Hello everyone, hey I have a 1993 OMC Sunbird that I have a question
regarding the fuel tank fitting.
Before I prepped the unit for storage last fall i noticed i wan't
getting any fuel to the pump. I found out the aluminum one way valve in
the fuel line connected to the fuel tank was corroded and defective.
When I tried to remove it it broke off in the 90 degree fitting that
screws into the plastic fuel tank. The 90 degree fitting seems to be
threaded into a large nut that's not very thick and bonded or molded
into the fuel tank. I tried to unscrew the 90 degree fitting from the
nut but it seems pretty tight and I couldn't get it to budge. My
question is...I should be able to remove this 90 degree fitting correct?
So I can get it out and replace it along with the valve.
I don't have much room through my access hole and would hate to damage
the tank and have to remove the floor to repair it.
Thought I would ask those who know.

P.S. there was a bunch of white corrosion on the aluminum valve and it
seemed to etch it really bad. What causes that?

Chris Mares wrote:
Hello everyone, hey I have a 1993 OMC Sunbird that I have a question
regarding the fuel tank fitting.
Before I prepped the unit for storage last fall i noticed i wan't
getting any fuel to the pump. I found out the aluminum one way valve
in
the fuel line connected to the fuel tank was corroded and defective.
When I tried to remove it it broke off in the 90 degree fitting that
screws into the plastic fuel tank. The 90 degree fitting seems to be
threaded into a large nut that's not very thick and bonded or molded
into the fuel tank. I tried to unscrew the 90 degree fitting from the

nut but it seems pretty tight and I couldn't get it to budge. My
question is...I should be able to remove this 90 degree fitting
correct?
So I can get it out and replace it along with the valve.
I don't have much room through my access hole and would hate to
damage
the tank and have to remove the floor to repair it.
Thought I would ask those who know.

P.S. there was a bunch of white corrosion on the aluminum valve and
it
seemed to etch it really bad. What causes that?

Hi Chris, that white stuff is probably aluminum oxide, with some salt
thrown in for effect. If I were you, I would do the bare minimum amount
of work you can to get your self back to working order. On older stuff
like yours it's a ripple effect, touch one thing, break two, and on and
on until you end up replacing the tank, not much fun. By the way, that
valve's not defective, it hasn't been maintained. You have to open and
close them from time to time, keep water away from them, and a little
WD-40 sprayed on them now and then goes a long way. I have a bad
feeling you've worked yourself into a corner, and may have to replace
that fuel tank, which, like everything else, doesn't last forever.

Capt John wrote:



Hi Chris, that white stuff is probably aluminum oxide, with some salt
thrown in for effect. If I were you, I would do the bare minimum amount
of work you can to get your self back to working order. On older stuff
like yours it's a ripple effect, touch one thing, break two, and on and
on until you end up replacing the tank, not much fun. By the way, that
valve's not defective, it hasn't been maintained. You have to open and
close them from time to time, keep water away from them, and a little
WD-40 sprayed on them now and then goes a long way. I have a bad
feeling you've worked yourself into a corner, and may have to replace
that fuel tank, which, like everything else, doesn't last forever.


Capt John;
I basically agree with you, but I'd like to add that what we probably
have is a dissimilar metals problem (reducer/valve) that had no anti
seize on the threads. An aluminum valve probably should have been
replaced the minute you realized it was aluminum.

WD40 is one of the most misused products around. WD40 is mostly a
solvent that would wash away most of any grease or oil and speed up
corrosion in the long run, it is very poor for preventing corrosion.

My WD gets used as starting fluid, metal polish, and is used as a
cleaner. I use spray oil for the other stuff.

"A little oil on them goes a long way."

Jim

Chris Mares wrote:

Hello everyone, hey I have a 1993 OMC Sunbird that I have a question
regarding the fuel tank fitting.
Before I prepped the unit for storage last fall i noticed i wan't
getting any fuel to the pump. I found out the aluminum one way valve in
the fuel line connected to the fuel tank was corroded and defective.
When I tried to remove it it broke off in the 90 degree fitting that
screws into the plastic fuel tank. The 90 degree fitting seems to be
threaded into a large nut that's not very thick and bonded or molded
into the fuel tank. I tried to unscrew the 90 degree fitting from the
nut but it seems pretty tight and I couldn't get it to budge. My
question is...I should be able to remove this 90 degree fitting correct?
So I can get it out and replace it along with the valve.
I don't have much room through my access hole and would hate to damage
the tank and have to remove the floor to repair it.
Thought I would ask those who know.

