Fuel coming out VST vent hose

[Jeff J]

This is a generic engine question prompted by a Suzuki DF250. The VST vent is pumping raw fuel into the air intake which in turn floods out the engine. I know there is a VST issue and have one ordered but the boat is on the lake 3 miles from the nearest boat ramp and swapping out a VST is not feasible at the dock. Disconnecting the line isn’t a good idea because that dumps raw fuel over the top of a running engine and plumping it overboard isn’t a much better option. Can anyone tell me the harm in plugging that vent hose?

The tank should be here today or tomorrow and it’s a lot easier to drive a boat to a ramp and load it with power than to find help, tow and load by hand.

 

[alldodge]

Don't plug it, that could make things worse. Don't know the motor but do know what a VST is.

Since this just happened it might be a spec of crud in the needle seat. Get something to tap on the side of the VST. Disconnect the fuel to motor and start it up. As its running keep tapping on the side. until it runs out. Maybe give it some more raps for good measure.

Hopefully the float will drop down and the crud will be dislodged. Pump it back up and restart to see if that cleared the issue.

Don't see anyone offering another method because just to much could go wrong. Better to spend more time in money and do it safely then spend even more money on medical or a funeral

 

[Jeff J]

I got lucky this morning. Someone offered to help me tow the boat and was able to use a boat that had to come off the lake anyway. So, possible stupidity was averted. The boat with the VST issue spent a week in the shop a year ago with the same problem and the mechanic told me he wouldn’t be able to fix it again. I told the parts guy to order one but it hasn’t arrived. I was in a different store the other day after it started spewing fuel again and he said he could have a VST for me today (I haven’t checked yet).

A week after the mechanic had it last year, a dock hand left the fuel cap off and the fuel system got filled with water. When I pulled the cowl to purge the fuel system I found the high pressure filter hanging loose by one bolt when there should be 2 tight bolts, a bolt improperly installed on the top cover and the vent line I asked about was kinked. A while after that I took the boat to my shop for routine oil change which is when I found the missing filter bolt along with a hat bushing down in the lower cowl. I installed the bolt and found a flat washer had been substituted where the isolator bushing should have been on the VST. Needless to say, if I have any choice, no boat I care for (current count is 17, three have Suzuki outboards) will go back to that particular dealer again. I am headed out to check the manual to see what it takes to swap out the VST but I would say the odds favor me doing the work myself unless there are some highly specialized tools involved. I am a certified mechanic but not certified to work boat motors.

 

[alldodge]

Looks like its working out