Fuel line issue?

 Hi guys.  

 

Its been 2-3 months since I've taken the boat out (busy moving house).  The last time I finished using it, it had about 1/3 fuel left in the tank.  The tank is 130litre infloor ali/steel tank.  When I checked on it last week, the tank had 1/2 tank of fuel.  Weird!  I initially thought water had leaked into the tank somehow. But i sniffed the bit of water around the tank but couldn't smell any petrol.  I assumed that if water was leaking into the fuel tank, then the surrounding water would have a bit of petrol smell?

 

The tank has a breather hose that goes out the transom and the tip of the hose points downwards at the transom.

Hope all the above makes sense! Haha

Any suggestions?

 

Just to be sure, I've emptied the fuel tank but would like to find the issue (if any), before filling up the tank with fresh fuel..

 

 

 

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A fish in the hand is worth 10 in the water!


Madmerv's picture

Posts: 672

Date Joined: 24/01/15

Fuel

Fri, 2015-10-02 09:24

 Your best bet is to check the fuel you emptied.. Was there actual water in it or could you have mis-remembered or seen it on a different slope?

If there is water there it will be pretty obvious as 1/8 of a tank would be about 15L.

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Ashen's picture

Posts: 1042

Date Joined: 22/03/13

 Thanks mate.  I still have

Fri, 2015-10-02 17:34

 Thanks mate.  I still have the emptied fuel in jerry cans. Will have a look over the weekend.

If there is evidence of water in the fuel, how/where can i dispose of it? Don't wanna pour it down the sewer!!

____________________________________________________________________________

A fish in the hand is worth 10 in the water!

Posts: 812

Date Joined: 09/10/06

Your obviously reading off

Fri, 2015-10-02 18:02

Your obviously reading off your gauge to say it had 1/3 left in tank.. If its like mine these things arent very accurate. Any change in surface angle the boats sitting on  will produce a different reading. 

Is boat on level ground at new place? 

Only way lve ever measured fuel use is from a full tank.  N/Ms travelled verses fuel to fill back up. Its been pretty consistent over time. More accurate than the gauge. Gauge is used just as a guide.

Ashen's picture

Posts: 1042

Date Joined: 22/03/13

 My gauge is a wooden

Fri, 2015-10-02 19:15

 My gauge is a wooden chopstick with notches! Haha

Yes the boat was sitting level at old place and new place.  It is now sitting in the driveway which has a slope. But when I measured the fuel last week, the boat was sitting under the carport which is level.

 

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A fish in the hand is worth 10 in the water!

mrwinta's picture

Posts: 457

Date Joined: 14/01/10

 Could there be a baffle or

Sat, 2015-10-03 03:25

 Could there be a baffle or anything in the tank that you might have put the measuring stick on top of the first time?

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Ashen's picture

Posts: 1042

Date Joined: 22/03/13

 Nah, I thought that aswell

Sat, 2015-10-03 14:27

 Nah, I thought that aswell but tried different "spots" in the fill hole. All the same.

 

Im just going to change the fuel line and add fresh fuel, just in case.

 

Anyone know where i can dispose of old fuel??

____________________________________________________________________________

A fish in the hand is worth 10 in the water!

Posts: 5981

Date Joined: 17/06/10

Use it in your car

Sat, 2015-10-03 18:59

First thing though, syphon out a litre or so into a clear glass container or plastic and leave it over night under cover. Look at it next morning and see if the fuel has separated, and there is water in it. The water will show up clear under the fuel. If you have water in it you can't use it in your car unless you can put the fuel into a container and syphon of the water, which by the way isn't that hard to do.

just dhu it's picture

Posts: 1081

Date Joined: 14/05/09

Water trap

Mon, 2015-10-05 20:40

do yourself a big favour and install a filter with a water trap on the bottom,  you may fix the issue on your tank but this will ensure you never get water through to the motor if the issue comes back