Fuel Problem

[genesis08]

Thanks Spareparts,Thats a good sugestion.I will try that the next day I get out.Weather here has been crapfor the last few weeks,Rain,Rain,Rain.I think I need to move back to the states.Anyway I am still trying to figure out why there was an electric pump fitted aswell to the boat when I got it?

Regards Brian

[Hammerhead]

I hava inline 6 w/o any external pump and it runs fine. It did duffer from a starvation issue but, went away when I got rid of the anti-siphon check valve. ( Those little steel balls in the fuel line inside the tanks ).

By all means,..check with others if t's OK to do that. Local boat mech said it was OK.

Hope it helps.

[turbinedoctor]

I have a Merc 90 inline 6 with out an external fuel pump, it ran fine for three years until the other day when it died on me. I was not related to not haveing an external fuel pump though.

Did yours run ok with the external pump?
Is you internal pump working ok?

Turbo

[genesis08]

Yes ,engine pump is working fine and yes the last time,when the electric pump was fitted, it was ok.I have not used the boat in a couple of years.What are these steel balls in the tank that Hammerhead is on about?Are they in the siphon pipe?If so they would be restricting the fuel and thats why an electric pump was fitted what do you think?By the way the weather is bad here for the last week so I have not been out to the boat since the last trip.

P.s please look at the photo that I have uploaded of the pump.

Regards Brian.......

[RidgeRunner]

I had a pump like that on a airboat. Nice little lift pump, low pressure,not real noisy. The existence of one on a outboard probably indicates there was a problem at some point.
The steel ball is in the check valve either installed onto the pickup, or is built into the pickup tube on most permanent fuel tanks. Portable tanks don't have them. I refer to it as the fuel flow preventer. Not sure if it is ok to remove them, there may be an unforseen consequence but I can't fathom the need on a outboard with a primer ball. Maybe it is more critical with I/O's? They do foul up from time to time.
Primer balls have been known to fail. Just recently I had one fail on the flats boat. It would idle for a while without a problem but as soon as you tried to plane it would start to die. The only way to keep it running was to pump the primer ball. Removed the fuel pump, no problem internally. Tested the motor on the trailer in gear at 2000 RPM but he ball didn't feel right it would never get firm. Nine dollars later the problem was fixed.
I just read you haven't had the boat out in a couple years. You may need to give the entire fuel system a good once over. Pull a fuel sample and see what you have. If you layed it up right you might be ok. Fuel system problems are at an all time high. Hope it helps. Hope the weather improves too..

[genesis08]

Thanks Ridgerunner,I had both tanks out and cleaned a ferw months ago,new fuel lines istalled aswell.My engine is actually an inline six inboard and I am beginning to believe that removing that pump was a mistake!Anybody else got any Ideas?

[spareparts]

if everything is right, you shouldn't need that fuel pump, check the anti siphon valve, and replace the filter element on the mechanical fuel pump(most people don't know they are there)