My boat tank fill is on the top of the stern deck. The filler cap has a
tight seal with just two very small vent holes in it. My inspection
cover appears water tight because the rain water sits in this area
unless I take it out with a sponge.

My floor fuel tank is about half full 20 plus gallons. There is a
considerable amount of water in the fuel. Enough that the boat will not
start. It will only run fine from a portable tank.

Where can water enter the fuel system ?

Lastly. will a large amount ( many bottles) of dry gas treat the fuel
so I can burn it off before taking the boat out of the water.

I am in NJ and we still have great boat weather during the day. The
boat uses to much fuel to use the small portablee fuel cans.

thanks

sonofadocker

"sonofadocker" wrote in message
oups.com...
My boat tank fill is on the top of the stern deck. The filler cap has a
tight seal with just two very small vent holes in it. My inspection
cover appears water tight because the rain water sits in this area
unless I take it out with a sponge.

My floor fuel tank is about half full 20 plus gallons. There is a
considerable amount of water in the fuel. Enough that the boat will not
start. It will only run fine from a portable tank.

Where can water enter the fuel system ?

Lastly. will a large amount ( many bottles) of dry gas treat the fuel
so I can burn it off before taking the boat out of the water.

I am in NJ and we still have great boat weather during the day. The
boat uses to much fuel to use the small portablee fuel cans.

thanks

sonofadocker


Go to the autoparts store and buy a cheap electric fuelpump. Pump the gas
into a 50 gallon drum and let the water separate, and refuel with the good
gas, and take the water part to the toxic waste facility.

Remove the fuel sender and siphon the water out. Tilt the boat so the low
end of the tank is where the sender is. You must get the siphon to the
bottom of the tank. When you remove as much water as you can, finish the job
with a few bottles of WaterZorb. Replace the fuel filter as well.
Jim
"sonofadocker" wrote in message
oups.com...
My boat tank fill is on the top of the stern deck. The filler cap has a
tight seal with just two very small vent holes in it. M.y inspection
cover appears water tight because the rain water sits in this area
unless I take it out with a sponge.

My floor fuel tank is about half full 20 plus gallons. There is a
considerable amount of water in the fuel. Enough that the boat will not
start. It will only run fine from a portable tank.

Where can water enter the fuel system ?

Lastly. will a large amount ( many bottles) of dry gas treat the fuel
so I can burn it off before taking the boat out of the water.

I am in NJ and we still have great boat weather during the day. The
boat uses to much fuel to use the small portablee fuel cans.

thanks

sonofadocker

You need to get the water out. Either get an electric fuel pump as another
poster suggested. Or you can use one of the hand pumps that you use to
change the oil. As suggested the best way is to remove the sending unit.
Be really careful with it.

If the boat got a lot of water in it and the level was above the sending
unit it may have gotten in that way. The gaskets on sending units get old
and leaky.

"sonofadocker" wrote in message
oups.com...
My boat tank fill is on the top of the stern deck. The filler cap has a
tight seal with just two very small vent holes in it. My inspection
cover appears water tight because the rain water sits in this area
unless I take it out with a sponge.

My floor fuel tank is about half full 20 plus gallons. There is a
considerable amount of water in the fuel. Enough that the boat will not
start. It will only run fine from a portable tank.

Where can water enter the fuel system ?

Lastly. will a large amount ( many bottles) of dry gas treat the fuel
so I can burn it off before taking the boat out of the water.

I am in NJ and we still have great boat weather during the day. The
boat uses to much fuel to use the small portablee fuel cans.

thanks

sonofadocker

"James" wrote in message
news
If the boat got a lot of water in it and the level was above the sending
unit it may have gotten in that way. The gaskets on sending units get old
and leaky.


Nice suggestion. I was wondering how the water could be coming in besides
through the gas cap.

When you don't keep your tank full, moisture condenses inside on the
cool tank sides as the atmosphere heats up and cools down. Your tank
"breathes" through the vent. That's one way, at least. Check to make
sure your vent isn't turned upward where it can catch rain. I bought a
Cruisers, Inc. boat that came from the factory that way! If you can't
find obvious leaks, just keep the tank full and that will probably
solve your problem.

I believe he had a lot of water in the boat at one time during a heavy
rain storm. It's an older boat. He had a lot of posts trying to get
it running after that. It was in a slip at the time so siphoning the
water may not be an option.

I suspect that the water level got above the top of the tank and it
leaked in then. After 20+ years the gaskets around the sending units
are not in the best of shape. It normally doesn't matter because they
are at the top of the fuel tank.

Keith wrote:
When you don't keep your tank full, moisture condenses inside on the
cool tank sides as the atmosphere heats up and cools down. Your tank
"breathes" through the vent. That's one way, at least. Check to make
sure your vent isn't turned upward where it can catch rain. I bought a
Cruisers, Inc. boat that came from the factory that way! If you can't
find obvious leaks, just keep the tank full and that will probably
solve your problem.