Need help with a fuel problem

« **on:** July 19, 2007, 08:29:46 PM »

For some reason one of my two tanks is not drawing fiuel into the motor anymore. Lines comes out TOP of each tank and run into a water seperator, then one line exits to stock mech fuel pump on side of Olds 455. For weeks I have just been filling one tank and its gauge seems to be relatively accurate. Tonight I put a stick in the bad tank and it shows about 6 inches of gas which seems to jive with its gauge. After at least two tanks thru the good side if my problem was the gauge I belive the tank would be dry, but its not. My buddy is trying to tell me there might be a vacuum in the tank and I need to run both tanks into same line or sumpin like that. Don't sound right. Also I see NO filters anywhere but the line from tank to seperator is clear. HEEEEELLLLPPP!!!

« **Reply #1 on:** July 19, 2007, 08:44:49 PM »

On the non-working properly tank... there is probably a leak somewhere in the line. The fuel pump will pump whatever is easiet for it to pump so if there's a leak then the fuel pump will pump air. If the tank works fine until you're at a half tank then inside the tank at the pick-up tube is probably the culprit. Good luck.

« **Reply #2 on:** July 19, 2007, 08:51:44 PM »

Thanks I may just try filling it and seeing what happens. All my lines appear new and are up high out of the bilge and harms way.

« **Reply #3 on:** July 19, 2007, 09:29:58 PM »

If your fuel pick-up in that tank pulls from the top it might be a problem with the pick-up tube inside of the tank.

« **Reply #4 on:** July 19, 2007, 09:34:55 PM »

That's what I'm thinking now. Soooo if I blow air into the elbow it might clear it . . . until the next time, right?

« **Reply #5 on:** July 19, 2007, 10:26:02 PM »

Quote from: crewchief22 on July 19, 2007, 09:29:58 PM

If your fuel pick-up in that tank pulls from the top it might be a problem with the pick-up tube inside of the tank.

crewchief typed what i was trying to type.

Quote from: GlassCutter on July 19, 2007, 09:34:55 PM

That's what I'm thinking now. Soooo if I blow air into the elbow it might clear it . . . until the next time, right?

No, it isn't clogged... there's probably a hole in the pickup tube inside the tank... or the bottom of the tube fell off, sometimes there's a screen thingy inside the tank.

« **Reply #6 on:** July 19, 2007, 11:09:36 PM »

Rod you're a friggin ray of sunshine you are. If the only access is this 1/2 inch elbow is this likely to have the draw tube on it or should I be looking for another "hole". I have to take ALL of my interior out to see aany more than just the one end of the tank closest to the motor. Much of it is screwed to the floor.

« **Reply #7 on:** July 19, 2007, 11:51:54 PM »

I'm still learning myself about some of this stuff, but the 1/2" elbow could have a hard line tube dropping down into the tank.

If the boat sat for any time with some water in the tank that pick up tube could be rusting.

Most likely you will have to remove the interior for access.

The other thing I have been told is that it if you have both tanks feeding at the same time and one delivers faster than the other, when the first tank is empty it will stop pulling from the second (I don't know for sure, the last time I ran mine out of fuel it was both tanks that were empty).

I think I am going to install a tank valve so I can run one tank down and have the second for a reserve.

« **Reply #8 on:** July 20, 2007, 12:02:08 AM »

Quote from: GlassCutter on July 19, 2007, 08:29:46 PM

Also I see NO filters anywhere

Umm, Install filter/s. This won't solve your problem, but it will help prevent one in the near future.

« **Reply #9 on:** July 20, 2007, 06:48:52 AM »

Quote from: GlassCutter on July 19, 2007, 11:09:36 PM

Rod you're a friggin ray of sunshine you are. If the only access is this 1/2 inch elbow is this likely to have the draw tube on it or should I be looking for another "hole". I have to take ALL of my interior out to see aany more than just the one end of the tank closest to the motor. Much of it is screwed to the floor.

I've been called worse, even lately on this forum.

You know what needs to be done...

« **Reply #10 on:** July 20, 2007, 08:33:52 PM »

Okay so in frustration I call Wriedt Boats who are now in Texas. He tells me that there should be a long tube from the exit fitting down into the tank and maybe mine got a hole in it or fell off as suggested above. So I unscrew the fitting and yup NO TUBE. So not knowing what it should look like I pull out the fitting from the starboard tank. Uuhhh noooo tube here either. WTF!

How can this side be working with no way to draw gas from the tank? Now I don't really care cuz I'm leaving for Parker/Big River on Sunday.
My question to the collective is am I better off using hard line i.e. copper or brass tubing or something flexible and how do I fasten it to my brass fitting? All these parts need to be readily availble at like Home Despot or sumpin. Am I overlooking anything?

« **Reply #11 on:** July 20, 2007, 09:00:38 PM »

Quote from: GlassCutter on July 20, 2007, 08:33:52 PM

Okay so in frustration I call Wriedt Boats who are now in Texas. He tells me that there should be a long tube from the exit fitting down into the tank and maybe mine got a hole in it or fell off as suggested above. So I unscrew the fitting and yup NO TUBE. So not knowing what it should look like I pull out the fitting from the starboard tank. Uuhhh noooo tube here either. WTF! How can this side be working with no way to draw gas from the tank? Now I don't really care cuz I'm leaving for Parker/Big River on Sunday.
My question to the collective is am I better off using hard line i.e. copper or brass tubing or something flexible and how do I fasten it to my brass fitting? All these parts need to be readily availble at like Home Despot or sumpin. Am I overlooking anything?

The onlt one I've pulled apart had a steel tube "glued" to the brass fitiing. I would say something non-flexible would be better than something flexible that may eventually curl or bend by itself from exposure to the fuel. You don't need a strainer in there, just a fuel filter outside the tank. I also wouldn't recomend that the new tube not go all of the way to the bottom of the tank, on the tank that I worked on the tube was up from the bottom of the tank about a 1/2".

« **Reply #12 on:** July 20, 2007, 09:43:13 PM »

That's what I was thinking, don't want to suck up dirt, rust etc. The question is what do I use for glue that won't be affected by gas over a long period of time.

« **Reply #13 on:** July 20, 2007, 09:52:37 PM »

I would use a 2 part epoxy like JB weld.

« **Reply #14 on:** July 20, 2007, 10:08:31 PM »

Old skool . . . I love it.

« **Reply #15 on:** July 21, 2007, 07:30:01 AM »

just solder it in use a good solder a little acid flux.

« **Reply #16 on:** July 21, 2007, 09:57:42 AM »

The one that I worked on hadn't come apart so I didn't need to reglue it. I just pulled it out to clean it.

What did you think I was doing with it when I pulled it out?

GlassCutter

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