Fuel tank problem help!!

Hi, i have a 89 bayliner capri bowrider. It has a 2.3 litre inboard 4 cyliner ford engine. My problem is it will only use the fuel down to about half a tank and the engine dies. Just like the tank is empty but i know its still half full. I can add a little fuel and it will fire right up and purr like a kitten. Could this be a problem with the fuel pick up tube? Does it have one? If so, how do i get to it to go about servicing it. The boat has a 22 gal fuel tank that sits in front of the engine i can see the fuel fill hose, the vent hose and the hose that goes to the fuel pump, but i dont see how to get that out? If anyone could help i would greatly appreciate it!! Thanks for reading!!

Re: Fuel tank problem help!!

I have the same year and model boat with the 2.3L.

First, the tank is 31 gallons. I would suspect you do have a bad pickup. My guess is there could be a crack or hole letting the fuel dump back into the tank. Had a similar issue with the fuel pickup in a Volvo I once owned.

Have you removed the gas gauge to see if there is a blockage or crack in the pickup? If not you could try the following. But it must be VERY WELL VENTILATED and NO SPARKS OR FLAMES around.

Disconect the rubber fuel line from the input to the fuel filter. With roughly 3/4 of a tank, use an air compressor AT LOW PRESSURE (maybe 5-10 psi) and see if you can find the break in the hose or pickup by putting low pressure air into the hose. If you keep the pressure low, you should not splash gas. You will need to take out the fuel gauge so you can see the end of the pickup.

Another problem could be the pickup has been moved upward, taking it away from the fuel when under a half tank. You didn't say how long you've owned it, so somewhere along the line someone could have replaced the fuel gauge and bent the pickup.

And what about the filter? You might be drawing in a bit of air and if the fuel filter is starting to clog, you could be coming up short on the fuel side.

You might check those out.

Re: Fuel tank problem help!!

Thanks for the tips, my tank has a plate on it that states 22 gal. But that really dosent matter. The engine was recently rebuilt and all the fuel filters were replaced. I havent had the boat long and was not made aware of this issue, found it out on my own. The fuel gauge seems to be working properly going by how much fuel i put into the tank and the point where if "runs out of gas" im certain there is an ample supply of gas left in the tank so the fuel pick up tube theory sounds like my problem. I removed the fuel line that goes to the fuel pump however the square fitting that screws into the tank seems to be very tight and i didnt want to ring it off. I assume this is where the pick up tube is, is that correct? And if so, how would you suggest me getting the fitting off without ringing it off at the tank? I could see this turning into a nightmare real easy. Thanks for your reply.
Greg

Re: Fuel tank problem help!!

Thanks for the tips, my tank has a plate on it that states 22 gal. But that really dosent matter. The engine was recently rebuilt and all the fuel filters were replaced. I havent had the boat long and was not made aware of this issue, found it out on my own. The fuel gauge seems to be working properly going by how much fuel i put into the tank and the point where if "runs out of gas" im certain there is an ample supply of gas left in the tank so the fuel pick up tube theory sounds like my problem. I removed the fuel line that goes to the fuel pump however the square fitting that screws into the tank seems to be very tight and i didnt want to ring it off. I assume this is where the pick up tube is, is that correct? And if so, how would you suggest me getting the fitting off without ringing it off at the tank? I could see this turning into a nightmare real easy. Thanks for your reply.
Greg

Re: Fuel tank problem help!!

I just looked at my fuel tank and you are right, it is mig welded in (been out of town for a few weeks).

Have you removed the fuel gauge and looked into the tank? I think you should be able to see the end of the pickup. See if there might be anything that might be blocking the pickup. Otherwise you could disconnect the fuel line from the pickup to the fuel pump and check that. Have you been using gas with ethanol? If the fuel line is old, or has major time on it, the ethanol may be breaking down the interior. You might just try to replace the tank to pump fuel line and see if that takes care of it. BUT BE SURE TO USE THE PROPER FUEL LINE. CG approved for marine use is more fire resistant that auto fuel line. Pick it up at a marine supply. It will be more expensive but is worth it for two reasones. 1) the safety factor and 2) if stopped for an inspection, it can result in fines for using the wrong line.

I'm thinking the interior lining of the fuel line is swelling and cutting off your fuel flow. May be wrong but have seen this type of problem on a neighbor's 1993 Larson. He replaced the fuel line and that issue went away (he had other problems).