df140 primer bulb collapsing

[zx7king]

Hello all,

I have twin df140s and the starboard one is having a strange intermittent issue. I had a fuel starvation issue and in diagnosing it found my fuel/water separator was letting air in so I replaced that. Engine ran like a top for a couple of weeks and then while cruising it died. I looked back and the primer bulb was collapsed/flat. I have replaced the bulb and even angled it so the ball wouldn’t fall and stick as I have heard this can happen. This bulb is the same that is on the port side so it can handle the fuel flow for these motors.

My boat is a cat CC with twin tanks so I guess this could be a venting issue in this one tank???
What else can cause this?

Thanks in advance,
Charles

 

[triumph190]

Re: df140 primer bulb collapsing

Debris in the fuel line or tank. Most of the time it is in the tank. It will get sucked up against the intake line not letting fuel pass.

I recently had the same issue on my df140, the inside of my fuel supply line was coming apart and created a blockage.

 

[zx7king]

Re: df140 primer bulb collapsing

Thanks for the reply. I was wondering something else...

The vent for this tank is the kind that is up near the fill port on the outside of the hull. It looks like this one.

I wonder how in the heck i would "clear" this vent if it is clogged. I cannot access the area behind it in the gunwale easily (i could remove the rod holder compartment i guess or somehow create some suction on the vent).

Charles

 

[triumph190]

Re: df140 primer bulb collapsing

The best way would be to take the vent and vent hose off and blow it out with a air compressor or something of that nature, but not being able to access it esay can really put a kink in getting to the problem. I've been there more times than I care to remmeber.

Before you go to too much trouble you might want to run it with the gas cap off and see what it does. The gas cap being off should allow for plenty of ventilation. If that fixes it you may be able to find a ventilated gas cap as a quick fix.

 

[snowmon]

Re: df140 primer bulb collapsing

check the anti-siphon valve between the pick-up and fuel line feeding the fuel/water seperator. especially if you've recently switched to e10 fuel as this removes at lot of deposits and they jam the check ball shut inside the valve. i had similar problems a few years ago. exact same symptoms. since my system had no points lower than the valve i just removed it.
good luck

 

[zx7king]

Re: df140 primer bulb collapsing

Thanks for the recommendations. I will be on the boat this weekend and will report back with what finally fixes the issue.

Charles

 

[triumph190]

Re: df140 primer bulb collapsing

If it has an anti-siphion valve take it off and throw it as hard, and as far, as you can. They will do nothing but create fuel restriction problems sooner or later.

 

[zx7king]

Re: df140 primer bulb collapsing

Okay...

I ran the boat all weekend including extended periods of cruising (couple 11-mile trips) and the bulb never collapsed. I am guessing there was some debris in the tank that has since dislodged or some other cause. Water separator and fuel filters look clean.

Not really good news as with Murphy's law i am sure whatever it was will come back to haunt me at some point .

Charles

 

[zx7king]

Possibly solved: df140 primer bulb collapsing

Possibly solved: df140 primer bulb collapsing

Murphy raised his ugly head again this weekend so i continued my diagnosis. I released the fuel cap.. no help (vent must be okay).
I sucked on the fuel line upstream of the fuel/water separator to take all of that out of play and i heard a strange sound like air in the line. I opened the small access port and had a friend listen when i did this and he heard the same thing. Through this port (just wide enough to get your arm in), i could see the top of the tank and the metal elbow joint that the line is clamped to. I reached down and both of the two hose clamps felt loose. So contorting just right, i managed to clamp them both back down and took a ride. Went for about a half hour varying RPMs cruising up to max and did not hit the issue again. Went back to the dock and let it sit for a while and went out again.. no issue.

Hopefully that was it .

Charles