of the tank. You cannot paste images directly. I totally understand the frustration we had it in spades. This fitting is usually equipped with an anti-siphon valve. Currently a marine diesel mechanic in Sausalito/bay area, .CA, for the last 5 years, 9 times out of ten if you do regular engine bleeding and it doesnt solve the problem, go to the injectors. Yea it cost more but customers would respect them for doing it. In changing the valves, Dave had to remove our dual Racor assembly. July 11, 2020 in Maintenance, Tech Info & Troubleshooting, 95 Malibu response 350 magI looked it up says our boats should hold 38 gallons I cant seem to get more then 13 in mine. He is considering draining the fuel tank and leaving it open for a few days to evaporate any liquid left in the tank. That will tell you how much you have and lighten it if you need to pull it. We had bubbles galore! You are using an out of date browser. The pickup and vent fittings are on opposite ends of the tank. Having recently played this game myselfand met with only semi-successI can really appreciate what you went through. Everyone we talked to and all the books we read agreed that the basic problem was fuel starvation. The problems got much worse on the return to Marathon with the engine dying severaltimes. Drench! We have a dirty fuel issue in the port tank. The forum is a place where Grady White owners and future owners can post their questions and experiences about Grady White boats. If someone elseon board has better close-up vision or more sensitive fingers for finding imperfections, get them involved. Thanks Carolyn, looks too risky for me to play with though. There are a lot of places on marine components where stainless shouldn't/can't be used because other factors are more important. Hi All, thanks for the help. Well that's what I thought I was doing, there was no tube that came out with the 90 degree fitting. It really didnt seem to be anything, but as it was the only thing we could find, Dave decided to remove the hose and replace it. The dealer tack on the shipping cost Westerbeke charge the dealer. He drained the gas, replaced the fuel line from the tank to the water-separating fuel filter and refilled the tank with fresh fuel. Hello guys, I was getting air in the fuel. The important lesson is to absolutely isolate the problem. Check out this article for some easy ways to stretch your fuel dollars. I plan to pull the tank and see if I lost a pickup tube but was wondering if someone else knew a lil more. The fitting had been missing the small copper washer that all banjo fittings are supposed to have. Having never experience this before, all other that I have work on had a tube attached to the 90 degree fitting. The e-mail continued by stating that the boat was approximately 15 years old, and the owner thought there may have been trash in the tank that was sucked up into the pick-up tube and caused a restricted fuel flow. I think when you drain your tank and have a look at the bottom you will be surprised at how much gunk there is. . Upload or insert images from URL. Luckily we were planning to go home that day anyway. He discovered he could get the fitting off by. Upfront I went against the new sender / gauge combo because the ones I found needed alteration. Your link has been automatically embedded. Very methodical work! Ships from supplier, typically 2-3 weeks. Good article, recently just went through a weird fuel leak myself. No problem at all. By continuing to use this website, you're agreeing to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Had this problem last week, tracing fuel lines, looking at filters, connections, pumps, etc then I went to the injectors, noticed 3 out of 4 of studs on the return line didnt have washersthey were so tiny, but as soon as they were replaced, the engine ran great. Is there any additive I can add at this point to help after blowing whatever back in tank. When enough detergent oil was in the system it would foam up and foul the injectors. I will wait for a few mins and retart engine, then have to go thru the issue again. Hugs and Fishes from Haida Gwaii, Last but not least, the fuel line from the water-separating filter to the engine, including any plug-in connections at the engine, should also be checked. For two months, we workedto find a fuel problem on our boat. Thus we decided to concentrate on an air leak. Dave traced the fuel hose and looked at all the components. Looking for one size fits all wont help much. Hopefully that solution works out in the long run, as it appears it will. Learning from your experience helped us save hours of frustration. Anytime you have to feed something through one hole into a tank and pull through another, it's a chore (been there, done that with diesel tanks). Powered by Invision Community, Copyright 2005-2022 | TheMalibuCrew.com. Fortunately, the engine would restart, and it ran well as long as he did not exceed the 2,500-rpm mark. West Marine offers a wide variety of aftermarket, OEM-equivalent engine parts. Also, forgot to say that I did a bit of damage to the 90 degree fitting. Just last week a friend had a problem and thats exactly what it turned out to be. If there is a leak the engine will speed up. Thanks so much for the detailed, extensive descriptions of your trouble -shooting. I think that would have been and easier way to do it. But how you deal with them will make the difference. Determined my. Good job on tracking it down. What I found was lots of soap bubbles coming out of the banjo fitting on the inlet to the fuel pump. I have actually done work on hard to reach items using this approach. This publication is right there in the trenches (bilges?) It can happen, doesn't matter where you bought your fuel. He checked it over thoroughly for any loose connections and lo and behold! I would try an easy-out to see if you can unscrew it. I had the same issue. If this is happening, just replace the anti-siphon valve. They said yes, so we bought two new valves. Ive read that many services use a pressure washer with special tips to get to otherwise inaccessible areas the trick of course being not to damage the tank with too much pressure. Become the most informed Sportsman you know, with a membership to the Louisiana Sportsman Magazine and LouisianaSportsman.com. Runs for 15mins and loses RPM then later dies. Learn what you can do to prevent phase separation and limit other ethanol-related fuel problems. With the 6 gallon tank hooked to the engine, it ran flawlessly for over an hour. . We knew we had clean fuel and a clean tank.
