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#1
posted to rec.boats
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Fuel Starvation?
After a recent adventure to change the fuel sender, I had the misfortune
to have one of the 'sex-bolt'-like nuts on the inside of the tank break off and fall into the tank. The only access is via the small opening when the sender goes in. Unable to retrieve the broken nut, I called around and heard from three hopefully reliable sources that there is a strainer at the fuel line to prevent things such as this from entering the fuel line. During the second trip out since the new sender was installed, we were just about to the causeway bridge when the engine was acting as if it was not getting enough fuel. Watching the fuel management gauge, I noticed it going from its normal 11 gal at that speed, and slowly and consistently drop to just under 6 gal and then started to buck and hesitate as if not enough fuel. I was able to throttle down to idle and after a minute or so, throttle up again. This was a consistent behavior during the entire outing. Eventually idled home last last nite. On the positive side, it was a clear nite, almost full moon and relatively no boat traffic. All symptoms to me indicate the nut may be blocking the fuel line leading from the tank. The main access hatch where the feel sender is installed is NOT at the stern end of the fuel tank. It would be very difficult to gain access to the tank. The boat is just 4.5 years old. It looking at the other components, I also noticed this is the original fuel bulb as when it was new. It did not feel 'hard' as it had been, and almost had a feel of simply being old rubber. This is a sal****er environment and one thought is maybe an air leak or some other scenario besides the extra nut in the tank. I plan to today replace the bulb and any lines I can access which may appear dried, cracked, old, or simply a possible candidate to the problem. Any suggestions on maybe how to retrieve the nut from within the tank via the maybe 2 1/2 inch opening into an 80-gallon fuel tank? Any other ideas besides the nut which might help me resolve this issue? Thanx in advance!!! |
#2
posted to rec.boats
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Fuel Starvation?
"DownTime" wrote in message . .. After a recent adventure to change the fuel sender, I had the misfortune to have one of the 'sex-bolt'-like nuts on the inside of the tank break off and fall into the tank. The only access is via the small opening when the sender goes in. Unable to retrieve the broken nut, I called around and heard from three hopefully reliable sources that there is a strainer at the fuel line to prevent things such as this from entering the fuel line. During the second trip out since the new sender was installed, we were just about to the causeway bridge when the engine was acting as if it was not getting enough fuel. Watching the fuel management gauge, I noticed it going from its normal 11 gal at that speed, and slowly and consistently drop to just under 6 gal and then started to buck and hesitate as if not enough fuel. I was able to throttle down to idle and after a minute or so, throttle up again. This was a consistent behavior during the entire outing. Eventually idled home last last nite. On the positive side, it was a clear nite, almost full moon and relatively no boat traffic. All symptoms to me indicate the nut may be blocking the fuel line leading from the tank. The main access hatch where the feel sender is installed is NOT at the stern end of the fuel tank. It would be very difficult to gain access to the tank. The boat is just 4.5 years old. It looking at the other components, I also noticed this is the original fuel bulb as when it was new. It did not feel 'hard' as it had been, and almost had a feel of simply being old rubber. This is a sal****er environment and one thought is maybe an air leak or some other scenario besides the extra nut in the tank. I plan to today replace the bulb and any lines I can access which may appear dried, cracked, old, or simply a possible candidate to the problem. Any suggestions on maybe how to retrieve the nut from within the tank via the maybe 2 1/2 inch opening into an 80-gallon fuel tank? Any other ideas besides the nut which might help me resolve this issue? Thanx in advance!!! Wonder what metal that nut is made of?? If it's something magnetic, you should be able to find a long flexible wand with a powerful magnet on the end for 'fishing'.... |
#3
posted to rec.boats
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Fuel Starvation?
