new gas tank, not sure which gas pickup tube to use old or new (pics inside)

[weider1717]

Hey guys you might remember awhile back I had talked about needing a new tank for my ski boat...well I contacted the maker of the original tank and $500 bucks later I had a perfect match to the original.

the only difference is the pickup tube they sent me doesn't fit the copper tubing that attaches to the pickup tube

they sent one with a barbed end for sliding a tube up on it looks like to me..but my boat has a cut off valve attached to tubing with a flanged end that tightens down on it.

so my question to you is should I buy a fitting to make the new pickup tube work or should i use my old pickup tube? I took the old one off the original tank and ran hot water through it for awhile..if you shake it u can here what I believe is a check valve inside I can see it with a flashlight and see the filter screen on the little valve in there...

the new one has a ball looking check valve on the fitting that DOESN'T work on my boat...so if I use the new pickup tube i would have to by some sort of anti syphion check valve...

here are the pics the old one is all aluminum! the new one is plastic like on the tube part..which should i use? think the old one being cleaned up will be fine? this is off a 84 boat.

thanks and here are the pics again old one is the all aluminum one.

 

[Bondo]

Re: new gas tank, not sure which gas pickup tube to use old or new (pics inside)

Ayuh,...

If the old 1 Rattles,... The Anti-siphon valve Ain't working...It's supposed to be spring-loaded...

The new 1, you can See the valve....

I've never seen a Anti-siphon valve that's threaded for flare fittings...

Donno what to tell you,....
I'd probably Up-date it, as Nobody is useing flared copper anymore...It work-hardens,+ Cracks from vibrations...

 

[weider1717]

Re: new gas tank, not sure which gas pickup tube to use old or new (pics inside)

the rattle check valve i guess? is in the aluminum part not the fitting on the old one.

however, on the new one the check vavle is in the fitting,

but you're saying even though it's in the main tube on the old one it's supposed to be spring loaded?

i'll put a fitting on the new one that works then, problem is...is there such a fitting that will work with my setup now that has that check spring valve in it? where would I find something like that?

 

[nlain]

Re: new gas tank, not sure which gas pickup tube to use old or new (pics inside)

Get a barb fitting that will fit on your cutoff valve and change the line to flexible marine fuel line, that will probably be easier than finding a fitting with the check ball in it.

 

[weider1717]

Re: new gas tank, not sure which gas pickup tube to use old or new (pics inside)

Get a barb fitting that will fit on your cutoff valve and change the line to flexible marine fuel line, that will probably be easier than finding a fitting with the check ball in it.

I could go that route now thats what they sent me with the new tank.

not wanting to go that route though. I'd perfer to keep the lines as is.

 

[nlain]

Re: new gas tank, not sure which gas pickup tube to use old or new (pics inside)

I could go that route now thats what they sent me with the new tank.

not wanting to go that route though. I'd perfer to keep the lines as is.

Ok, as a suggestion, get out the phone book, if marine suppliers do not have what you need, look up diesel fuel system repair shops, some truck diesel fuel systems used anti drain back valves.

 

[abj87]

Re: new gas tank, not sure which gas pickup tube to use old or new (pics inside)

Take off the barb on the new pickup and screw the flare fitting from the old one in its place. via trained eyeball they look like the same size NPT.

 

[nlain]

Re: new gas tank, not sure which gas pickup tube to use old or new (pics inside)

Take off the barb on the new pickup and screw the flare fitting from the old one in its place. via trained eyeball they look like the same size NPT.

What you say here was my first thought, but if I understand what he is saying the anti drain back valve is in the barbed fitting on the new one and in the aluminum tube on the old one, if that is right then he would lose the anti drain back valve.

 

[abj87]

Re: new gas tank, not sure which gas pickup tube to use old or new (pics inside)

What you say here was my first thought, but if I understand what he is saying the anti drain back valve is in the barbed fitting on the new one and in the aluminum tube on the old one, if that is right then he would lose the anti drain back valve.

Looks like your right...
in that case the best bet is to switch to modern rubber lines for the reasons mentioned above. i missed that part about the copper lines.

 

[weider1717]

Re: new gas tank, not sure which gas pickup tube to use old or new (pics inside)

Take off the barb on the new pickup and screw the flare fitting from the old one in its place. via trained eyeball they look like the same size NPT.

they're different sizes where the fittings screw into the head of them.

i know all this sounds silly but i just don't know what to do...i was content with using the old one but u guys seem to think that plunger i see inside of it is bad since i can shake the tube and it rattles around..

i just wonder if thats bad or not..might be how that one is made. not sure

you guys think it would be out of the question to contact RDS ALUMINUM which is who built it and ask them if they have a fitting that will work with my setup and also have that ball check valve deal? maybe they might be willing to send me a fitting that'll work.

or is there anywhere online that might would have a fitting that would work with the new one and have the valve..i could simply order it online? not sure where to stat looking for something like that tho.

