86 starcraft not getting fuel...

[BMK10]

Hey guys just bought a starcraft with a 120 merc in it and its been sitting for years. Long story short I got the engine running however I'm having a bit of a fuel issue. I thought the fuel pump was shot considering the carb wasn't getting any fuel, and when I tore the pump apart it was all corroded inside. So I've replaced the pump and am still getting nothing in the carb. I put gas into the tank so I know its not empty... Can someone help me out, I'm assuming the tank has a crack or one of the hoses are leaking so the pump can't create any vacuum. Also how would I go about draining the tank? I wish I could remove it but I don't want to tear the floor up. Now that I'm thinking about it there is probably water in the tank because I noticed a lot of water/gas sitting on top of it when I opened up the access covers. Probably not a good sign.
I'm a little stuck so any help is appreciated.

 

[Baylinerchuck]

Yikes....you really need to figure out why there is gas sitting on top of the tank.....fill or vent hose connections leaking, fuel gauge sender gasket bad, or damaged tank. Sounds like you have a ticking bomb there.

 

[BMK10]

Yea I can't win with this boat lol. I have a feeling it's something with the fill/vent hose because thats where most of the gas was. I'm confused as to why the pump wasn't sucking anything up though because I pulled the fuel line that connects to the pump and starting sucking on it (kinda dumb I know) BUT I ended up getting gas to come out.. Could something be clogged in the lines? Is there a filter inside the tank or something?

 

[GA_Boater]

Did you try after drinking the gas cocktail? Some times it takes a while to pull gas out of a tank when the lines are dry. Sucking on the line sort of primes the line.

No filter in the tank, but there may be a screen on the end of the fuel pickup. Also if the pump was corroded, the carb insides may be just as bad.

Try squirting a little gas in the carb, put the flame arrestor back on and give it a try. If it doesn't pop some, check for spark.

 

[biggjimm]

If you sucked gas through the line a properly working pump should be able to also.
I bet GA_Boater is correct as it does take a while to pull fuel from a dry system. Sometimes, they won't pull fuel at all from just cranking the engine over. I've had a couple that I've had to prime the carb & fire the engine before they would pull fuel.

I always fill the float bowl thru the vent with a medical syringe (like the children's cough medicine ones but a little bigger) & a small piece of vacuum hose.

Be careful with pouring gas down the carb directly & I would figure out why there is fuel leaking on top of your tank before trying to fire the motor anyways. Raw fuel and or fumes in the bilge or hull is a recipe for disaster.

Good luck & be careful.
Jim.

 

[Scott Danforth]

how long was it sitting?

the corrosion inside the pump was from water in the fuel. to develop corrosion, it had to sit for a long.....long....long....long...time

the inside of the tank may look the same. and most likely your fuel lines are rotten


before you add any gas again:

• inspect the fill and vent lines, replace as required. .
• if the boat has been sitting for more than a year, clean the inside of the tank as what was once fuel is now varnish and goo. (use the search function on cleaning a tank in the boat) Here is a link to a topic - see post #5 http://forums.iboats.com/forum/gene...ions-not-engine-topics/10459841-tank-cleaning
• your anti-siphon valve may also be stuck
• if you need to fire the motor, run your boat off a small fuel can until you get your tank sorted with the line to the fuel pump shoved in the filler of the tank. (use the 1 gallon can you fill your lawnmower from)