Fuel tank issues

[kevin G]

Hello all,
I have. 1990 Catalina 34 that stalled on me recently just outside Deep Bay. I have changed the fuel filters and pump and had issues with priming the pump. I disconnected the supply hose at the filter end but couldn’t get any flow. The tank was down about 2 1/2 gallons at this point. I then started to add more fuel after I had added 10 litres I started to get flow. Does anybody know why this might be. My tank is full.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

I disconnected the supply hose at the filter end but couldn’t get any flow.

one likely cause of that would be a clogged pick-up tube screen in the tank. If you haven’t already cleaned it, it’s probably a good place to start.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Fuel Starvation and The Obscure Check Ball Valve
Fuel Starvation and The Obscure Check Ball Valve

 

[kevin G]

Thanks for your help gentlemen. I will check the screen in the tank.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Did you run the fuel pump?

 

[kevin G]

The new pump is running fine. Made a 2 1/2 hr relocation move with no issues

 

[Stu Jackson]

kevin, I recommend you do some more poking around our C34 website and the fortum and the tech wiki. This is a good start:
CRITICAL UPGRADES - DO THESE OR ELSE!!!

 

[chp]

Might be that your fuel pickup is short. Found mine I think was cut down and sits about an inch and half from the bottom of the tank. Its a fairly flat tank so same as yours at about 2-3 gallons it start sucking air.

 

[JoeWhite]

An earlier poster located a pinhole on pickup tube a few inches below the upper end. As long as the fuel is above this pinhole it worked ok, but not when the fuel fell below the pinhole.

 

[jssailem]

Might be that your fuel pickup is short. Found mine I think was cut down and sits about an inch and half from the bottom of the tank.

This is not an anomaly