[Big Bubba]

Hello to all of you this evening,
I was wondering how hard should the fuel bulb comming off the fuel tank should be? Is it as hard as a rock or is there some give if pumped up right when you pump the fuel bulb up and will it hold that pressure for a few hours. I have an Atwood Fule primer bulb and after a while will lose its hardness until I pump it back up then it will pump up fine but has some give to it, very, very, very little give to it then if I come back to the boat in about 1 hour I have to pump it back up. Is that normal? How hard should the bulb pump up, rock solid hard or just frim with some give in the bulb? Thanks Bob

[Silvertip]

This is a topic that is so simple yet people really get wrapped around the axle with. First, the primer bulb needs to be pumped only on the initial start of the day and even that's a maybe. If the boat has sat for a few days, firm it up and start the motor. It should be fine for days. Understand that once the engine is started, fuel is being sucked through the bulb -- not forced through it. Therefore it begins to go soft the minute the engine starts, and it will stay that way. The bulb as an inlet and an outlet check valve that is less than a precision fit but since it has to serve such a simple purpose (filling the carb bowl) it can and probably will leak down over a few hours. Some will leak down quicker than others. The only time for concern is if it gets sucked flat with the engine running, or if you can't firm it up at all (it doesn't pump fuel).

[Dave_A]

cover the bulb on the outside with motor oil...

Worked for me (to soften it up), anyhow...

[tashasdaddy]

once the motor starts it will become some what soft. if it collaspes, sucks in on it's self or becomes flat, there is a restriction, between it and the tank, usually the tank vent, or anti siphon valve.