V21 Fuel Tank Removal - questions

[phatdaddy]

U sure the vent line to the tank is clear.

If you have to cut the deck, your gonna have to put cleats under the lip of the cut and reseal the old deck back in place. Should be glassed and the the deck repainted. I'd use a skill saw set 1/4 inch deeper than the deck.

[Blue_Runner]

Skill saw set to appropriate depth - can do that I think, my only concern was/is if enough clearance right there where the seat boxes are. It is right at 1.5 inches and I'm trying to stay in wellcrafts "cut here" lines, because I do not want to repaint my deck. Also would need to jigsaw the corners as not to overshoot the corners.

Cleats under lip, care to elaborate? Glass in some type of tabs from the underside? If it were beefy enough from the underside could I not just bed it in on the tabs with epoxy then 4200 or 5200 in wellcraft's "cut here" lines kinda like a removeable hatch cover?

This sux. Why the he!! isn't there a removeable hatch cover. !?#^@%$!

[bradford]

I would second what Phat said about the vent line. Would really suck to cut the deck, do all that work, and have the same thing happen again. Try to see if you can get it to "run down hill" to the tank with as few dips as possible. I know that will be hard without direct access to the tank. They say you should have a loop in it towards the vent, but I disagree, the loop traps fuel when you top her off and helps cause all the gurgling when you fill up and then sprays you in the face. I remember you saying a few years ago about fueling up and telling everyone "Shut the F^&H up!!!", Def know what you mean.

If it still doesn't work it's probably the plastic foil seal off a jug of 2 stroke oil getting sucked into the pick up.

Wellcraft didn't put a hatch in because they were being cheapasses.

[SkunkBoat]

Make sure the hose barb is not an anti-siphon type...they are crap.
You are sure the primer bulb is good and mounted correctly with arrow pointed up at motor?

The very last thing I would do is cut the deck. I doubt the tank is the problem.

Try cutting the pickup tube 1 inch. I can't imagine there being anything that big in there.


Oh, I had a problem with new tubing for a primer bulb. It had a clear liner that got pushed into the tubing by the hose barb. It blocked the line enough to prevent me from priming.

[13Echo70271]

Hi Blue,
The fill vent could be a problem, but if you have checked it already,
Does one or both of your round inspection ports/hatches access the fuel sending unit, fill hose and vent hose connections to the tank? In destroyers pics they are all on one end of the tank. My 88 has a plastic tank and the sending unit and fill hoses are at opposite ends of the tank.
I think if I could access them, I would check those fill hoses for rubber crud inside,
Tipp the boat so the sending unit is at the low end, drain the tank, using the boats fuel line or a siphon hose. If you can, use up most of the fuel first.
remove the sending unit and using the sending units opening in the tank inspect and remove any debris. Any debris left could be swabbed out with a small rag tied onto a stick through the sending unit opening. You may find you don't have to remove the tank.
Do NOT use a shop vac to remove debris, as fumes drawn into the vac can ignite(ask me how I know).
If you have to open it up bigger, I would consider cutting two 14" x 14" or so, openings around the current openings for a couple aftermarket floor hatches (ebay). That will give you more working room. Much easier, cheaper, faster with fishing season upon us.
Best of luck,
Tom (13Echo70271)

[Destroyer]

I used a combination of tools to cut the deck. As you can see in the pics several places I went further than the corners with the cuts. Those cuts were made using a circular saw. Then I wised up and started using my multi-tool (http://www.harborfreight.com/power-t...ool-61219.html) to make the cuts into the corners. Much neater without the overcut of using just my circular saw for the cutting.

Yes, the middle round hatch is right over the fuel tank sending unit. Not really sure how much room you would have with them removed or out of the way, but it's not a bad idea to empty the tank as much as possible, remove the fuel lines and sending unit and try with a HAND pump to suck out whatever debris may be in the tank. Orientate the boat so that it's slopping towards the bow so any debris will naturally flow/move towards the pick up sending unit holes.

Finally, are you SURE that your vent line is clear? An insect or something could built a nest in there. I recall somebody in these forums a few years back had a similar problem with their ball collapsing and it turned out to be a mud wasp nest in the vent line. Take a electricians snake and run if from the tank to the vent cover and make sure it's clear before you go into something deeper. K.I.S.S. it first.

[phatdaddy]

Also Blue, where u cut, there will be raw wood. That will have to be sealed

[mawshj]

I do not know if you have the same valve where the hose to the engine hooks to the tank, but on my v20 (1983) that valve is a problem, the screen in it will fill with small (sand size) junk and a slight blow back will clean it. I removed all gas and sopped up all I could with rags thru gauge hole several times. finally got it cleaned up. ok now

[Blue_Runner]

I'm 99.9% sure it is not the vent because when it happens and I blow the fuel line back into the tank I can feel the obstruction and can feel it blow back into the tank.

I pumped the tank but did not do the swabbing with a rag on a stick. I did find some sand sized black specs presumably old fuel line particles but don't see how those would not make their way to the h2o sep and or inline filter?

I did remove the pickup and elbow - it is not anti-siphon. There is no screen on the end of the pickup. Pickup is like a piece of fuel line that lays on the bottom of the tank. Notice the pickup is on the front of the tank - it has to lay on the bottom of the tank to reach the back. When I took it out the pickup had a coiled up spring inside of it. I figured the spring was to 1) serve as a screen to block large debris and 2) keep the pickup from collapsing. I took it out but could not get it back in. The pickup seems rigid enough not to collapse and surely could not have collapsed with the spring inside....unless it was collapsing above the spring near the elbow.

I've been a whole season without this happening before. I have had it happen 3 times in a season. I've had it happen when the tank is full or near empty. I change my fuel water separator once per year and it seems to want to happen more when the fuel water separator is near needing replacement. However it was just replaced so there goes that theory.

We rode all the way out on Saturday 65 miles and it did not happen. Trolled all day and did not happen, then it happened on the way back to the hill and the weather had unexpectedly turned to sh!t - bad timing.

Thanks fellas. I really don't know what to do!