He got a 6-gallon tank and hose, which he hooked up to the motor. Oh, and you can get the pencil zincs at West Marine or any marine store. Wish I had this to read two years ago when I had a similar problem. Replaced fuel line old one was pinched and look collapsed. I thought of that, but I have two inspection plates the forward one gives access to the hose for putting in gas and the vent, the rear one gives access to the fuel gauge sending unit and what I "think" is the fuel to engine hose. Looks like a good solution and nice write up and photos. . . with the rest of us boaters, and has many good tips and explanations. The problem area(s) are likely to appear almost insignificant. He tried to tighten every hose clamp.
Pulled the tank replaced the pickup tube lengthened to pull from rear of tank. As a guest, you are welcome to poke around and view the majority of the content that we have to offer, but in order to post, search, contact members, and get full use out of the website you will need to Register for an Account. The biggest thing with Racor filters is they MUST be filled to the brim. []. Glad to hear that. Happened when we were on a friends boat. It kinda looks like that pickup threads into the tank (from the images of similar pickups).
Thanks again, Jerry. We then pumped all the diesel out of one tank, pulled the tank out and cleaned the inside of it, reinstalled it, then ran the fuel back into it through a Baja filter (no significant water or crud). And I do mean tiny. You should be able to find a replacement bulkhead fitting. But why? Wed already ruled out a crack in the pickup tube in the tank. In a recent e-mail, a boat owner described a problem he was having with the brand-new engine he had just re-powered his boat with. What valuable, hard-won information you give us to use if we ever need it. It did have an anti-siphon valve on the 90 degree elbow. Know just how much to buy of what all arranged by grocery store aisle with our handy Provisioning Spreadsheet. The correction for this boat was to simply cut the bottom of the tube on an angle so that even if it did hit the bottom of the tank, it would still supply fuel. Required fields are marked *. I always hope that what I write will help someone else no reason for us all to learn the hard way! If the vent is clear no problem. Use this shopping list of essential components to create a soundand compliant fuel tank installation.
Delivery time varies typically 23 weeks. No spreadsheet skills needed! I chased a fuel delivery problem from Mobile all the way to Nassau. He could easily ignite the remaining fumes and the resulting explosion could cause severe injury to him and his boat. As of now we carry a lot of filters! Both tank access point are the same. Expedited shipping is not available. Its hard to see the pickup tube in the photo as its black, but its attached to that metal piece that the Visegrips are pulling out. . I installed a, Powered by vBulletin Version 3.8.8 Beta 1, Seamanship, Navigation & Boat Handling, Rules of the Road, Regulations, & Red Tape. This item will be fulfilled from the vendor. How did I find it? This is a very common problem on CF. Wow, that looks like a tedious fix so kudos for sticking it out. I suppose it's obvious the finished product should be leak tested. How do we get the tank clean when it has baffles trapping the last bits of crude?. He began inspecting the fuel line, and discovered that the primer bulb was soft and had no pressure. The next thing to check is the hose barb fitting at the top of the pick-up. Just wondering if someone can walk me thru how to remove pickup tube from my gas tank. We use cookies to optimize site functionality and improve your overall experience. Thanks for the photo, I literally ran into this issue this week trying to diagnose the same exact problem. We once did something similar with a non-baffled tank that had gotten 10+ gallons of water put into it by mistake, but simply pulled the fuel line apart at a connector and let the fuel/water free flow into a bucket in the bilge (the bucket has to be below the tank level since its just a gravity feed). By the time the car was taken to the shop the foam would subside and the engine would start. He could not get it to restart. He felt the cause was in the fuel tank. It's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the TheMalibuCrew Family today! Thanks. It turned out to be in copper tubing under the sole. Ive run all summer this way and will address replacing the Racor at season end. Totally FREE one email a week. In older cars cracked hoses were a common source for vacuum leaks, cracks as fine as the one you have.
