Fuel Tank pickup tube

Ward H · Apr 11, 2019

Does one have a shut off valve on it? My 93 C30 has one on the supply side.
Sounds like you've done some good maintenance on your engine.

Calif. Ted · Apr 11, 2019

Ward H said:
Does one have a shut off valve on it? My 93 C30 has one on the supply side.
Sounds like you've done some good maintenance on your engine.

Yep, Ward hit it, they usually think to make it the one you can reach, even if it requires standing on your head thru the aft lazzerette lid. I mark mine "off>>>>>on" with a silver sharpie for those times when you wonder if you remembered to open after the last filter change.

Tom J · Apr 11, 2019

SBinNSB said:
Can anyone tell me which tank fitting has the pickup tube...I know one is the return and one the the supply....I am hoping it is the on I can reach on the port side. I am trying to track down a fuel delivery issue and it is looking like the tank may be the problem.
Fuel pump, filters, and oil pressure switch are all new as part of the winter task list.
Unrelated but also changed the heat exchanger and most hoses as part of the long overdue maintainance list this winter.

Thanks

Both the supply and return are side by side on my boat. They are on the starboard side, though, and I can reach both of them by leaning a ways into the starboard quarter seat hatch, and they both have shutoff valves. When I am doing maintenance on the fuel system, I just shut both of them off.
I have to be careful when motorsailing on a starboard tack. Too much heel to port, and the engine dies (ask me how I know this!).

marchem · Apr 11, 2019

SBinNSB said:
The 310 has a valve on the return and supply line...I am guessing it will be the one closer to the center of the tank

Unfortunately, it probably depends on what tank CY did used when they built your boat. Ours (#31) has the pickup on the starboard side (with a valve) and the return on port (no valve). I'm pretty certain our tank isn't the same used on later C310s.

Claude L.-Auger · Apr 12, 2019

Here's a suggestion: attach a small bell to the supply line near the inlet of the fuel filter, then go to the tank and jiggle the lines. The one that does not ring the bell is the return line. You can then mark them ! If no bell available, take an empty beer can, throw some coins or screws in it, it will rattle when the line is jiggled. Good luck

jssailem · Apr 12, 2019

Claude L.-Auger said:
it will rattle when the line is jiggled. Good luck

Necessity is the mother of invention. I particularly enjoyed the application of an empty beer can.

That would need to be from a Light Beer?

DaveJ · Apr 12, 2019

Light beer, oh, a visual indicator as well.......
Cheers
dj

SimiSAilor · Apr 13, 2019

Both the pick up and supply have a pick up tube. I just replaced the tank and both the old and the new tank came from Ezell with both tubes installed. Most of us have the 27 gallon tank. Here is the spec sheet from CD. This is the exact tank for hull 164.
Good luck.
Jeff

marchem · Apr 13, 2019

SimiSAilor said:
Both the pick up and supply have a pick up tube. I just replaced the tank and both the old and the new tank came from Ezell with both tubes installed. Most of us have the 27 gallon tank. Here is the spec sheet from CD. This is the exact tank for hull 164.
Good luck.
Jeff

The brochure and owners manual I’ve got copies of show a 20 or 27 gallon tank. Must have changed it fairly early in the production run. The extra volume would be nice for long motoring runs, but if you don’t use the engine very much it would take forever to use up the diesel in the bigger tank. Just one more compromise, I guess...

seadaddler · Apr 13, 2019

I just emptied my tank and yes the pickup tube would get blocked but than clear up.
What was happening was I had sludge in bottom and when the boat got shaken around the sludge would break loose and clog the pickup tube and than unclear.
I emptied the whole tank and found a lot of sludge on the bottom but got it all out and now everything is running good.
Nick

JK_Boston_Catalina310 · Apr 14, 2019

Next time it acts up, open the tank fill deck plate and see if the issue goes away.

It could be a clogged or collapsed vent. We are having an intermittent issue. I emptied the tank and put a shop vac in through the sender hole. Didn't find anything. Even put a rag down on a stick and it came back clean and dry. Still having the issue.

Last time I filled the tank I couldn't hear anything from the vent. So we ordered all new hose and a new vent. Our fuel hose is original too so we are going to replace that as well. I plan to move the fuel filter from under the stairs and change to a Racor 500.

seadaddler · Apr 14, 2019

I emptied my wholesale k into jugs and used one of those snake camera’s and that’s when saw the gunk in the back of my tank.
Used a shop vac to get gunk out with hose on end of the shop vac no fuel in tank.

jssailem · Apr 14, 2019

That looks like a clam from the black lagoon crawled into your fuel tank and grew.

seadaddler · Apr 14, 2019

Yes I have not touched the fuel since the boat was new and never had any fuel ever and I
guess I was due and as I said I pumped out all my fuel and than used the fuel gauge sending unit
and used my shop vac with smaller taped on the shop vac to suck everything out.
I used a snake camera with a long snake camera to see all parts of my tank and did really clean tank and did remove the screen on the pickup tube.
So my Racor 500 is looking good and drain the bottom for any water more often and just did a 3 week cruise up the west coast and the engine ran great.
Nick

marchem · Apr 19, 2019

There’s a different thread on this forum about a series of technical notes from Mainsheet Magazine. I was just reading one from 2005 and came across some good information about the fuel tanks written by Bill Lewis, C310 Assn. Technical Editor at that time:

"A few relevant facts about the C310 and the M-25XPB engine: 1) the fuel tank is mounted athwart ship at the stern and is slightly higher than the engine, 2) the fuel supply and return lines are attached to down tubes that protrude in to the tank to within 1/2" of the bottom (Hull 54 and newer), 3) the supply down tube is mounted toward the starboard end of the tank and the return tube is mounted closer to the centerline of the tank..."

He and Catalina recommended swapping the lines, so the supply draws closer to the centerline. This was in response to a problem of the engine stalling out when heeled more than 20 degrees on starboard tack with a tank less than half full.

So that explains the difference in fuel tanks between early and late boats. Probably has no bearing on Scott's problem, but good information for those of you with hulls after #53.

Fuel Tank pickup tube

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