Newbie question of filling the boat w/ gas
 

OK - this may sound like a really stupid question - but today was the second
time it has happened to me.
This is our first season w/ our boat - I tow it to the lake and fill it on
the way home at the local gas station.
I normally wait until it gets to about 1/4 tank before I fill it. I know
the tank is 40 gallons - so I usually put in about 30 gallon. The first
time I filled it - I had no idea how much gas was in there and the gas just
spewed over when it was filled - it was not like a car where the pump would
stop when its full. Anyways - yesterday - same thing happened again -
filling it up and whoosh - out comes the gas all over the side of the boat.
****ed me off b/c I just spent time cleaning and waxing it.
Anyways - maybe im just an idiot - but how does one fill the tank w/out
blowing gas all over when its full.

Thanks,
-R

The solution for filling up in a noisy environment that I use is ... based
on the gas guage reading, I slow down when getting to the "it should almost
be full point" and the pump shuts off as it should. Maybe one of these days
I'll look into a solution ... for example, fuel oil tanks have a whistle in
the vent that will stop whistling when the fuel reaches it ... too easy.


"Rob V" wrote in message
om...
OK - this may sound like a really stupid question - but today was the
second
time it has happened to me.
This is our first season w/ our boat - I tow it to the lake and fill it on
the way home at the local gas station.
I normally wait until it gets to about 1/4 tank before I fill it. I know
the tank is 40 gallons - so I usually put in about 30 gallon. The first
time I filled it - I had no idea how much gas was in there and the gas
just
spewed over when it was filled - it was not like a car where the pump
would
stop when its full. Anyways - yesterday - same thing happened again -
filling it up and whoosh - out comes the gas all over the side of the
boat.
****ed me off b/c I just spent time cleaning and waxing it.
Anyways - maybe im just an idiot - but how does one fill the tank w/out
blowing gas all over when its full.

Thanks,
-R

On Mon, 06 Sep 2004 18:48:14 GMT, "Rob V" wrote:

OK - this may sound like a really stupid question - but today was the second
time it has happened to me.
This is our first season w/ our boat - I tow it to the lake and fill it on
the way home at the local gas station.
I normally wait until it gets to about 1/4 tank before I fill it. I know
the tank is 40 gallons - so I usually put in about 30 gallon. The first
time I filled it - I had no idea how much gas was in there and the gas just
spewed over when it was filled - it was not like a car where the pump would
stop when its full. Anyways - yesterday - same thing happened again -
filling it up and whoosh - out comes the gas all over the side of the boat.
****ed me off b/c I just spent time cleaning and waxing it.
Anyways - maybe im just an idiot - but how does one fill the tank w/out
blowing gas all over when its full.

On my Ranger, I slow down about 2/3 of the "I think it's this empty"
point. Then just take my time filling - it shuts off then - no
problems.

The problem is the venting of the gas tanks. On a few Rangers I've
owned over the years, the flapper valve never worked properly allowing
for the free flow of fuel right out the vent. Thus, the "I think it's
this empty" rule.

Trial and error my friend, trial and error.

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT
-----------
"Angling may be said to be so
like the mathematics that it
can never be fully learnt..."

Izaak Walton "The Compleat Angler", 1653

"rock_doctor" wrote in message
groups.com...
Yea there is a overflow/vent on marine tanks. Your car does not have this
it just backs up out of the filler neck, tripping off the nozzle. Next
time jump in the boat and turn on the key and start filling while watching
the gauge. When it hits full, stop. Your luckily technically they could
fine you for spilling that much fuel onto the ground and I bet if the
station owner saw you do it he would have had a stroke...

Didn't mean that to sound quite so snotty...sorry, but you know what I mean.
:-) I always use the gauge in my boat and my trucks because I tend to use
the big truck diesel pumps. The high capacity nozzles don't shut off most
of the time. Anyway good luck...

mark

rock_doctor wrote:


jump in the boat and turn on the key and start filling while watching
the gauge.