For anyone who is interested this is how I went about it. This is one of the easiest tests that anyone can run whenever they feel their engine is having a fuel-supply problem. Weve been checking for leaks. There is only about 25 gal in tank was planning on filling today. New articles & podcasts I wanted to ensure that the fuel tank pickup was not partially clogged so I took out the pick up tube (and anti siphon valve). This is not true and after years of engine failures, always when the conditions have the boat bouncing all over, we sorted this out with the help of a fellow mariner who had the same filters and problems. Heres wishing you a summer packed full of many hours of boating fun.
We called Westerbeke tech support and they said to use a 30 micron if we were having fuel starvation issues. Anyway I purchase the parts from a local Westerbeke dealer. Sunflower fields scream Buffet Open in bright yellow lights to resident and migrating doves. Just wanted to thank you for writing this post last year. Display as a link instead, Excellent! Then the ups and downs would start again. not forgetting the pickup tube inside the tank, for those of us who have top feed tanks. I started looking at the hose very, very closely, lying on the deck with my head inside the engine compartment. Privacy Guaranteed - your email is never shared with anyone, opt out any time. No mechanical knowledge needed. Replacing things based on guesswork is always more expensive and usually not productive. Your email address will not be published. Depending of course on how old your boat is. I also recall reading where someone put a longish metal tube onto a hose attached to a pump, and kept sucking out the bottom of the tanks, periodically adding more (filtered) fuel to stir up the crud on the bottom enough that it would get sucked up. Turned out to be a restriction in the stainless screen at the top of the pick up tube. Click here. There was a guy whose Porsche would not start intermittently. There are two fittings, two hose clamps and one hose between the two. Still its a mystery. The valve stems seemed a little wobbly and we called the companys tech support to see if this would let air in. Cummins traced it to a very small crack in the Fuel Injection Pump which requires complete replacement of the pump. Also one completely different item what is your mast head clearance? Im pinning this for future ref . Whenever Im faced with a fuel-supply problem, I like to start at the tank and work my way back to the engine. and then come right back . All of them. It was easier to see when I bent the hose a bit. Were now declaring the problem solved. Each time Id clean I off the bilge floor and next time after running it the fuel would be back on the floor. I had a similar problem on my Islander 30. Good for you! It takes a lot of patience to track down the source of this type of problem, and the prroblem will probably turn out to be something really tiny and hard to see. That is a very nice example of what this forum is about. He fixed that, and we were confident that we had the problem licked. First of all it would take much longer than a few days for remaining liquid to evaporate from his tank, and even after the liquid had evaporated, there may still be dangerous gasoline fumes left in the tank. Heres my step-by-step method of making tired teak look like new. ), gained a great boat dog, had a bunch of wonderful times and some adventures . Fortunately I have my wife to periodically talk me off the ceiling!! Glad it's fixed though. Its remarkable how tiny a leak can be to completely decomission an engine. Question where do you purchase parts. He explained that he had performed the usual break-in, and liked what he had seen up to that point.On his next trip, everything went smoothly for the first half hour of operation; then all of a sudden, the engine started to sputter, and it died. [], Everybodys got a best fishing buddy. The boater explained again what had happened, and the dealer took the boat out on the water for a test run. If you hire someone, its going to be expensive. I was plannining to install a bulk head fitting by removing my sender to access the inside of the tank. The pickup tube was permanently installed (we called the tank manufacturer to confirm this) so we did not remove it to check it for blockages or cracks. It worked and weve had no problems since. The Boat Galley We definitely would have floundered longer if we didnt have an example of a crew with far more experience than we had still struggling. We have two fuel tanks and valves that determine which tank is being used and returned to. Perseverance pays off. The first batch of fuel has been disposed of, the second batch polished twice. 3/8"ID x 12"L chemical-resistant nylon tubing. Hi All, I have a rather perplexing issue with my gas tank fuel pick up. The wrench slipped and partially collapsed the side wall so It will not take the anti-siphon valve. I KNOW you guys must be relieved!! Very frustrated. Heather Kolankowski, On gas engines you can use WD 40 to find leaks. The cute dog looks like she is very interested in those tools!
