Fuel Problem

DennisM1358

Cadet
Joined
Oct 25, 2008
Messages
22
HI everyone. We have a 2001 16? CC with a 1990 50hp Johnson. The boat was given to us and had been sitting for 2 years on the side of the house. After a month of weekends ?rebuilding carbs, rebuilding the trailer? the motor was running great. The only thing that was not done since the prior owner had put a stabilizer in the gas was drain the fuel tank.

We starting have water in the fuel problem so I added 4 ounces of StarTron enzyme treatment to the fuel in a 21 gal tank, cleaned the carbs again, replaced all the fuel lines to the VRO pump, and installed a water fuel separator and when I cranked it up it would not run at all at idle and ran very rough at just above idle and the filter on the water fuel was filling up every 10 minutes.

We then cleaned the carbs again, replaced the fuel lines again, new plugs and a link & sync then hooked the motor up to a 6 gallon external tank with fresh gas. The motor now runs like its brand new!

I just finished siphoning all the gas I could get out using the primer hooked up to the fuel line nipple in the splash well ?about 19 gal?.

What my question is.

Could I have used to much StarTron, I was told that you could not over treat with this product?

Should I go into the tank through the sending unit access and remove the remaining gal or so of gas or just refill the tank deluding the remaining gas?

Should I try and separate the water from the gas in the 5 gal cans and reuse the gas I siphoned out?


Thanks for your help
 

Beefer

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Aug 4, 2008
Messages
1,737
Re: Fuel Problem

I'm not an expert, but I'll throw out a guess.

My first thought is a leak in the fuel tank, allowing water into the tank from the bilge or from above. If the tank if fiberglass, I've heard of deterioration issues from the E10 gas, and if it's been sitting for so long, that may be one possibility. If it's an aluminum tank, there may be a hole or crack/seam tear or something. I'd closely inspect the tank, as that sounds like it's the culprit. I don't think it's the gas or the stabilizer causing your problems.

If worse come to worst, you can run off portable tanks for a bit. :)
 

DennisM1358

Cadet
Joined
Oct 25, 2008
Messages
22
Re: Fuel Problem

Thanks for your reply!

I don?t think there is a hole in the tank. The boat was run for a couple of months with intermittent water in the fuel problems. It?s a very dry riding hull and the bilge stays very dry and I would think with a hole in the tank gas would be leaking into the bilge?
 

tashasdaddy

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
51,019
Re: Fuel Problem

go thru the sending unit, and get it clean. then you can pressure test the tank for leaks. it sounds like you have solve the motor problems, now clear up the fuel problem. you will have to block the filler, vent and supply to the motor to pressure test. also be sure the vent and fill are not taking on water. you only need to test to about 4psi, more you could blow your tank, with a guage, that will show a drop in pressure. if pressure holds 15 minutes, you tank is fine.
 

dingbat

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 20, 2001
Messages
15,414
Re: Fuel Problem

Once the water has separated from the fuel nothing short of draining the tank will resolve a water issue. Remove the sender, siphon the contents and start over.
 

DennisM1358

Cadet
Joined
Oct 25, 2008
Messages
22
Re: Fuel Problem

I was going to replace the sending unit anyways so I might as well drain the rest of the fuel since I will have it open anyways. Prior to hooking it up to the portable tank I cleaned the carbs and fuel lines twice that week. The motor is running to good now to take a chance of messing it up again over a couple of gallons of gas.

Thanks for everyone?s input!!
 

DennisM1358

Cadet
Joined
Oct 25, 2008
Messages
22
Re: Fuel Problem

Just wanted to post an update.

We drained 20 ? gallons out of the 21 gallon tank ?that?s all we could get out?. We filled the tank back up and treated with seafoam & star tron last weekend.

The motor runs great! Its nice to run off the built in tank again.
 
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