"DownTime" wrote in message . .. After a recent adventure to change the fuel sender, I had the misfortune to have one of the 'sex-bolt'-like nuts on the inside of the tank break off and fall into the tank. The only access is via the small opening when the sender goes in. Unable to retrieve the broken nut, I called around and heard from three hopefully reliable sources that there is a strainer at the fuel line to prevent things such as this from entering the fuel line. During the second trip out since the new sender was installed, we were just about to the causeway bridge when the engine was acting as if it was not getting enough fuel. Watching the fuel management gauge, I noticed it going from its normal 11 gal at that speed, and slowly and consistently drop to just under 6 gal and then started to buck and hesitate as if not enough fuel. I was able to throttle down to idle and after a minute or so, throttle up again. This was a consistent behavior during the entire outing. Eventually idled home last last nite. On the positive side, it was a clear nite, almost full moon and relatively no boat traffic. All symptoms to me indicate the nut may be blocking the fuel line leading from the tank. The main access hatch where the feel sender is installed is NOT at the stern end of the fuel tank. It would be very difficult to gain access to the tank. The boat is just 4.5 years old. It looking at the other components, I also noticed this is the original fuel bulb as when it was new. It did not feel 'hard' as it had been, and almost had a feel of simply being old rubber. This is a sal****er environment and one thought is maybe an air leak or some other scenario besides the extra nut in the tank. I plan to today replace the bulb and any lines I can access which may appear dried, cracked, old, or simply a possible candidate to the problem. Any suggestions on maybe how to retrieve the nut from within the tank via the maybe 2 1/2 inch opening into an 80-gallon fuel tank? Any other ideas besides the nut which might help me resolve this issue? Thanx in advance!!! Easy to tell if your problem is tank related. Take the small fuel line off the top of the tank and feed it into a portable tank full of fresh gas. If this fixes it you got tank problems. Clogged vent or collapsed vent tube. Clogged pickup screen. Bolt lodged in pickup tube(highly unlikely). Pinhole in pickup tube. (also highly unlikely). |
#4
posted to rec.boats
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Fuel Starvation?
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#5
posted to rec.boats
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Fuel Starvation?
"DownTime" wrote in message
. .. After a recent adventure to change the fuel sender, I had the misfortune to have one of the 'sex-bolt'-like nuts on the inside of the tank break off and fall into the tank. The only access is via the small opening when the sender goes in. Unable to retrieve the broken nut, I called around and heard from three hopefully reliable sources that there is a strainer at the fuel line to prevent things such as this from entering the fuel line. During the second trip out since the new sender was installed, we were just about to the causeway bridge when the engine was acting as if it was not getting enough fuel. Watching the fuel management gauge, I noticed it going from its normal 11 gal at that speed, and slowly and consistently drop to just under 6 gal and then started to buck and hesitate as if not enough fuel. I was able to throttle down to idle and after a minute or so, throttle up again. This was a consistent behavior during the entire outing. Eventually idled home last last nite. On the positive side, it was a clear nite, almost full moon and relatively no boat traffic. All symptoms to me indicate the nut may be blocking the fuel line leading from the tank. The main access hatch where the feel sender is installed is NOT at the stern end of the fuel tank. It would be very difficult to gain access to the tank. The boat is just 4.5 years old. It looking at the other components, I also noticed this is the original fuel bulb as when it was new. It did not feel 'hard' as it had been, and almost had a feel of simply being old rubber. This is a sal****er environment and one thought is maybe an air leak or some other scenario besides the extra nut in the tank. I plan to today replace the bulb and any lines I can access which may appear dried, cracked, old, or simply a possible candidate to the problem. Any suggestions on maybe how to retrieve the nut from within the tank via the maybe 2 1/2 inch opening into an 80-gallon fuel tank? Any other ideas besides the nut which might help me resolve this issue? Thanx in advance!!! The chances of the nut blocking the pickup are very slim to none. I'd want to get it out though as the combination of it, whatever metal your tank is, and the sludge at the bottom of the tank might be a formula for corrosion. Auto tool places have magnetic pickups on the end of a long flexible rod. Get one of those. Is the pickup welded in? Sometimes they come out like a sending unit. I agree it sounds like fuel starvation. Replacing all the rubber is a good place to start. Even if that's not the problem it gets old anyway. |
#6
posted to rec.boats
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Fuel Starvation?
DownTime wrote:
Thanx to the responders so far. I've decided to replace all the rubber from the top of the tank to the intake to the engine. Next is to replace all filters as well. While in the local neighborhood marine supply store, in talking to the very helpful clerk, he mentioned he's heard recently of quite a few people having problems more related to the latest shipments of ethanol enhanced gas. In speaking with a local tank cleaning company, who by the way are coming tomorrow morning to clean the tank, he mentioned that ethanol is really more like a solvent and will work to strip away any built-up sludge or deposits from inside the tank. Even in speaking with my regular mechanic, the nut in the tank is more a coincidence than the problem. Once the tank is cleaned and everything back together, I'll post an update. By the way, I had also recently received an email notice from the BMW dealership stating that use of ethanol products in my M3 could contribute to invalidating the warranty. Stay tuned... |
#7
posted to rec.boats
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Fuel Starvation?
