Chivers Predator fuel smell/ leak?
Evening all,
I recently bought a 02 Chivers Predator 650. Since owning it there has been a lingering and sometimes overpowering fuel smell.
The young fella was ill when he fell asleep in the cab a few weeks back and more recently a couple of friends have asked about the fuel smell. When you lift the covers in the cabin, one side of which houses the incoming fuel hose, the smell is incredible. Both sides however, not just the breater and fuel hose side.
I took it to the mechanic today who tipped the boat up on the foklift and a very small amount of water and fuel came out the rear. There is also a very small residual amount of fuel in the cabin, which I only noticed later today.
The fuel tank is a fully sealed fibreglass unit, in the hull with no inspection hatches to check the hoses/ connectors at either end.
My question is really, how the hell does anyone find a potential leak without basically drilling holes throughout the floor until you see something amiss? I rang Chivers to see if they could help but all the boys working there have only got experience with the ali boats, I understand Luke Chivers has moved on now?
Surely there are other options available short of paying thousands to rip out the fuel tank and replace it? The whole floor would need to come up to do it!
Any help/ thoughts/ experiences would be gladly received.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17861
Date Joined: 11/03/08
to be honest i think you
to be honest i think you might be better spending the money and getting it done properly. you may be surprised at the cost.
one bloke you could try north of the river is from memory Greg at G T fibreglass. he rebuilt our whole transom at a lot less that others quoted and done a great job in a short turn around
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
crano
Posts: 695
Date Joined: 04/11/09
Smell
We had petrol smell and it turned to be where the 50mm hose from the filler clamped onto an aluminium stub from the tank. There was a buildup of the white powder associated with aluminium between the hose and the stub. When the fuel level was high the fuel was wicking down through the powder.
I got anew hose and cleaned the stub and problem solved.
May be the same for you.
big123dave
Posts: 10
Date Joined: 28/04/18
I got a quote of 3k for the
I got a quote of 3k for the replacment fuel tank and was told that's conservative!
Will have a look crano, I'm thinking similar, although its a fibre tank the main time it's overpowering is when I have filled the tank full prior to a big trip. It's not using lots of fuel or anything like that so I'm hoping its just the breather pipe which is up the front next to the filler pipe, when its full and overflowed when travelling/ overzealous filling its tracked down the breather into the cab? Will investigate more today.
When I bought the boat the rear fuel lines were perished and I replaced them but that could account for the little bit of residual fuel that came out when tipped up today?
Thanks for the replies gents, appreciate it.
Paul H
Posts: 2104
Date Joined: 18/01/07
Check around the sender unit
Check around the sender unit as well - will be on top of the tank somewhere - might be the seal where this connects
at worst to replace the tank should only have to cut a hole in the floor the size of the tank and replace this afterwards not the whole floor
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Lui_F
Posts: 35
Date Joined: 02/03/08
Hey Big Dave
I had the same issue with my boat when I bought it, though I have an ali tank, it ended up being the breather pipe on the top of the tank had cracked and as the tank was "breathing" the fuel was coming out of the crack, the only way I finally found the issue was to pull the floor up and pull out the tank as you would not see the crack in any other way even with insection cameras. I ended up putting a new tank in with a modified breather so that it wouldnt happen again. Hope this helps.
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
I have a similar problem only
I have a similar problem only when I overfill my 90l poly tank. Replaced all my hoses and pretty sure I've narrowed it down to needing sealant around the intake where the 50ml intake hose connects which I moved around to fit my battery in better. I have just been filling it to 85l instead of 90 with no more smell.
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
big123dave
Posts: 10
Date Joined: 28/04/18
Cheers all. Quick update, the
Cheers all. Quick update, the sender unit was disgusting with corrosion and residual fuel on top of it. Replaced that.
Replaced the 50mm fuel hose in the cabin. Haven’t replaced the breather hose yet, doesn’t appear to be in the same state as the fuel hose which was tired.
Drilled a hole through into the foam filled cavity next to the fully enclosed fibreglass fuel tank, foam is damp but not overpowering smell of fuel, perhaps a fuel/ water mix?
I have fully dried the cabin compartment where the fuel smell is strongest (where the fuel hose from the filler and the breather comes in) I will see how it is when I get home after nightshift if it’s leaked anymore fingers crossed
i spoke to Peter at Chivers today, he said he’s not heard of one those tanks leaking before which was reassuring. To replace the tank is a full floor job as the pipes are connected at the extremities of the floor and only have short fuel hoses. Nightmare scenario if that is the go.