The problem took over a year to determine the source. Just read your shutting off the water pump while traveling article and then last time out case of the missing water. It may not display this or other websites correctly. For this trip will just blow out and fill tank. I did use a remote tank and the engine ran better that is why I took off the 90 in the first place. Suggestions please? The pain was figuring out HOW to. Now you can inspect the pick-up for any trash. That one that you enjoy fishing with but you both especially enjoy giving each other a hard time. We are unable to access the tank much less remove it for cleaning (short of literally destroying the galley and salon) which is the problem. You can change your cookie settings through your browser. In my return e-mail, I explained to him that this would be extremely dangerous and should not be attempted. LDWF agents investigating fatal boatin Cobia move in close to Port Fourchon during September. . for a while. . I have a 1995 Islander 26.8 with a 134 gallon fuel tank. My port Cummins (480HO/ 5.9 litre 2012) developed a small fuel leak (3 oz) after running out on the Ohio River. I had the very same issues of fuel starvation and the problem was the Racor assembly. . The engine failed more and more frequently. As several pointed out it is a factory setup for the fuel pickup tube to be part of the tank.
We got one. Resource and Discussion Forum for Key West Boat Owners. Thanks Carolyn, I have been fighting the same problem for a year with the Yanmar 30GM losing several hundred rpms when running over 2000 rpms and then catch up again after a few seconds. When Dave replaced them, the new ones seemed to have as much play as the old ones. Signature required for receipt of shipment.
I looked at the Racor bowl some more and did not see any bubbles when Dave ran the fuel pump. Then you should just be able to find a replacement, even if it is Al it should last a decade or two. The shipping was $ 48.
Initial testing showed that the engine was now running well, so we went ahead and made a trip to Key West to visit friends vacationing there. Weve run the engine over 20 hours since then without even a hiccup. It certainly is a relief to figure these kind of things out after so long a time. This is the second step of my fuel problem diagnostics. EM89, Engineered Materials' one component, room temperature curing, thixotropic, water clear adhesive for use on hard to bond substrates. Cancer and Reproductive WWW.P65Warnings.com. When we had problems with our engine cutting out two years ago, your story convinced us to immediately replace all the fuel lines. After the fuel pump, the fuel is under pressure and will seep out any unsealed areas as a fuel leak. Help is here: Overcoming the First-Year Learning Curve (a free mini-course from The Boat Galley). Enter your email address to be added to the waitlist. Thats also a problem, but wont produce the symptoms we had of an engine losing RPMs and dying. On the water, the dealer was able to duplicate the problem. Yes, its a serious safety issue in addition to being a pain! The lessons that we took away from finding this fuel problem: Wondering how much of what foods to take on your next trip? Depending on how you were heeled, it can siphon out. I would have replaced the fuel lines first. The top of the tank had sagged down with age, and the pick-up tube was resting on the bottom of the tank. After owning 11 boats, one thing I learned is if there is a hint of fuel problems I replace all the lines. Thanks for the tip. Glad you finally found it. This also has the advantage of allowing zoom. If you are not sure about the vent, remove the fill cap fitting. Dave again pumped all the fuel out of the tank and pulled it. Luckily for us good old starboard is our go to girl. When we were struggling with a hard to diagnose fuel problem on our new-to-us boat, I read this carefully. In this case stainless steel bulkhead fittings and stainless steel pickup tubes. If possible, remove the fuel line from the pick-up tube, and then lift the pick-up tube out of the tank. Take my free mini-course: Filed Under: Boat Work Tagged With: Boat Projects - Repairs & Upgrades, DIY Tips, Overcoming, Underway. Not sure if they send outside Florida however. Thats a problem with a lot of boats with baffled tanks. Big sigh. I verify with a small wire as suggested. I had the same problem with engine rpm and air leak onto the fuel. Well, I didnt want to say anything, but really she was the one who told us what to look for . We found some stories of people cutting them and all sorts of stuff. After careful inspection, the dealer called and explained he could not find anything wrong with the engine. There is a second hole (plugged) that I can get a new pickup tube for but was wondering what is going on with the one that had the elbow in it? By Congratulations on a job well worked.