On Jul 21, 10:45*am, DownTime wrote:
DownTime wrote: Thanx to the responders so far. I've decided to replace all the rubber from the top of the tank to the intake to the engine. Next is to replace all filters as well. While in the local neighborhood marine supply store, in talking to the very helpful clerk, he mentioned he's heard recently of quite a few people having problems more related to the latest shipments of ethanol enhanced gas. In speaking with a local tank cleaning company, who by the way are coming tomorrow morning to clean the tank, he mentioned that ethanol is really more like a solvent and will work to strip away any built-up sludge or deposits from inside the tank. Even in speaking with my regular mechanic, the nut in the tank is more a coincidence than the problem. Once the tank is cleaned and everything back together, I'll post an update. By the way, I had also recently received an email notice from the BMW dealership stating that use of ethanol products in my M3 could contribute to invalidating the warranty. Stay tuned... Odds are good the tank cleaning will also remove the offending nut. It's pretty easy to get most of the water/sludge out with one of those hand oil pumps on a lot of tanks yourself. Remove the sending unit. Then lower or raise the trailer so that the end of the tank that the sending unit goes in is the lowest point. If you look down into the tank with a flashlight you should be able to see the water layer on the bottom of the tank. With a helper holding the flashlight put the oil drain hose down into the bottom and watch as you suck up the layer of water and sludge on the bottom with the hand pump. Stop when you start pumping gas. |
#8
posted to rec.boats
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Fuel Starvation?
DownTime wrote in news:ds-
: By the way, I had also recently received an email notice from the BMW dealership stating that use of ethanol products in my M3 could contribute to invalidating the warranty. Stay tuned... FANTASTIC! You need to read this FEDERAL LAW very carefully! http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/.../warranty.shtm FTC booklet to business....everyone should read it. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/15/ch50.html The whole law...written in plain English you can understand. You might be interested in reading 2302 (c) on: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/15...2----000-.html which tells them they CANNOT specify brand or trade name for anything for your M3 unless they are willing to PROVIDE IT FOR THE LIFE OF THE PRODUCT. That's why your car manual doesn't force you to run only genuine BMW lube oil at $39/quart.....That's against the law. I'd like to see their stance on fuel tested in front of an administrative law judge. That might be fun to watch. They CAN, by the way, apply to the FTC for a waiver, but I bet this is just trying to weasle out of the warranty and a waiver does not exist. Call the FTC and tell them what BMW sent you and ask them if they gave BMW a waiver from the Magnusson Moss Warranty Protection Act 15USC50 2302(c) provision..... I sent back a Yamaha GP1200 defective PWC in 1997 under 2304(a)(4) when they couldn't or wouldn't fix its many problems. Yamaha's Lorrie Combelick, the big cheeze in warranty service, told me, "Larry, there's no way we're EVER going to take back that boat!", the last time she talked to me. She was wrong!....(c; I returned it to the letter of the law after dicking around with their crooked dealer all summer, here, and simply returned their defective product for a full refund, by refusing to pay for it to the credit company. We tried for months to get them to sue us or ruin my spotless credit rating. My attorney wanted a new beach house on the Isle of Palms. I had my eye on that pretty gold colored Mercedes C-class sedan, at the time.....nuts. 15USC50 is not just a good idea....IT'S THE LAW!....(c; It's why WalMart cheerfully refunds your money when the new toaster croaks. Walmart is NOT your friend. They are following the law! At somewhere around $1000, corporations think they are immune from the law, choosing to bull**** and fight. They're not immune.... |
#9
posted to rec.boats
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Fuel Starvation?
wrote in news:0f0b01dd-f97f-4a8b-a0f3-
: If you look down into the tank with a flashlight you should be able to see the water layer on the bottom of the tank. With a helper holding the flashlight AAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKK!k!!!!!!! BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!! The flashlight isn't explosion proof!!! The empty tank is FULL OF EXPLOSIVE FUMES...GAS MIXED WITH AIR!! |
#10
posted to rec.boats
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Fuel Starvation?
Larry wrote:
wrote in news:0f0b01dd-f97f-4a8b-a0f3- : If you look down into the tank with a flashlight you should be able to see the water layer on the bottom of the tank. With a helper holding the flashlight AAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKK!k!!!!!!! BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!! The flashlight isn't explosion proof!!! The empty tank is FULL OF EXPLOSIVE FUMES...GAS MIXED WITH AIR!! Righto...a flare would be mo' betta'! |
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