P.S. there was a bunch of white corrosion on the aluminum valve and it
seemed to etch it really bad. What causes that?
Thanks guys, I'm going to post a link to a picture hopefully tomorrow. I
forgot to mention that I live in the midwest and only deal with fresh
water. Also the valve had white corrosion on the indside of it as well
blocking the flow.

On Thu, 03 Feb 2005 09:14:00 -0600, Chris Mares
wrote:

Hello everyone, hey I have a 1993 OMC Sunbird that I have a question
regarding the fuel tank fitting.

I had two of these when I had my house in the Hamptoms, very nice
boats.

Before I prepped the unit for storage last fall i noticed i wan't
getting any fuel to the pump. I found out the aluminum one way valve in
the fuel line connected to the fuel tank was corroded and defective.
When I tried to remove it it broke off in the 90 degree fitting that
screws into the plastic fuel tank. The 90 degree fitting seems to be
threaded into a large nut that's not very thick and bonded or molded
into the fuel tank. I tried to unscrew the 90 degree fitting from the
nut but it seems pretty tight and I couldn't get it to budge. My
question is...I should be able to remove this 90 degree fitting correct?
So I can get it out and replace it along with the valve.
I don't have much room through my access hole and would hate to damage
the tank and have to remove the floor to repair it.
Thought I would ask those who know.

P.S. there was a bunch of white corrosion on the aluminum valve and it
seemed to etch it really bad. What causes that?

Electrolysys causes that. You need to heat it up with a torch to get
it out, but be careful, gas fumes could ignight.

Nope,, I errored,, I forgot something

I actually had 12 of these boats over my career,, yup,, nice boats,, I gave
all 12 to the nice Thai family that bought my home in the hamptons,, actual
value of the boats exceeded the home actually but that is ok,, I love the
Thai people. I love them so much that I visit Bangkok for three days at a
time, some call that a sexual visitor,, and I believe them. I understand
sexual tourists drop in for 3 days at a time at areas where the U.S.dollar
is about 40 times the value of the BHT. But that is just a direct relation
to the greedy union slobs of which I am,, driving inflation too high and now
look at what happened. Now, in Bangkok a can of cold beer costs about .30
cents, pack of Marlboro smokes around .60 cents. But because of greedy union
slobs like me, my efforts were able to drive the prices of the consumer's
basket of goods CPI up as high as I could, so now I go to Bangkok and
purchase my suites, entertainment, as much as I can. I don't even support
the local prostitutes in the west,, the east are more beautiful and cheaper,
cleaner and they don't smoke and take drugs.

Yup,,, that Thai family I gave all those boats to they sure are nice people,
I find interesting that they keep their mom with them, not like me,, I
shipped Mom off the day she badmouthed my cats. I said "its time to go mama"
I just ignored her tears and when I suggest the east coast of florida,,, she
suggested the west coast. I don't care really,,, the farther the better,,

I have been taking stats about all the visitors I get now on all my acreage
here that I allow people to walk through and picnic and take photos,, and
watch all my deer and buffalo roam,, yup,, through all the blueberry fields
forever and off to the Chesapeake. Great number of Thai people are coming
through,, hmmm interesting,, I hope they don't start planting rice,, but
they sure are nice people,,, their mothers and all. I find it interesting
that their mothers look 20 years their junior,, I mean that my wife (first
two) looked like they were 20 years older than they actually were,, yet the
Thai women look 20 years younger than they actually are,, I cannot
understand it so I had to marry one,, yup,, 20 years my junior,,, all those
pimples and braces,, I sure wish I could use braces,, lol,, but no need,, my
teeth are perfect,,, perfect prosthetics,,,










"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 03 Feb 2005 09:14:00 -0600, Chris Mares
wrote:

Hello everyone, hey I have a 1993 OMC Sunbird that I have a question
regarding the fuel tank fitting.

I had two of these when I had my house in the Hamptoms, very nice
boats.

Before I prepped the unit for storage last fall i noticed i wan't
getting any fuel to the pump. I found out the aluminum one way valve in
the fuel line connected to the fuel tank was corroded and defective.
When I tried to remove it it broke off in the 90 degree fitting that
screws into the plastic fuel tank. The 90 degree fitting seems to be
threaded into a large nut that's not very thick and bonded or molded
into the fuel tank. I tried to unscrew the 90 degree fitting from the
nut but it seems pretty tight and I couldn't get it to budge. My
question is...I should be able to remove this 90 degree fitting correct?
So I can get it out and replace it along with the valve.
I don't have much room through my access hole and would hate to damage
the tank and have to remove the floor to repair it.
Thought I would ask those who know.

P.S. there was a bunch of white corrosion on the aluminum valve and it
seemed to etch it really bad. What causes that?

Electrolysys causes that. You need to heat it up with a torch to get
it out, but be careful, gas fumes could ignight.