T&T: Fw: Fuel Tank Woes

[Larry N. Brown]

> I think the filling issue is likely the LT100s - I had these on my 
> previous
> boat and had the identical problem with fueling.  Turned out to be a trap 
> in
> the line after the LT100.  I had to really pull a bunch of stuff out to
> track the line and find the trapped section.  Once I raised the line to
> eliminate the trap (and secured it better than the installer did) I was 
> able
> to fuel that 330 gal. tank at full speed.  I think Racor has the install
> guide online and that was helpful to me (if I can find it in my files I'll
> send it off list).
>
> Rip Tyler
>
> m/v Severn Exposure
> Pearson True North 38
>

Key,

You've had several good suggestions. I think you may be tying together some 
things that are not necessarily related. If the vent/filter is plugged 
somehow as one listee suggested, this would cause two things: (1) The tank 
would be slow to fill and it would burp and (2) the engine would SAD-- surge 
and die-- due to fuel starvation caused by a vacuum in the tank because of 
the blocked vent; might take 6 hours to develop. Try opening the vent line 
or just put in a coupling temporarily and see if it fills normally. If it 
fills normally, it'll vent normally. Get the coupling and a couple hose 
clamps at the local Ace.

Don't know how the water got in. Condensation'll put some in but not the 
quantity you saw. More than likely someone left the tank fill cap off or not 
tightened down during a rain storm or you got a load of bad gas. Just keep 
those filters coming.

Do you have a vacuum gauge plumbed into the line after the filter? If 
there's a West Marine around, you could get one and it would point you in 
the direction of a solution.

Cheer up; it's not the end of the world.

Regards,

Larry and Teri
M/V Cigano, 47' Prairie Sundeck Cruiser
Lying: 64 Cypress Road
          Covington, LA