I'm Carolyn Shearlock. This valve is there as a safety in case the fuel line should become cut or broken, it will not siphon gas into the bilge of the boat. Restore formatting, Took another look, and if you remove the sender you may be able to remove the nut holding the bulkhead fitting in place, if not you may be able to file or chisel off What is left of the top and push it down and pull it out. . . One of the main causes of fire aboard vessels is associated with flexible fuel lines.your fuel lines were an accident waiting to happen, you were fortunate they only caused your engine to run like a hairy goatit could have been a lot worse, if you had had an engineroom fire..and I do not mean just the loss of a vessel. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. If you own a Grady White boat or thinking of purchasing a Grady, you have come to the right place. Many years ago I worked on a boat with a similar problem. Not only is this problem annoying but also dangerous in rough seas. I did try and argue out that it should not have failed in only 492 hours, but they didnt agree. In this case, the first thing to do is locate any inspection hatches in the floor of the boat. We took the boat out and motored for over 3 hours in 2 to 3 foot waves. We havent had even a sputter since and our crossing of Hecate Strait was horrible (weather forecast calm seas and no wind hahaha). I got lucky and was able to drill out the aluminum fitting and use a tap to clean up the internal threads. Thanks, Ours supposedly couldnt be taken apart. and then would lose more . The Westerbeke has an electric fuel pump on it, and if we did the bleed procedure 30 to 60 seconds of pumping the fuel it would start again and run well . I thought your site might be good only for cabin and galley issues never thinking that you could address an engine problem that I have not been able to find online.. Overwhelmed with all there is to learn as you're starting to cruise? 250 gallons and we never saw it leave the boat. Found a loose hoseclamp and no more bubbles and engine is running like a dream. and so on, eventually dying. Or at least the way to start the answer. . Sometimes, its someone who isnt familiar with the system who says is this supposed to be like this?. Great article.thanks for sharingair leaks like that can be unbelievably frustrating!
Popular articles you may have missed Every boat, every cruiser, every situation is unique. Includes detailed instructions to edit it for your favorite foods, how much your family eats, and how long youll be gone. I wanted to update the group about a problem I discovered with my 2015 250CC gas tank. Thankyou for posting this we were just about to start trying to diagnose a similar issue. I just bought a 97 baja hammer and it seem to be having the same issue. What a shame to have to go through all that. I ran my fingers down the hose and could feel just a tiny imperfection next to the hose clamp by the fuel pump. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a338ea8c0e989a9eb748770efb8baf9a" );document.getElementById("eb861f0816").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hi! The next day, we went out sailing just for fun. Not testing anything. . Alright so I went off the grid for a bit and finally got this fixed (hopefully). Thanks for reposting this Carolyn.we are literally right in the middle of sorting through this problem. We began with the simple, more common problems and then progressed to checking other things that would cause a fuel problem on a boat: Finally, when we started the engine it ran well. Fuel tamk is in isolated compartment from the. thanks so much for posting the details of your troubleshooting. All other maintenance is equally important and if youre using Racor fill them up. For compatibility then, you'd want to use aluminum or plastic fittings next to the aluminum. Along the way, we sold pretty much everything we owned (twice! Clear fuel lines are available for gasoline engines and diesel does not seem to affect the lines for short term, investigative use. Hopefully it is better now guess we will see at the ozarks. Shop vacs are not designed to suction explosive fumes, and they are not shielded against spark. Not sure if Id use a hair dryer around gas find a non-sparky way to heat it.). Clear editor. Actually, it was pretty easy to remove. So thanks. I was a bit iffy too on the gasket sealer, though I believe the propensity of gas to leak through such a tight fitting is probably unlikely, as it is rarely under significant hydrostatic pressure. Was running engines pretty hard yesterday (motor sailing) when both shut down, right after a large rough storm. I used segments of clear fuel tubing at multiple line junctions and ran the engine at high RPM. Provide your account email address to receive an email to reset your password.We have changed website platforms. A kink in this line or a pin hole or tear in the hose, or even a worn o-ring inside the plug-in connector, can cause the same sort of problems this boater is experiencing. If I hit something that means the pick up is part of the tank. You cannot paste images directly. I totally understand the frustration we had it in spades. This fitting is usually equipped with an anti-siphon valve. Currently a marine diesel mechanic in Sausalito/bay area, .CA, for the last 5 years, 9 times out of ten if you do regular engine bleeding and it doesnt solve the problem, go to the injectors. Yea it cost more but customers would respect them for doing it. In changing the valves, Dave had to remove our dual Racor assembly. July 11, 2020 in Maintenance, Tech Info & Troubleshooting, 95 Malibu response 350 magI looked it up says our boats should hold 38 gallons I cant seem to get more then 13 in mine. He is considering draining the fuel tank and leaving it open for a few days to