[Fitz]

This is an update.

After unsuccessfully searching long and hard for plastic saddle tanks that would fit into my existing tank spaces, I decided to order new aluminum tanks from speedytanks.com. However, I wasn't able to place an order without giving speedytanks.com the exact locations of the fill and vent tubes, so I took the day off today and drove down the shore to get that info.

While taking those additional measurements, I decided to unscrew the elbows from the tops of the pickup tubes and run a stiff wire down the length of them to see if I could determine the nature and location of the (expected) deterioration. Surprisingly, underneath each elbow, at the top of each tube, I found a very fine-mesh filter, about 2" in length. I previously thought the tubes themselves were clogged, but the clogs were actually in the filters.

I pulled the filters and ran the wire down each tube. I could not feel any blockage, irregularity, or deterioration at all in either tube. I then pulled the fuel gauge senders and inserted a small flashlight into each tank. I was able to see about 90% of the length of each pickup tube (the rest was obscured by the baffles), and they both looked perfect. The tanks also looked remarkably clean.

As a result of that inspection, I now believe that those clogged filters have been causing my fuel starvation problems, not any pickup tube deterioration. Accordingly, I removed the tube filters and re-installed the tanks. My boat has a large, in-line OMC filter and also the internal engine fuel filter, so I'm not worried about sucking up any sludge.

Looking under those elbows may have saved a good deal of time, work, and money. I hope to splash the boat this weekend, so I'll let you know if my new assumption is correct. Thanks again for all the advice and info.