 

[weider1717]

Re: new gas tank, not sure which gas pickup tube to use old or new (pics inside)

Ok here is my updated thoughts on it see if u guys think the same.

After shining a light up the end of the OLD tube I can see a little filter attached to a skinny piece of rod of some sort. I really don't think it ever was spring loaded...I don't think it's a anti siphon valve at all..I think it's merly there to provide a little filtration...thats all. It does rattle slighty around in there but it's attached near the top of the tube...so it doesn't rattle it's way down..mainly I think the end of the rod with the filter pivots and shakes and hits side to side of the tube..

i tried to explain it the best i could so does that make sense? anyway I don't think it's a check valve but just there to give somewhat filtration before the gas gets to the motor..

in 84 this was probably the wasy most boats were correct? or back then did they nearly all have anti-siphon valves in the fittings too?

thanks you guys have been very helpful

 

[chiefalen]

Re: new gas tank, not sure which gas pickup tube to use old or new (pics inside)

There PROBABLY was a screen on the old one. And it got sucked into the tube.

I would find a way to make the new one work, so you have to replace a piece of hose to the fuel pump, if your replacing a tank, than i bet that hose stands to be replaced also.

I know marine hose is alot of money, whats your life worth, keep it marine and keep it legal.

West marine or any marine store will have hose for you.

Good luck !

 

[nlain]

Re: new gas tank, not sure which gas pickup tube to use old or new (pics inside)

From the photo it appears that the new fitting is the larger of the two, if this is true take the fitting out of the pickup tube head, take the fitting out of the old one go to the hardware store or auto parts store and get a bushing to adapt the two together, get thread sealer and seal the threads and then connect your copper line to it.

 

[weider1717]

Re: new gas tank, not sure which gas pickup tube to use old or new (pics inside)

There PROBABLY was a screen on the old one. And it got sucked into the tube.

I would find a way to make the new one work, so you have to replace a piece of hose to the fuel pump, if your replacing a tank, than i bet that hose stands to be replaced also.

I know marine hose is alot of money, whats your life worth, keep it marine and keep it legal.

West marine or any marine store will have hose for you.

Good luck !

No, the old one HAS a screen in it I was saying I don't think it has or has ever had a check valve anti siphon feature...just a rod with a screen on the inside. Which rattles a little.

 

[weider1717]

Re: new gas tank, not sure which gas pickup tube to use old or new (pics inside)

From the photo it appears that the new fitting is the larger of the two, if this is true take the fitting out of the pickup tube head, take the fitting out of the old one go to the hardware store or auto parts store and get a bushing to adapt the two together, get thread sealer and seal the threads and then connect your copper line to it.

I could do this however, there would be no check valve..as the check valve is in the NEW fitting I would be tossing!

so i would be better to just use the old one without a check valve since if I did what you suggested I wouldn't have a anti siphon valve that way either.

 

[Bondo]

Re: new gas tank, not sure which gas pickup tube to use old or new (pics inside)

I'd perfer to keep the lines as is.

Ayuh,...

It's Your Boat,... You can do any danm thing you Want....

An Anti-siphon Valve is a Coast Guard Requirement...

If you want to run it the way it Was,... Go for it...
The Odds of a Coastie Inspection are small,....
The Odds of having a Fire due to lost Gasoline is also reasonably small....

I believe it's Capt'n Jason who's signature lines say something like,..
"Just because you Found it that way, Don't mean it's Supposed to be that Way"....
There's a pretty good chance that Maybe, Possibly, your's are Not the 1st fingers to be touching this since 1984,...

I've already stated Why copper fuel lines aren't used very much anymore,...
And,..
You've been told Why there's Supposed to be an Anti-siphon Valve...

Sooo,... The Choice is Your's......

 

[weider1717]

Re: new gas tank, not sure which gas pickup tube to use old or new (pics inside)

true, and I would be content on using the old one if I could prove thats how it's made from day one and it's not broken.

but in the back of my head i'm wondering if thats the anti siphon valve but it's just got broke or something over the years..

it doesn't look like it was made to be a anti siphon valve to me though just looks like a rod in the tube with a filter screen on it.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: new gas tank, not sure which gas pickup tube to use old or new (pics inside)

Use the new one that came with the new tank. Listen to your inner voice, usually it tells you to do the right thing.

No ones watching, and you do what you know is the right thing, is the true test of character.

Gonna cost you a few more dollars to be safe.

Good luck young man !

 

[weider1717]

Re: new gas tank, not sure which gas pickup tube to use old or new (pics inside)

hey guys..

I'm going with the older one and the old brass flange fitting. Quick question though!

When I took the old one off the old tank and the new one off the new tank...I noticed all they put on the threads were antiseeze on both the tube that screws into the tank and on the fitting that screws into the head/top of the pickup tube.

is that enough? I figured you would want pip doping on both ends of this pickup tube..but if thats the standard I'll just put antiseeze back on it.

atleast it sure did look, feel, and smear like regular ole antiseeze.