forward fuel tanks
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- aaronbocknek
- Ultimate User
- Posts: 2080
- Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2008 8:19 am
- Location: baltimore, md (alexandria, va and middle river,md) PARKSIDE MARINA
- Commissionpoint
- Active User
- Posts: 1197
- Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2011 11:59 pm
- Location: Diamond Point on Lake George, NY
Scotts look better than mine, but knowing him he cleaned them up when he had those engines out.
Still though mine are decent. Nancy and John ran them dry a long while back, like 8 maybe years. I pumped methanol and gas then gas through the lines and pickups cuz i just didn'tknow. One tank was rather contaminated with water, the other was bone dry. I attribute the water to a loose deck plate. After flushing the contaminated one with methanol and gas I have run to date about 17 gallons of gas through it to the Onan. (Cuz its a tank and will run on whiskey pi$$ if necessary.) Next week I will probably open it up to the Port engine and go 20 miles or so and look at the strainer. (If it doesn't stall from $hit gas first.) I think though, I am past that problem.
All in all, I say if you put a couple gallons in them on the hard and they don't piss gas all over your bilge then see if you can then pump some through the fuel system without letting it get to your engines. An easy way to do this is to uncouple the line in question from the fuel manifold or filter inlet and pump half what you poured in the tank into a can for bench eximanation. make sure if you use the filter inlet you use the inlet on the same side as the tank you are testing, have the crossover vale closed, and all the other tank valves closed. Genset valve closed too if you have one of those.
Rust, water and other impurities in your tank will show themselves.
Good luck.

Still though mine are decent. Nancy and John ran them dry a long while back, like 8 maybe years. I pumped methanol and gas then gas through the lines and pickups cuz i just didn'tknow. One tank was rather contaminated with water, the other was bone dry. I attribute the water to a loose deck plate. After flushing the contaminated one with methanol and gas I have run to date about 17 gallons of gas through it to the Onan. (Cuz its a tank and will run on whiskey pi$$ if necessary.) Next week I will probably open it up to the Port engine and go 20 miles or so and look at the strainer. (If it doesn't stall from $hit gas first.) I think though, I am past that problem.
All in all, I say if you put a couple gallons in them on the hard and they don't piss gas all over your bilge then see if you can then pump some through the fuel system without letting it get to your engines. An easy way to do this is to uncouple the line in question from the fuel manifold or filter inlet and pump half what you poured in the tank into a can for bench eximanation. make sure if you use the filter inlet you use the inlet on the same side as the tank you are testing, have the crossover vale closed, and all the other tank valves closed. Genset valve closed too if you have one of those.
Rust, water and other impurities in your tank will show themselves.
Good luck.
1978 F-32 "Eclipse"
Merc 305 SBC's
1.52:1 Borg Warners
1983 Correct Craft
Commander 351 Ford (PCM)
1:1 Borg Warner
There are 350 different varieties of shark, not counting loan or pool.
Merc 305 SBC's
1.52:1 Borg Warners
1983 Correct Craft
Commander 351 Ford (PCM)
1:1 Borg Warner
There are 350 different varieties of shark, not counting loan or pool.
- daylategeorge
- Registered user
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2012 10:26 pm
- Location: New Gretna,New Jersey
How did you pump the fuel through? Does this boat have an electric fuel pump or mechanical? Sounds like a good way to check but as I dont't yet own the boat I'm not sure the current owner would allow me to do that. Definately something to think about if I end up getting it which barring any unforseen disasters it looks like it's going to happen. Should know something this week.Thanks for the suggestion.Wish me luck...
- Commissionpoint
- Active User
- Posts: 1197
- Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2011 11:59 pm
- Location: Diamond Point on Lake George, NY
Sorry, been out on the water for a few days.
I used a small universal fuel pump I picked up at Carquest. I also bought a handful of fittings so I could be sure that I could thread it onto the fuel line from the tank where it attaches to the fuel manifold. I then attached a small line to the output end of the pump and ran it into a Jerry Can.
Be mindful of fumes and have plenty of ventilation. I ran the blowers while I was pumping so I could keep fresh air circulating while drawing excess fumes away.
I used a small universal fuel pump I picked up at Carquest. I also bought a handful of fittings so I could be sure that I could thread it onto the fuel line from the tank where it attaches to the fuel manifold. I then attached a small line to the output end of the pump and ran it into a Jerry Can.
Be mindful of fumes and have plenty of ventilation. I ran the blowers while I was pumping so I could keep fresh air circulating while drawing excess fumes away.
1978 F-32 "Eclipse"
Merc 305 SBC's
1.52:1 Borg Warners
1983 Correct Craft
Commander 351 Ford (PCM)
1:1 Borg Warner
There are 350 different varieties of shark, not counting loan or pool.
Merc 305 SBC's
1.52:1 Borg Warners
1983 Correct Craft
Commander 351 Ford (PCM)
1:1 Borg Warner
There are 350 different varieties of shark, not counting loan or pool.
- lawyerdave71
- Moderate User
- Posts: 423
- Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2011 8:24 pm
- Location: Chicago, Illinois