Bad idea

I'd suspect the vent is clogged.
When mine was clogged, there were times I could only put in a few gallons
before it would spit back at me. I sat the vent in a jar of CLR overnight to
clean it. Then I found out the vent only costs about $12. Next time I'll
just replace it.


"Rob V" wrote in message
om...
OK - this may sound like a really stupid question - but today was the
second
time it has happened to me.
This is our first season w/ our boat - I tow it to the lake and fill it on
the way home at the local gas station.
I normally wait until it gets to about 1/4 tank before I fill it. I know
the tank is 40 gallons - so I usually put in about 30 gallon. The first
time I filled it - I had no idea how much gas was in there and the gas
just
spewed over when it was filled - it was not like a car where the pump
would
stop when its full. Anyways - yesterday - same thing happened again -
filling it up and whoosh - out comes the gas all over the side of the
boat.
****ed me off b/c I just spent time cleaning and waxing it.
Anyways - maybe im just an idiot - but how does one fill the tank w/out
blowing gas all over when its full.

Thanks,
-R

On Mon, 06 Sep 2004 18:48:14 GMT, "Rob V" wrote:

OK - this may sound like a really stupid question - but today was the second
time it has happened to me.
This is our first season w/ our boat - I tow it to the lake and fill it on
the way home at the local gas station.
I normally wait until it gets to about 1/4 tank before I fill it. I know
the tank is 40 gallons - so I usually put in about 30 gallon. The first
time I filled it - I had no idea how much gas was in there and the gas just
spewed over when it was filled - it was not like a car where the pump would
stop when its full. Anyways - yesterday - same thing happened again -
filling it up and whoosh - out comes the gas all over the side of the boat.
****ed me off b/c I just spent time cleaning and waxing it.
Anyways - maybe im just an idiot - but how does one fill the tank w/out
blowing gas all over when its full.

Thanks,
-R

I assume the gas is spilling out from the vent. I usually turn the pump on
and put a close ear to the vent. When I hear a gurgling meaning gas is
nearing the vent, I stop. So far, no spills out of the overflow.

The places I fuel up are too noisy to listen for audio clues.
Here's what I do: My vent splash cap will unscrew, leaving a plastic nub
that I shove a short length of stiff clear hose onto which points up. When
the fuel comes up the vent line it will bubble into the tube where I can see
it. But see below.
Here's another tip: While you are pumping fuel there should be a steady
stream of visible gas fumes coming out of the vent. As soon as the bottom
of the vent line is full of fuel the fumes will diminish greatly, meaning
that the tank is full(enough). Any furthur fueling will probably fill up
the filler tube as well as the vent line, and if the gas expands, or if any
trapped air in the tank warms up it can push some fuel out of the tank and
cause a spill. Sometimes a real full tank will spill some during
trailering, at least on my boat.
On many boats the routing of the vent line has one or more dips in it as it
rises to the overflow outlet. If you have overfilled the tank these dips
will trap liquid fuel and prevent the fumes from escaping during normal
fueling operations, and can contribute to the pump handle shutting off
early, or spitting back, as the fumes try to come back up the filler
tube/neck. If possible, route the vent line, or support it to eliminate any
dips that will hold fuel. If I don't see fumes coming out of my vent while
fueling, then I assume that there is some fuel trapped in a dip in the vent
line, so I blow(carefully) into the vent tube to clear the line before
continuing to fuel up. This is probably not an advisable procedure, but it
works for me, and I don't like fuel spilling out onto my swim
platform/boarding ladder well. I just ignore the gas station attendant
coming over the speaker: "pump 6.....welcome to Hess.....what are you
doing?"

rock_doctor wrote:


jump in the boat and turn on the key and start filling while watching
the gauge.


While fueling the boat, all electrical devices should be turned off. Don't
turn on anything until you are positive there are no fumes below deck.
If you don't use the "auto stop" feature on the gas pump nozzle mostly you
won't have that tbl.
Pay attention! Boat fires are not funny!
Best wishes. Take a boating safety class (US POWER SQUADRONS has a free one!).
Mike