Fuel Pickup Removal Question

clockwatcher · May 4, 2010

I tried to remove my fuel pickup tube for inspection. It's in a 20 year old plastic tank. I loosened the lock nut, but the pickup won't turn. I soaked it with penetrating oil for a week and it's still tight. I don't want to damage the tank because it's no longer produced. But I'm replacing all of the hoses and clamps and I'd like to know for sure if the tube is rubber that it is in good shape. Any suggestions?

SeanMcl · May 4, 2010

Re: Fuel Pickup Removal Question

Get a can of compressed air, like for dusting off computers and such, hold it upside down and spray the freezing cold liquid that comes out on the metal elbow. Really give it a good freezing, wait 30 - 60 seconds for the cold to move down into the threads, then do it some more. Get it as cold as possible so the metal shrinks. Then give the elbow a couple solid taps with a screwdriver handle, and try and turn it. If that fails, I'd hit it with the penetrating oil again while the metal is cold and has shrunk, then try again tomorrow. A couple of freeze / thaw cycles coupled with penetrating oil does wonders to break bolts free.

If you have room, put a rag under the locknut to keep it off the tank, I would imagine the plastic would get brittle and you don't want that.

fat fanny · May 4, 2010

Re: Fuel Pickup Removal Question

Burry it in ice! for an hour or 2 and try it again and ice is free that is if you have a fridge! When I pulled mine it was very hard to pull out you might also want to try to pressurize the tank and pulling up on the 90 at the same time it might break free. Good luck post back

bkwapisz · May 4, 2010

Re: Fuel Pickup Removal Question

I'd love to see what it looks like when you get it out. I have a similar tank and want to remove the pickup but was waiting for someone else to do it first and chronicle it.

Post pics up when you can!

NYBo · May 4, 2010

Re: Fuel Pickup Removal Question

Am I missing something? If that locknut runs down to the tank to secure the pickup, there must be a corresponding flange on the inside of the tank. No amount of penetrating oil freezing will allow that to pull through the hole. Is it possible that the elbow unscrews from the pickup and the pickup itself is removed through the sending unit opening?

clockwatcher · May 5, 2010

Re: Fuel Pickup Removal Question

I'll try the cold/shrink tip.

fat fanny - It appears that the elbow threads into a copper insert in the tank. Did your tank have a metal insert?

bkwapisz - I'll take a picture of it if I get it out.

NYBo - Good point. The hose barb is threaded into the elbow and I'm assuming the pickup looks like this one I found on iboats:

Chris1956 · May 5, 2010

Re: Fuel Pickup Removal Question

That pickup may be pressed in. I have seen it before.

NYBo · May 5, 2010

Re: Fuel Pickup Removal Question

clockwatcher said:
I'll try the cold/shrink tip.

fat fanny - It appears that the elbow threads into a copper insert in the tank. Did your tank have a metal insert?

bkwapisz - I'll take a picture of it if I get it out.

NYBo - Good point. The hose barb is threaded into the elbow and I'm assuming the pickup looks like this one I found on iboats:

If it is like the one pictured, there should be another nut inside the tank.

clockwatcher · May 6, 2010

Re: Fuel Pickup Removal Question

I went to the Moeller site and read the install instructions. They said to use thread sealer. I've used the sealer before. It's a thick white glue much like sticky liquid Teflon tape. I used a heat gun to warm the parts and sprayed the threads with contact cleaner to loosen the sealer. It turned out like butter.

Now I need to make an air chuck connection with a gage and valve to pressure test the tank at 3 psi. Does anyone out there have an example setup they'd like to share?

Here's some pictures.

Parts removed:

Tank Insert and nut:

The barb is an anti-siphon valve:

There's a screen on the end of the tube:

I cleaned the parts with contact cleaner and scotch brite. Then installed them with new Permatex thread sealer:

bkwapisz · May 6, 2010

Re: Fuel Pickup Removal Question

Thank you for the pic, that helps me a lot. I've been wanting to clean mine for some time now, not sure it's dirty but it's been in another owner's hands for 20yrs and looks like it's never been touched. Not to mention I just installed a new sender and it keeps getting hung up on the bottom as I think I made it a little too long, and I thought I could snake a piece of stiff wire in through this hole to unstick it. The access to the sender is atrocious and it took me 3 days to R&R the current one, so I'm looking for another way to undo it.

As for the air chuck adapter, I would think you could get most everything you'd need at home depot on the plumbing aisle.

clockwatcher · May 6, 2010

Re: Fuel Pickup Removal Question

bkwapisz said:
Thank you for the pic, that helps me a lot. I've been wanting to clean mine for some time now, not sure it's dirty but it's been in another owner's hands for 20yrs and looks like it's never been touched. Not to mention I just installed a new sender and it keeps getting hung up on the bottom as I think I made it a little too long, and I thought I could snake a piece of stiff wire in through this hole to unstick it. The access to the sender is atrocious and it took me 3 days to R&R the current one, so I'm looking for another way to undo it.

As for the air chuck adapter, I would think you could get most everything you'd need at home depot on the plumbing aisle.

Yep. I was worried about screwing up the tank. I read a thread not too long ago where the person sheared off the elbow trying to turn it out. That would be a nightmare with the tank in the boat and no hatch to remove it.

Good luck fixing your sender. I've never had a mechanical sender that I thought was worth a darn. The one on this boat shows 1/2 tank when it's full due to the hull/tank angle when it's in the water. The new digital senders look interesting. No moving parts to get stuck or wear out. I'm thinking about installing a flow meter and nixing the gage.

bkwapisz · May 6, 2010

Re: Fuel Pickup Removal Question

clockwatcher said:
Yep. I was worried about screwing up the tank. I read a thread not too long ago where the person sheared off the elbow trying to turn it out. That would be a nightmare with the tank in the boat and no hatch to remove it.

Good luck fixing your sender. I've never had a mechanical sender that I thought was worth a darn. The one on this boat shows 1/2 tank when it's full due to the hull/tank angle when it's in the water. The new digital senders look interesting. No moving parts to get stuck or wear out. I'm thinking about installing a flow meter and nixing the gage.

I can get my tank about 90% out, problem is that the remaining 10% is the part that holds the sending unit. I have a puny access hole that lets me just BARELY reach the sender. Took forever to install. Good thing is that if I crane neck around while driving I can see the fuel level through the tank. If this wire trick doesn't work I'll just leave it till I'm ready for another round of punishment... :redface:

Overkill82k5 · May 26, 2010

Re: Fuel Pickup Removal Question

clockwatcher said:
I'll try the cold/shrink tip.

fat fanny - It appears that the elbow threads into a copper insert in the tank. Did your tank have a metal insert?

bkwapisz - I'll take a picture of it if I get it out.

NYBo - Good point. The hose barb is threaded into the elbow and I'm assuming the pickup looks like this one I found on iboats:

I am also in need of one a pickup like this one, but for the life of me cannot find it on the Iboats sight... Could someone throw a link up? I would love to support Iboats but am having issues with the search function... Thanks a bunch...

Overkill

clockwatcher · May 27, 2010

Re: Fuel Pickup Removal Question

http://www.iboats.com/Tempo-Withdrawal-Assembly/dm/*******.436688668--**********.040392760--view_id.484574

and

http://www.iboats.com/Moeller-Fuel-Pick-Ups/dm/*******.436688668--**********.040392760--view_id.484762

Overkill82k5 · May 27, 2010

Re: Fuel Pickup Removal Question

Thanks a ton! Now I can finally get that low fuel level stumble under control!

A shopping I will go...

Overkill

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