# Water/Scum in fuel tank



## SHO-NUFF (May 30, 2011)

Got an Old 90 Model Proline 19 foot center console.
The boat had sat up for about 5 years. I pumped out all the old gas I could via the fuel pick up tube, and estimated about 10 gallons left of the old gas. Replaced the fuel lines from tank to motor and installed a raycor type seperator with the clear bowl and drain. Filled the tank with non ethanol gas, {54 gallons in an advertised 69 gal tank size}, and added sea foam and staybil treatment. 
It ran well, and no water to mention in the seperator. Have topped off tank twice with a total of about 30 gallons of fuel. I thought problem was solved.

Was out Saturday in the bay with a rough chop, and now I am getting a bunch of water and trash in the seperator. I drained the seperator in a plastic bottle, and ran for awhile. Water and crud again when I got back to the ramp. 
I think the boat has a long and shallow tank, unsure measurements.
I plan on running the tank low or empty and taking a portable tank to get home on. I can pull the sending unit out. But it looks like it is in the center of the tank, and not much room to really clean the tank out. Is there a "Magic" additive out there to de scale/scum the tank? I do have a large air commpressor so I might be able to air dry it. Not worried about the scum as much as the water. The tank is built in the floor,so pulling it out is not an option.
Thanks for any help


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

Pumping the tank from the pickup tube is where you made the mistake. The pickup tube sets above the bottom of the tank. the only way to get all the crap out is to take the fuel level sending unit plate off and get a fuel pump, raise the bow of the boat to make the tank slope backwards and pump across the back of the tank from left to right to get ALL of the crap out. Then keep the tank full after every use so no moisture forms from condensation. (Some disagree with the full tank theory).:whistling:


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

Before you pull the sending unit out of the tank.....Clean around it real good and use a Sharpie Marker to put a witness mark on sender and tank. This will help in realigning the sender much faster.

The tank has baffles in it. Try moving the pick up hose to the extreme bottom side to get it past the baffle and all the way to the back of the tank.


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

You can make your own fuel polishing kit. Get a fuel water seperator or use the one you have. Buy a 12v $35.00 auto fuel pump made for a carburated engine and fuel line. You can mount the water seperator and fuel pump on a board. Pull the sending unit and put the fuel line into the tank at the lowest point and pump the fuel thru the water seperator and back into the tank. You can take off and put your primer bulb ahead of the fuel pump for quick priming. It works great.


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## BullyARed (Jun 21, 2011)

Ocean Master said:


> You can make your own fuel polishing kit. Get a fuel water seperator or use the one you have. Buy a 12v $35.00 auto fuel pump made for a carburated engine and fuel line. You can mount the water seperator and fuel pump on a board. Pull the sending unit and put the fuel line into the tank at the lowest point and pump the fuel thru the water seperator and back into the tank. You can take off and put your primer bulb ahead of the fuel pump for quick priming. It works great.


Great idea! Thanks! I need to do the same on my boat. I will use the manual pump that I got at Habor Freight.


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

Even better is one of these.

It is a fuel Filter/Funnel.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...01&storeId=11151&partNumber=1933233&langId=-1


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## SHO-NUFF (May 30, 2011)

Thanks for all the feedback!


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## SHO-NUFF (May 30, 2011)

Sorry for the late reply, but have been down in the back. 

OCEAN MASTER : Used a 12 volt fuel pump wire to a battery with alligator clips, a spare filter base and 10 micron filter with drain. Mounted it on scrap plywood, and fashioned a suction wand out of a 5/16 brake line. 
Pulled sending unit on front of tank, tilted the boat towards the bow, and sucked out a bunch of crud and water. I did not use a filter for this, intending to throw away the first 5 gallons or so. Big No-No. The pump locked up from the trash! Unlocked pump and put the filter back in the loop and drained as needed. Used a LED gun bore light to inspect the tank. It looked nice and clean with no more trash. Tilted boat towards the stern, and bow a few times to move any stuff past the tank baffles. 

