2stroke1971
Petty Officer 1st Class
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2009
- Messages
- 209
1985 Bayliner Capri cuddy, 1950.....Ive has this boat for 3 years now. i have tried to use the main gas tank several times with no luck. I cleaned it out really REALLY well this time, bone dry. I put a new sending switch/float in it.
I only put about 5 gallons in the main tank it in case it failed again (I have a pair of plastic tanks, a 12 gallon and a 6 gallon, under the rear deck that I have been using up until now)
I de-winterized the boat on one of the remote tanks so I got it running that way. (I also put a new fuel pump in over the winter--its a Volvo AQ125 4 cylinder by the way)
On the first launch of the year I hooked up the main tank, started it up. After about 10 minutes of warming up and chugging through the marina to open water, it crapped out. Wouldn't start, then would start and run roughly. Something was making a tapping noise, turned out to be the fuel pump- I think it was running dry?!?!? I switched over to a remote tank, the pump quieted down, and I went fishing. The boat ran great all night. Later I tried the main tank again and had the same thing happen all over again. When disconnecting the connector at the main tank there was a good hissing sound like there had been a vacuum in the line.
I know you might be scratching your heads, but this is how I have it set up: I have the brass outboard connectors on the remote tanks as is normally the case. From the (mechanical) fuel pump, the hose has the plastic female outboard connector on the far end. This way, I can easily switch between remote tanks when one runs dry. Been doing this for three years, no problems. Of course, there is no need for a squeeze ball...its just that I use the outboard connectors for convenience' sake.
Down on the main tank I have (you guessed it) a brass outboard connector just like on the remote tanks. I was thinking that might be a problem but I cant see why. I checked the vent line to the main tank and it is not clogged, I can blow into it and it will blow back at me....I can suck in on it and get some nice fumes in my mouth, but boy they just are not the same with all that alcohol in the gas.
Heres another piece of my puzzle...when draining the tank with a siphon pump over the winter, I put a quick connect fitting on the end of the pump and plugged it into that outboard connector down on the tank...the siphon would start, but would peter out, and there would be a vacuum in the tank. I wound up taking the whole cap off where the sending unit was and shoved the bare end of the siphon hose down into the tank. That, of course, worked.
Why would I be getting a vacuum from the main tank if the vent is not clogged?
Any advice would be appreciated!
I only put about 5 gallons in the main tank it in case it failed again (I have a pair of plastic tanks, a 12 gallon and a 6 gallon, under the rear deck that I have been using up until now)
I de-winterized the boat on one of the remote tanks so I got it running that way. (I also put a new fuel pump in over the winter--its a Volvo AQ125 4 cylinder by the way)
On the first launch of the year I hooked up the main tank, started it up. After about 10 minutes of warming up and chugging through the marina to open water, it crapped out. Wouldn't start, then would start and run roughly. Something was making a tapping noise, turned out to be the fuel pump- I think it was running dry?!?!? I switched over to a remote tank, the pump quieted down, and I went fishing. The boat ran great all night. Later I tried the main tank again and had the same thing happen all over again. When disconnecting the connector at the main tank there was a good hissing sound like there had been a vacuum in the line.
I know you might be scratching your heads, but this is how I have it set up: I have the brass outboard connectors on the remote tanks as is normally the case. From the (mechanical) fuel pump, the hose has the plastic female outboard connector on the far end. This way, I can easily switch between remote tanks when one runs dry. Been doing this for three years, no problems. Of course, there is no need for a squeeze ball...its just that I use the outboard connectors for convenience' sake.
Down on the main tank I have (you guessed it) a brass outboard connector just like on the remote tanks. I was thinking that might be a problem but I cant see why. I checked the vent line to the main tank and it is not clogged, I can blow into it and it will blow back at me....I can suck in on it and get some nice fumes in my mouth, but boy they just are not the same with all that alcohol in the gas.
Heres another piece of my puzzle...when draining the tank with a siphon pump over the winter, I put a quick connect fitting on the end of the pump and plugged it into that outboard connector down on the tank...the siphon would start, but would peter out, and there would be a vacuum in the tank. I wound up taking the whole cap off where the sending unit was and shoved the bare end of the siphon hose down into the tank. That, of course, worked.
Why would I be getting a vacuum from the main tank if the vent is not clogged?
Any advice would be appreciated!