V21 Fuel Tank Removal - questions

[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!

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by 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.

Well, you can feel the obstruction move and stop blocking the air or fuel flow. But truthfully you cannot feel it blow back into the tank, you can just feel it move enough to clear the flow. If it's in your vent line and right near the top the vent cover could hold it in place enough so it wouldn't blow out and over time it could get sucked back in again. I realize we're grasping at straws here, but I'd make 100% sure it wasn't the vent line before I started pulling and cutting stuff apart.

[SkunkBoat]

I'm not familiar with that setup. Mine has a pickup in the stern end of tank. It is a hard plastic tube reaching just short of the bottom of tank.

Your tube lays on the bottom of tank reaching all the way to the back? There are no baffles in the tank? Could the tube be sucking up against a wall randomly?

I know you can't test it because it is intermittent but if it were happening, opening the fuel filler cap would rule out the vent...with a big sucking sound...

you said the primer ball sucks in... like a deflated football? Brady-Belichek syndrome...move to New England, it will be fine....

[Blue_Runner]

IF it were the vent then just disconnecting the fuel line from the h2o sep would clear it up, no? Blowing the line out back into the tank "fixes" it. If it were the vent that should not fix it.......

Yea Skunk not your typical pickup tube for sure. It isn't sucking up against the side. I think that would be fairly obvious when I blow back through the fuel line. I have to blow pretty hard to clear it. Either it is collapsing or full of crud or both. This really blows....pun intended.

If I cut around the outline I think I'd need to add a lip around the edge to support the "hatch cover" when I put it back, right?

I can cut the deck, get the tank out and clean this piss out of it. I'm just not that up to speed on the glassing/epoxy aspect of putting it back. And I don't want to paint the deck. I like my original deck. :sigh:

I've been living with this for years. My biggest fear is it happening heading out a rough inlet or in between the rock jetties. Not a good situation. I check the ball before heading into those situations and keep a flat head screwdriver handy to disconnect the line for the blowing procedure JIC.

What I need is one of those cameras with a light that the doc runs down your throat to get inside that tank and look around!!!!!!!

p.s. could Tom Brady be hiding in my tank?

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by Blue_Runner

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.

Can you buy something like one of those trash pump suction hose strainers that screens out large debris? Something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-1-2-Steel-...YAAOSwll1Wz0AB Seems to me that even if one side gets blocked with whatever, the rest will still let gas flow. Kinda like the small filters they put on the ends of fuel lines lying inside the tanks in 2 cycle chain saws, weed eaters etc.

[phatdaddy]

sounds like the little spring is important.

[Blue_Runner]

I thought the same thing Phat which is why I tried and tried to get the spring back in there. However, the issue was happening well before I ever removed the spring. Also, like I said the pickup is rigid enough I do not see how it could collapse.

I'd buy a new pickup with a spring in it...........if I knew where the heck to find this type of pickup tube. Land of Misfit Pickup Tube Store?