X-SHARK: Per your advice, I picked up the Filter/Funnel at West. It has a 100 micron filter and a good flow rate. You can fill the funnel with water and nothing flows out the bottom. It being a stainless steel filter, it will last forever also. Im impressed!

I continued to pump fuel from the tank, adding it back to the tank thru the funnel/filter via the tank fill. The pump is rated for about 100 GPH/HR. I circulated the fuel [60 gal] for about 4 hours, thus "polishing" the fuel. No water or crud to be found! 

I spent about $100 bucks on the setup, but saved over $200 cost in new fuel, and can polish the fuel as needed in the future. 
I will be more than happy to loan this setup to PFF members, you providing your own seperator filter. Just bring it back, don't make me come look for it is all I ask! 

Thanks again to all on this forum! It makes boat owner ship and fishing more of a pleasure for us all.


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

Was looking at pics of your boat in your other thread about bow rails. Is that your tank vent on the right side, in the middle?
How much crud/water did you end up pumping out?


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

I'm glad it worked for you. I also have one made up to lend out if someone needs it. The funnel filter also works great but you can't use it at the marina. Even though I have never used ethanol fuel I tried to use the filter funnel at the marina and I couldn't get the fuel to flow slow enough. The fuel splashed everywhere..!!!


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## SHO-NUFF (May 30, 2011)

Kanaka,
Yes, thats the Vent. Sure looks low don"t it? I thought about water intrusion while underway also. But thats were it has been sence 1990 when the boat was built. 

The vent has 2 holes, wish it only had 1 hole I could point towards the stern of the boat. As of now, one hole is down and one towards the stern. The vent screens are in place and in good shape. 
I did replace the vent and filler hoses. I put a loop in the vent hose that goes about 7 inches above the vent. 
I got about 2 gallons of water and trash out of the tank. Considering the boat sat for 7 years outside unused, I don"t feel that was too bad for a 69 gallon Tank. I also found the o- ring on the fuel cap was missing, and the fillter neck has a spash deflector on it that will hold water when it rains, or allow it in the tank without the o-ring seal.
If I have problems again, I will relocate the vent just under the rub rail. I might look for a single hole vent and do it anyway!
Thanks,
Paul


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

> I also found the o- ring on the fuel cap was missing,



DING --DING -- DING ! We have a winner. I think you found the source. The vent with the loop will be fine.

If it makes you feel any better, you could install a Stainless Clam Shell scoop over it to protect the spray, but I don't think it will be necessary.


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

When you said you had water in the tank after a trip in the bay, it was a rough chop and I saw that vent, well alarms started going off. On other boating forums, I'd say 50% of water intrusion problems posted were from those vents because of "wet" riding boats.
However, all the stuff that you fixed in that area, was it AFTER the water problem/trip in the bay? (I hope)


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## SHO-NUFF (May 30, 2011)

Problems were, or I hope fixed after the rough bay trip. We were at the Garcon point bridge and the wind really picked up. It was too rough to plane the boat, so I eased back with the bow high to the 3 mile bridge. With the fuel pickup being at the rear of the tank, I picked up the trash and water. When I pulled the sending unit located at the extreme front of the tank with the bow tilted down, the water and orange looking crud that was in the fuel seperator were visible in the bottom of the tank. After cleaning and polishing the fuel, the bottom of the tank is now as shiny as the inside of an aluminum can. So hopefully, I have mitigated the problem. 

One thing I did learn.. The older carburated OMC Loopers I ran in the past must of been very forgiving when I came to water. I never had a problem and just changed the filter once a year. The carbs had huge main jets and were simple in design. Hard to foul with water. The 115 Yamaha I am running now does not like water at all! The jets and passages have some super tiny holes in them, thus they are not a forgiving.
I will see how it does this weekend, and feel it will do well.


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

:thumbsup: Good luck! :thumbsup:


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