evaporate any liquid left in the tank. That will tell you how much you have and lighten it if you need to pull it. We had bubbles galore! You are using an out of date browser. The pickup and vent fittings are on opposite ends of the tank. Having recently played this game myselfand met with only semi-successI can really appreciate what you went through. Everyone we talked to and all the books we read agreed that the basic problem was fuel starvation. The problems got much worse on the return to Marathon with the engine dying severaltimes. Drench! We have a dirty fuel issue in the port tank. The forum is a place where Grady White owners and future owners can post their questions and experiences about Grady White boats. If someone elseon board has better close-up vision or more sensitive fingers for finding imperfections, get them involved. Thanks Carolyn, looks too risky for me to play with though. There are a lot of places on marine components where stainless shouldn't/can't be used because other factors are more important. Hi All, thanks for the help. Well that's what I thought I was doing, there was no tube that came out with the 90 degree fitting. It really didnt seem to be anything, but as it was the only thing we could find, Dave decided to remove the hose and replace it. The dealer tack on the shipping cost Westerbeke charge the dealer. He drained the gas, replaced the fuel line from the tank to the water-separating fuel filter and refilled the tank with fresh fuel. Hello guys, I was getting air in the fuel. The important lesson is to absolutely isolate the problem. Check out this article for some easy ways to stretch your fuel dollars. I plan to pull the tank and see if I lost a pickup tube but was wondering if someone else knew a lil more. The fitting had been missing the small copper washer that all banjo fittings are supposed to have. Having never experience this before, all other that I have work on had a tube attached to the 90 degree fitting. The e-mail continued by stating that the boat was approximately 15 years old, and the owner thought there may have been trash in the tank that was sucked up into the pick-up tube and caused a restricted fuel flow. I think when you drain your tank and have a look at the bottom you will be surprised at how much gunk there is. . Upload or insert images from URL. Luckily we were planning to go home that day anyway. He discovered he could get the fitting off by. Upfront I went against the new sender / gauge combo because the ones I found needed alteration. Your link has been automatically embedded. Very methodical work! Ships from supplier, typically 2-3 weeks. Good article, recently just went through a weird fuel leak myself. No problem at all. By continuing to use this website, you're agreeing to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Had this problem last week, tracing fuel lines, looking at filters, connections, pumps, etc then I went to the injectors, noticed 3 out of 4 of studs on the return line didnt have washersthey were so tiny, but as soon as they were replaced, the engine ran great. Is there any additive I can add at this point to help after blowing whatever back in tank. When enough detergent oil was in the system it would foam up and foul the injectors. I will wait for a few mins and retart engine, then have to go thru the issue again. Hugs and Fishes from Haida Gwaii, Last but not least, the fuel line from the water-separating filter to the engine, including any plug-in connections at the engine, should also be checked. For two months, we workedto find a fuel problem on our boat. Thus we decided to concentrate on an air leak. Dave traced the fuel hose and looked at all the components. Looking for one size fits all wont help much. Hopefully that solution works out in the long run, as it appears it will. Learning from your experience helped us save hours of frustration. Anytime you have to feed something through one hole into a tank and pull through another, it's a chore (been there, done that with diesel tanks). Powered by Invision Community, Copyright 2005-2022 | TheMalibuCrew.com. Fortunately, the engine would restart, and it ran well as long as he did not exceed the 2,500-rpm mark. West Marine offers a wide variety of aftermarket, OEM-equivalent engine parts. Also, forgot to say that I did a bit of damage to the 90 degree fitting. Just last week a friend had a problem and thats exactly what it turned out to be. If there is a leak the engine will speed up. Thanks so much for the detailed, extensive descriptions of your trouble -shooting. I think that would have been and easier way to do it. But how you deal with them will make the difference. Determined my. Good job on tracking it down. What I found was lots of soap bubbles coming out of the banjo fitting on the inlet to the fuel pump. I have actually done work on hard to reach items using this approach. This publication is right there in the trenches (bilges?) It can happen, doesn't matter where you bought your fuel. He checked it over thoroughly for any loose connections and lo and behold! I would try an easy-out to see if you can unscrew it. I had the same issue. If this is happening, just replace the anti-siphon valve. They said yes, so we bought two new valves. Ive read that many services use a pressure washer with special tips to get to otherwise inaccessible areas the trick of course being not to damage the tank with too much pressure. Become the most informed Sportsman you know, with a membership to the Louisiana Sportsman Magazine and LouisianaSportsman.com. Runs for 15mins and loses RPM then later dies. Learn what you can do to prevent phase separation and limit other ethanol-related fuel problems. With the 6 gallon tank hooked to the engine, it ran flawlessly for over an hour. . We knew we had clean fuel and a clean tank.
