bad fuel?

[Chris Patterson]

I'm going to guess it's salsa.

I'm going to go out on a limb here, at the risk of agitating some and say: when you get through emptying the hardware bin into it, spend several hundred bucks at a cleaning system, and buy out the grocery store at all the home remedies you can think of; here is what I'd do from somebody that has done this personally many times.
#1- Throw away the plastic jug.
#2-Dispose of the minute amount of fuel that is already in the tank.
#3-Pour the carburetor dip cleaner in your tank, and then pump it out.
#4-Use clean fresh fuel from now on, and don't worry it.

 

[Steve Dion]

John:

I also forgot to mention that you should change the o-ring on your fuel cap. This is often a good place for water to enter your system.

 

[zeehag]

jerry jugs can save you ion a pinch situation. just clean em. clean em well so no more algae. use bio bor religiously. smooth sailing.

 

[RAD]

this may be of help
http://www.seabuilt.com/index.php

 

[stephen Penny]

In the event you want to polish it, contact Nathan Johnson with Marine Lube at 510-882-3402 in the east bay. He polished 4-100 gallon diesel tanks and replaced all primary fuel filters on a boat I recently purchased.

 

[Witzend]

A forgotten source of water in the fuel is the tank vent. Check to make sure it has a loop in the design, and the vent can not be below the water line when severely heeled. Then pull the line and see what comes out. I put a tee in my vent line with a glass bottle attached, it acts as a trap and I can also easily see if there has been any intrusion.
Also, watch your hose angle when you wash your boat, you can accidentally force water up into the vent.

 

[Me and Boo]

Considering the cost of the plastic diesel containers I would buy a new one and make that the waste fuel can. Which is exactly what I did. Whenever I am draining or bleeding the fuel system it goes in the waste can for proper disposal. The new can is only used for fresh fuel.

 

[John R]

A couple of things:
First, there is algae in the fuel can and in the fuel tank of the boat. Maybe it's from separate causes, but I'm assuming that there was algae in the fuel can before and that's how it got into the boat's fuel tank.

On the vent: On the Catalina 36, the tank is vented through a little hole in one of the stanchions, so that's well above the water line. Nevertheless, water definitely could get into the tank through there, and we've had quite a bit of rain recently. Putting a loop in the vent hose makes a lot of sense.

I do use biobor religiously. Maybe I didn't use enough. Anyway, to make sure the problem doesn't get worse before I get rid of the fuel, I got some Biotect, mixed that with a little fuel and put it in the tank. Then I rocked the boat back and forth (pulled on a spare halyard from the dock) to mix the fuel in.

By the way, I'm assuming that the algae will eventually clog up the filter, preventing the fuel from getting to the engine. Is that right? Will it also gum up the injectors?

 

[Chris Patterson]

Yes and no. Yes it will eventually clog the filter, as with anytime you stir up "rubbish" in the tank, that's the first line of defense.
But on the injectors, the answer should be no. PROVIDING you have a good filter. In my time I've had the occasion to change out hundreds of fuel filters, and only rarely have I seen the injectors bite the bullet. Even then, the filters looked like they had been rolled through 40 miles of mud, and was essentially rotten. Fuel filters can tend to be resilient. If your going to run it "as is", pour a hefty shot of Power Service in it, put a couple spare filters on board and go.
Bear in mind that the filter Gods hate you. It will clog/fail at the very worse imaginable time. Heavy seas, docking, trying to impress that new girlfriend, etc..

 

[RAD]

How much fuel is in the tank 100 maybe 150 dollars worth......its not worth leaving that stuff in there cause it will continue to annoy you even when you kill it with a biocide the stuff left over will clog your filters.....Ive seen a few power boats on my dock that got the bug and because they had so much fuel they tried to kill it and keep changing filters it was like pissing up a rope.....save yourself a lot of time and trouble and suck out what ever fuel you have,clean the tank and start fresh

 

[jibes138]

I had to empty my tank this year due to a leaking tank, and had about 25 gallons. A power boat at the dock is a diesel and I gave him the fuel so he could run it through a water separating filter and use it in his boat. Because of the high rate of fuel consumption he threw 5 gallons at a time in each fill up and it was a good way to get rid of the fuel. He was happy to save the hundred bucks the fuel was worth.

 

[Witzend]

I had to empty my tank this year due to a leaking tank, and had about 25 gallons. A power boat at the dock is a diesel and I gave him the fuel so he could run it through a water separating filter and use it in his boat. Because of the high rate of fuel consumption he threw 5 gallons at a time in each fill up and it was a good way to get rid of the fuel. He was happy to save the hundred bucks the fuel was worth.

