Fuel pick up?

[garbubba]

Took my wife, daughter & grand daughter offshore the other day, smooth water, things going great, gust as I slow at the Islands, the engine looses power & gets real rough. Acted like a power pack going out, I thought.

Under closer examination I see the bulb is sucked down - Damn!, just replaced the fuel line, bulb, pre filter, and water separating filter a few months ago, so I'm thinking it must be the pickup tube.

That sound right?

Put the prefilter (glass tube) where I could get to & see it 'cause when I got the boat (12 years ago) it had a disintegrating sending unit & rust in the tank, got it out best I could & just keep an eye on that filter & I'm OK - NOT.

What can I do but blow it out, it is welded in yes?

Could I rod it out & remove the screen & just catch all that crap in my prefilter?

I do not want to replace the tank, no leaks, just some crap in it.

Doug

[tsubaki]

I'm not sure if the screen filter would be at the end of the pickup tube or between the pickup tube and ball valve. Either way I'd consider removing the screen being you got other filters downstream.
You already determined that the vent is fine?

[tsubaki]

Not that yours is anything like mine but here is where mine was located.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w159/tsubaki3/Picture065.jpg

[garbubba]

Thanks guys,

Mine is just like yours tsubkaki.

But I wasn't sure if I should try to remove that part, it had a valve in front of it that I did remove, I ran a piece of weedeater line down it & only felt a bit of resistance, it went back & forth easy.

I replaced the valve with a 3/8" barb fitting & replaced the first filter since I had a spare on board.

Going to try & run it after lunch & see.

[garbubba]

By the way

When we were out there we pulled up on a wilderness beach all alone. few minutes later another guy pulls up a hundred yards up, 85 wellcraft with a sweet Yamaha!

[reelapeelin]

You already determined that the vent is fine?


Check that fuel VENT...the thru-hull fitting and the hose from there to the tank...a clogged one will flatten a bulb too...if there's no screen or design to keep insects out, they will build nests in them...can happen overnight...

[garbubba]

Yeah checked that, it was calm so I just reached over & opened the fuel fill while I was running, no change.

After we were stopped for a bit (& the girls got out) I checked the bowl on the water separator, when I opened the drain valve air was sucked in.

That puts the restriction between there & the tank. Hoses are new, filter is new.

Is there any way to pull the pickup out or can you just look down it?

[nymack66]

Unless its has a anti siphon valve installed use an air compressor remove the gas tank cap and blow it clean back into the tank? My pickup tube came out completely when I unscrewed the part shown in the pictures not sure why yours seem short? My pickup tube matches the depth of the tank with no screen on the end, hopefully this makes sense. I have a spare if you need it pay postage and its yours. I will have to go dig for it saw it :)

[macojoe]

I had a clogged pick up screen on mine, was able to pull the pick up out and got rid of the screen altogether! Also there was a ball berrin in that fitting on top of tank i got rid of. That ball pump what did you get when you bought a new one?? I have had bad ones right out of the box!! just use name brand ones!

[nymack66]

Here it is as shown 12 inches long ...

[garbubba]

Macojoe - been there too, bought a mercury fuel line with bulb this time.

I'm pretty sure the vacuum goes past that (bubbles in the water separating bowl)

Nymack, thanks for the pic, I'll pull mine tomorrow & see what's up.

Pretty sure it has no screen as I poked that weedeater line in way past a foot.

Only other thing is the water separating mount & filter.
it was a mess this spring & I removed, cleaned, painted it & replaced the filter. May take that off again.

Thanks for the help!

[garbubba]

Nymack, what year is your boat? I recall it being close to mine.

[awthacker]

Nymack, what year is your boat? I recall it being close to mine.

I replaced my tank last year and still have the pickup laying around. If you want/need it its yours just lemme know. That was from '82

[garbubba]

Thanks for the help & offers, pulled my pickup & it's fine, no screen, just a pipe with notches at the end. Cleaned it up & then reinstalled everything.

Went back to see if it could have been the pre-filter. I'm pretty sure that was it, if blowing through it is any indication, it has much more resistance than a new paper element filter.

I put it back together & called it fixed!!

Then put a few more extra parts in the toolbox.

Thanks again for the help, let you know how the next trip (school starts Monday so I'm shooting for then) goes.

[garbubba]

Ran out about 35 miles one way today, no troubles whatsoever. No fish to speak of either though, just sharks.

Must have been that glass fuel filter - it's going in the trash!

Thanks again for your assistance.