He got a 6-gallon tank and hose, which he hooked up to the motor. Oh, and you can get the pencil zincs at West Marine or any marine store. Wish I had this to read two years ago when I had a similar problem. Replaced fuel line old one was pinched and look collapsed. I thought of that, but I have two inspection plates the forward one gives access to the hose for putting in gas and the vent, the rear one gives access to the fuel gauge sending unit and what I "think" is the fuel to engine hose. Looks like a good solution and nice write up and photos. . . with the rest of us boaters, and has many good tips and explanations. The problem area(s) are likely to appear almost insignificant. He tried to tighten every hose clamp.
Pulled the tank replaced the pickup tube lengthened to pull from rear of tank. As a guest, you are welcome to poke around and view the majority of the content that we have to offer, but in order to post, search, contact members, and get full use out of the website you will need to Register for an Account. The biggest thing with Racor filters is they MUST be filled to the brim. []. Glad to hear that. Happened when we were on a friends boat. It kinda looks like that pickup threads into the tank (from the images of similar pickups).
Thanks again, Jerry. We then pumped all the diesel out of one tank, pulled the tank out and cleaned the inside of it, reinstalled it, then ran the fuel back into it through a Baja filter (no significant water or crud). And I do mean tiny. You should be able to find a replacement bulkhead fitting. But why? Wed already ruled out a crack in the pickup tube in the tank. In a recent e-mail, a boat owner described a problem he was having with the brand-new engine he had just re-powered his boat with. What valuable, hard-won information you give us to use if we ever need it. It did have an anti-siphon valve on the 90 degree elbow. Know just how much to buy of what all arranged by grocery store aisle with our handy Provisioning Spreadsheet. The correction for this boat was to simply cut the bottom of the tube on an angle so that even if it did hit the bottom of the tank, it would still supply fuel. Required fields are marked *. I always hope that what I write will help someone else no reason for us all to learn the hard way! If the vent is clear no problem. Use this shopping list of essential components to create a soundand compliant fuel tank installation.
Delivery time varies typically 23 weeks. No spreadsheet skills needed! I chased a fuel delivery problem from Mobile all the way to Nassau. He could easily ignite the remaining fumes and the resulting explosion could cause severe injury to him and his boat. As of now we carry a lot of filters! Both tank access point are the same. Expedited shipping is not available. Its hard to see the pickup tube in the photo as its black, but its attached to that metal piece that the Visegrips are pulling out. . I installed a, Powered by vBulletin Version 3.8.8 Beta 1, Seamanship, Navigation & Boat Handling, Rules of the Road, Regulations, & Red Tape. This item will be fulfilled from the vendor. How did I find it? This is a very common problem on CF. Wow, that looks like a tedious fix so kudos for sticking it out. I suppose it's obvious the finished product should be leak tested. How do we get the tank clean when it has baffles trapping the last bits of crude?. He began inspecting the fuel line, and discovered that the primer bulb was soft and had no pressure. The next thing to check is the hose barb fitting at the top of the pick-up. Just wondering if someone can walk me thru how to remove pickup tube from my gas tank. We use cookies to optimize site functionality and improve your overall experience. Thanks for the photo, I literally ran into this issue this week trying to diagnose the same exact problem. We once did something similar with a non-baffled tank that had gotten 10+ gallons of water put into it by mistake, but simply pulled the fuel line apart at a connector and let the fuel/water free flow into a bucket in the bilge (the bucket has to be below the tank level since its just a gravity feed). By the time the car was taken to the shop the foam would subside and the engine would start. He could not get it to restart. He felt the cause was in the fuel tank. It's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the TheMalibuCrew Family today! Thanks. It turned out to be in copper tubing under the sole. Ive run all summer this way and will address replacing the Racor at season end. Totally FREE one email a week. In older cars cracked hoses were a common source for vacuum leaks, cracks as fine as the one you have.
For anyone who is interested this is how I went about it. This is one of the easiest tests that anyone can run whenever they feel their engine is having a fuel-supply problem. Weve been checking for leaks. There is only about 25 gal in tank was planning on filling today. New articles & podcasts I wanted to ensure that the fuel tank pickup was not partially clogged so I took out the pick up tube (and anti siphon valve). This is not true and after years of engine failures, always when the conditions have the boat bouncing all over, we sorted this out with the help of a fellow mariner who had the same filters and problems. Heres wishing you a summer packed full of many hours of boating fun.