How did your tank fail? Mine failed because the idiot designers at Catalina put the tank in a formed hollow which allowed water to collect under the tank without being able to detect it. The AL crevice corroded. One day, fuel in the bilge! Had a helluva time getting the tank out and had to have the corner cut off to get it back in.

 

[Chris Patterson]

How much fuel is in the tank 100 maybe 150 dollars worth......its not worth leaving that stuff in there cause it will continue to annoy you even when you kill it with a biocide the stuff left over will clog your filters.....Ive seen a few power boats on my dock that got the bug and because they had so much fuel they tried to kill it and keep changing filters it was like pissing up a rope.....save yourself a lot of time and trouble and suck out what ever fuel you have,clean the tank and start fresh

Yes yes. Firm advice.

 

[Stu Jackson]

On the vent: On the Catalina 36, the tank is vented through a little hole in one of the stanchions, so that's well above the water line. Nevertheless, water definitely could get into the tank through there, and we've had quite a bit of rain recently. Putting a loop in the vent hose makes a lot of sense.

John, I'm pretty sure your boat and mine are similar and that the only vents that use the holes in the stanchions are the water tank vent(s) and the holding tank vent.

I suggest you check to see if you have a small standard screened vent fitting high on your transom.

I do not think Catlaina ever used a stanchion for a fuel vent.

 

[John R]

Right you are

John, I'm pretty sure your boat and mine are similar and that the only vents that use the holes in the stanchions are the water tank vent(s) and the holding tank vent.

I suggest you check to see if you have a small standard screened vent fitting high on your transom.

I do not think Catlaina ever used a stanchion for a fuel vent.

Yes, you're right, Stu. I was thinking of the vent for the holding tank.

As to the rest -- Okay, I'm convinced. I'll dump the rest of the fuel in there (about 15 gallons). What's the best way? I figure one of those fuel polishing people can suck it out. Is there an easy way to do it myself? Then I'd have to buy a bunch of fuel cans, find a way of disposing of them, etc.

 

[jibes138]

How did your tank fail? Mine failed because the idiot designers at Catalina put the tank in a formed hollow which allowed water to collect under the tank without being able to detect it. The AL crevice corroded. One day, fuel in the bilge! Had a helluva time getting the tank out and had to have the corner cut off to get it back in.

I just pumped it dry and left it there for now. No way to remove it without either cutting it up in the boat, pulling the engine, or doing surgery on the quarterberth fiberglass wall. So I don't know the exact failure mode but I had fuel in the bilge and it was a very slow seepage. After 26 years of use I guess it was some type of corrosion but until I pull it no way to be sure. I also found a fuel hose leaking from deterioration so I replaced the whole mess with all new hoses and added a 12 inches cubed tank that holds about 6 gallons in my cockpit locker. The small tank will keep the fuel fresh, is easy to remove for cleaning, and will give me 20 miles of range or so. I rarely use more than 30 gallons a year so the small tank will be/is great. If I ever pull the engine I will replace the big 30 gallon tank at that time. Inexcusable the boats aren't designed so things can be removed for maintenance without major surgery.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Is there an easy way to do it myself? Then I'd have to buy a bunch of fuel cans, find a way of disposing of them, etc.

$50 is about 10 gallons, right?

You have a fuel pump, right?

On your boat, the fuel pump doesn't run unless either of two things happen: the glow plugs are on or the oil pressure sensor closes (means the engine is running). Just provide separate power to the fuel pump and pump it into two five gallon jugs and bring it to O'Reillys Auto Store, perhaps check first. There's also that Alameda Environmental Station on Kennedy Street across from the old Seapower now Outboard Motor Shop.

Here's a discussion about that silly "sometimes operates" fuel pump (read the links therein, too):

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5078.msg41829.html#msg41829

Good luck, and Happy New Year,

Stu

 

[John R]

thanks, Stu. Yes, on my boat, all I have to do is turn the ignition key past the "on" position and hold it there and it runs the fuel pump. So all I need is somebody to help.

Happy New Year to you, Stu (and everybody else reading this), and thanks again for all your helpfulness.

 

[Stu Jackson]

thanks, Stu. Yes, on my boat, all I have to do is turn the ignition key past the "on" position and hold it there and it runs the fuel pump. So all I need is somebody to help.

John,

Please don't do that. In my link above, one of our members said why not to hold the solenoid for the glow plugs on. It's also not a good idea to hold glow plugs themselves on anyway. Recheck the background in that link's material. Please, just hot wire the fuel pump, nothing else.

Good luck.

 

[John R]

okay. Thanks.