Water in Fuel tank
So, last weekend, we had been fishing for a few hours, done a few miles and we stopped to top up the fuel tank. I only carry a 22l tank and Gerry cans if going further, as largely, we don't use more than half a tank at a time.
When topping up the tank, I noticed some crap in the bottom of the tank, almost like 'heavy' dust in the bottom of the tank sloshing back and forth. I topped the tank up headed in and agreed to take it out and clean it when we got home. Kept going without a problem and the old boy took the tank home to empty and clean it.
When he emptied it he said there was lots of water in it, and the 'dust' was rust in it. Unaware to me, the vent cap had a large crack in it allowing rain water to run down the float into the tank. God knows for how long but the motor has not missed a beat.
The motor ran fine though I am concerned that she may have inhaled a bit of water. It was running normally, not surging, not spluttering or anything along those lines. Nothing out of the ordinary.
I don't have a large external filter I can screw the cap off but in the motor housing, there is a small inline filter that I hope may have saved me.
What should I do? It will be a tomorrow job.
DTrain
Posts: 486
Date Joined: 10/02/12
Those inline filters don't
Those inline filters don't actually stop water going through, they only stop the rust or dirt particles.
The water separating fuel filters don't actually 'filter' out the water instead they have a low point where the water collects due to gravity. (Water is heavier than fuel).
What kind of engine do you have? If your engine has a VST then the water can sit in the bottom of that. There is usually a drain screw which lets you get it out of there.
Rob H
Posts: 5745
Date Joined: 18/01/12
In any fuel tank, the
In any fuel tank, the suction is above the bottom to stop the first bit of water going straight thru.
In a larger tank thats not easy to clean, you can run it down low then add one of the various proprietry fuel additives or just meths, ethanol or similar then refill with fuel and burn it.
Water will mix with both mineral fuel and ethanol/methanol/alcohol etc.
But the strength of the ethanol mix needs to be a certain point otherwise it will not work hence running the tank low.
Similarly is the danger with ethanol fuel, they will absorb water and in your case above if you ran on E10 etc all the time it would absorb all the weater going in without you noticing until suddenly it reached saturation point and "phase seperation" would occur resulting in all the water dropping out of the mixture and probably wrecking your engine.
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Swompa
Posts: 3786
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Had a looker the filter
Had a looker the filter under the cowling tonight and it I saw clean fuel, there I saw no separation in there so I can only assume there was no water mixed in or I would see some separation, wouldn't I?
Motor is an 09 Etec.
The tank was emptied flushed and dried, flushed and dried again with new fuel added, and I got a new cap...whitworths saw me coming with that.
Ill drain the fuel lines and give it a crank in the morning.
little johnny
Posts: 5330
Date Joined: 04/12/11
Half cup of metho
All water gone overnight out of fuel tank . Worst I've had , Cervantes fuel station. Full of water . 1 trip out . Water trap almost half full.