We called Westerbeke tech support and they said to use a 30 micron if we were having fuel starvation issues. Anyway I purchase the parts from a local Westerbeke dealer. Sunflower fields scream Buffet Open in bright yellow lights to resident and migrating doves. Just wanted to thank you for writing this post last year. Display as a link instead, Excellent! Then the ups and downs would start again. not forgetting the pickup tube inside the tank, for those of us who have top feed tanks. I started looking at the hose very, very closely, lying on the deck with my head inside the engine compartment. Privacy Guaranteed - your email is never shared with anyone, opt out any time. No mechanical knowledge needed. Replacing things based on guesswork is always more expensive and usually not productive. Your email address will not be published. Depending of course on how old your boat is. I also recall reading where someone put a longish metal tube onto a hose attached to a pump, and kept sucking out the bottom of the tanks, periodically adding more (filtered) fuel to stir up the crud on the bottom enough that it would get sucked up. Turned out to be a restriction in the stainless screen at the top of the pick up tube. Click here. There was a guy whose Porsche would not start intermittently. There are two fittings, two hose clamps and one hose between the two. Still its a mystery. The valve stems seemed a little wobbly and we called the companys tech support to see if this would let air in. Cummins traced it to a very small crack in the Fuel Injection Pump which requires complete replacement of the pump. Also one completely different item what is your mast head clearance? Im pinning this for future ref . Whenever Im faced with a fuel-supply problem, I like to start at the tank and work my way back to the engine. and then come right back . All of them. It was easier to see when I bent the hose a bit. Were now declaring the problem solved. Each time Id clean I off the bilge floor and next time after running it the fuel would be back on the floor. I had a similar problem on my Islander 30. Good for you! It takes a lot of patience to track down the source of this type of problem, and the prroblem will probably turn out to be something really tiny and hard to see. That is a very nice example of what this forum is about. He fixed that, and we were confident that we had the problem licked. First of all it would take much longer than a few days for remaining liquid to evaporate from his tank, and even after the liquid had evaporated, there may still be dangerous gasoline fumes left in the tank. Heres my step-by-step method of making tired teak look like new. ), gained a great boat dog, had a bunch of wonderful times and some adventures . Fortunately I have my wife to periodically talk me off the ceiling!! Glad it's fixed though. Its remarkable how tiny a leak can be to completely decomission an engine. Question where do you purchase parts. He explained that he had performed the usual break-in, and liked what he had seen up to that point.On his next trip, everything went smoothly for the first half hour of operation; then all of a sudden, the engine started to sputter, and it died. [], Everybodys got a best fishing buddy. The boater explained again what had happened, and the dealer took the boat out on the water for a test run. If you hire someone, its going to be expensive. I was plannining to install a bulk head fitting by removing my sender to access the inside of the tank. The pickup tube was permanently installed (we called the tank manufacturer to confirm this) so we did not remove it to check it for blockages or cracks. It worked and weve had no problems since. The Boat Galley We definitely would have floundered longer if we didnt have an example of a crew with far more experience than we had still struggling. We have two fuel tanks and valves that determine which tank is being used and returned to. Perseverance pays off. The first batch of fuel has been disposed of, the second batch polished twice. 3/8"ID x 12"L chemical-resistant nylon tubing. Hi All, I have a rather perplexing issue with my gas tank fuel pick up. The wrench slipped and partially collapsed the side wall so It will not take the anti-siphon valve. I KNOW you guys must be relieved!! Very frustrated. Heather Kolankowski, On gas engines you can use WD 40 to find leaks. The cute dog looks like she is very interested in those tools!
The problem took over a year to determine the source. Just read your shutting off the water pump while traveling article and then last time out case of the missing water. It may not display this or other websites correctly. For this trip will just blow out and fill tank. I did use a remote tank and the engine ran better that is why I took off the 90 in the first place. Suggestions please? The pain was figuring out HOW to. Now you can inspect the pick-up for any trash. That one that you enjoy fishing with but you both especially enjoy giving each other a hard time. We are unable to access the tank much less remove it for cleaning (short of literally destroying the galley and salon) which is the problem. You can change your cookie settings through your browser. In my return e-mail, I explained to him that this would be extremely dangerous and should not be attempted. LDWF agents investigating fatal boatin Cobia move in close to Port Fourchon during September. . for a while. . I have a 1995 Islander 26.8 with a 134 gallon fuel tank. My port Cummins (480HO/ 5.9 litre 2012) developed a small fuel leak (3 oz) after running out on the Ohio River. I had the very same issues of fuel starvation and the problem was the Racor assembly. . The engine failed more and more frequently. As several pointed out it is a factory setup for the fuel pickup tube to be part of the tank.