I have a 1996 29.5. The past three trips out the engine has died. RPMs just suddenly dropped. Once I was able to bleed it to get it started and back into the slip. The second time, I had to remove the hose running from the fuel tank to the first fuel filter. There was no fuel in the line so I used a turkey baster to get the fuel flowing and got back into the slip. Since then I have replaced both fuel filters. I also has had the fuel filtered by a company that comes to your boat and sucks out the fuel and cleans it and puts it back in, and the pick up tube cleaned. Since then I have ran the engine in the slip (in forward @ 2600 rpms for 40 minutes) the engine did not sputter once. The bad news is that the man who cleaned the fuel said the tank was so dirty it (slime up the sides) that he recommends buying a new one fuel tank instead of cleaning this one. Question is...does this sound reasonable and has anyone replaced the fuel tank in a 29.5 and just how difficult is it? Could it possibly be anything else besides dirty tank? Also, I can get the tank from Hunter Marine but it will take 4 weeks to get it. Thanks for any opinions. Jane p.s. I know, I know...biocides. Any recommended brands?
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Bill Murray
piece of cake
I have taken the tank out of my 29.5 and put it back in. It is pretty easy! You probably do not need to replace the tank - just cleaning it out will fix it properly. The 29.5 has a screen on the bottom of the fuel pickup tube. Mine was plugged with solder or epoxy from when it was installed. The hole was so small that any crud in the tank caused it to plug up and then the engine would die from fuel starvation. It was amazing that it would idle forever but would quickly run out of fuel at high RPMs. To remove the tank from the boat, do the following .... 1) Pump all the fuel out of the tank. I pumped out through the fill opening. 2. Remove the access panel at the aft end of the aft berth. It is held in with several screws. When they are all removed it comes out easily and exposes the whole aft tankage area. Waste is on the starboard side, fuel is on the port side. 3. Remove the vent, the fill, and the two fuel lines (one goes to the engine, one returns from the engine. Cut the strapping material that holds the tank in position. 4. Slide the tank out of its space. It can easily be brought out of the boat's interior so you can work on it on shore. 5. Clean out the tank. Be sure to do a really good job. 6. Re-install tank in original position. I replaced strapping with good quality webbing tiedowns with ratchet tensioners. 7. Reinstall all the plumbing. BE SURE TO remove the screening from the end of the pickup tube. It is not needed and is what causes most of the troubles mentioned on this site. 8. Put in clean fuel. Only put in clean fuel! Do not put the fuel you took out of the tank back in unless you pay someone to properly clean it first! (Give the old fuel to someone who has a diesel car or truck.) For the rest of your life be a zealot about keeping only clean fuel in your tanks. You may never need to do this again. Good Sailing Bill Murray Good Faith 1995 H29.5 #175
I have taken the tank out of my 29.5 and put it back in. It is pretty easy! You probably do not need to replace the tank - just cleaning it out will fix it properly. The 29.5 has a screen on the bottom of the fuel pickup tube. Mine was plugged with solder or epoxy from when it was installed. The hole was so small that any crud in the tank caused it to plug up and then the engine would die from fuel starvation. It was amazing that it would idle forever but would quickly run out of fuel at high RPMs. To remove the tank from the boat, do the following .... 1) Pump all the fuel out of the tank. I pumped out through the fill opening. 2. Remove the access panel at the aft end of the aft berth. It is held in with several screws. When they are all removed it comes out easily and exposes the whole aft tankage area. Waste is on the starboard side, fuel is on the port side. 3. Remove the vent, the fill, and the two fuel lines (one goes to the engine, one returns from the engine. Cut the strapping material that holds the tank in position. 4. Slide the tank out of its space. It can easily be brought out of the boat's interior so you can work on it on shore. 5. Clean out the tank. Be sure to do a really good job. 6. Re-install tank in original position. I replaced strapping with good quality webbing tiedowns with ratchet tensioners. 7. Reinstall all the plumbing. BE SURE TO remove the screening from the end of the pickup tube. It is not needed and is what causes most of the troubles mentioned on this site. 8. Put in clean fuel. Only put in clean fuel! Do not put the fuel you took out of the tank back in unless you pay someone to properly clean it first! (Give the old fuel to someone who has a diesel car or truck.) For the rest of your life be a zealot about keeping only clean fuel in your tanks. You may never need to do this again. Good Sailing Bill Murray Good Faith 1995 H29.5 #175
Something to try.
Jane: Assuming that all the sludge is out of the bottom of the tank I would suggest you try this. There is a product on the market that is known as Soy Diesel or Bio Diesel. You may want to try running a mixture of this product in you engine. I would suggest that you run at least a 50/50 mixture in your case. Higher if you want. This will clean out your tank and cuts down on smoke too. http://www.cytoculture.com/Bdiesel.html
Jane: Assuming that all the sludge is out of the bottom of the tank I would suggest you try this. There is a product on the market that is known as Soy Diesel or Bio Diesel. You may want to try running a mixture of this product in you engine. I would suggest that you run at least a 50/50 mixture in your case. Higher if you want. This will clean out your tank and cuts down on smoke too. http://www.cytoculture.com/Bdiesel.html
J
Jane
Bill M. question
What did you use to clean the tank? Chemicals? How did you access the inside of the tank? via the openings for the hoses? Is there any special requirement for reinstalling the pick up tube to reseal it? like caulking? My 29.5 has an access panel held with sliding bolts. It does not extend the entire length of the aft berth (unless I can remove the entire bulkhead). I was thinking I could raise it up via the port cockpit locker. Thank you for the great advice and the encouragement. jane
What did you use to clean the tank? Chemicals? How did you access the inside of the tank? via the openings for the hoses? Is there any special requirement for reinstalling the pick up tube to reseal it? like caulking? My 29.5 has an access panel held with sliding bolts. It does not extend the entire length of the aft berth (unless I can remove the entire bulkhead). I was thinking I could raise it up via the port cockpit locker. Thank you for the great advice and the encouragement. jane
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Bill Murray
answers .....
Glad to help out. It really was about as easy as it sounds. Regarding your questions ... ??? What did you use to clean the tank? Chemicals? Answer - My boat was only one year old so I had limited crud and sludge so I swished it out with diesel until all the gook was gone. My biggest problem seemed to be from chips and drill shavings from when the assembled the tank! I used a long swab to clean up as best I could once the cleaning was done. ??? How did you access the inside of the tank? via the openings for the hoses? Answer - Some on this site have installed inspection ports. I can not remember if ours has one to start with other than the hole the sending unit for the fuel guage fits into. As I recall, I removed that and used it as a smallish inspection port. I wanted to avoid cutting any new holes. ??? Is there any special requirement for reinstalling the pick up tube to reseal it? like caulking? Answer -- I do not think I had to use caulking for anything - just simple reassembly of plumbing fittings. ??? My 29.5 has an access panel held with sliding bolts. It does not extend the entire length of the aft berth (unless I can remove the entire bulkhead). I was thinking I could raise it up via the port cockpit locker??? Answer - mine is the same but attaches with screws. Withg the center panel out there is enough room to twist the tank and slide it to the center to get it out. It won't come out through the gull wing locker. The locker has a floor and a smallish inspection hole. The hole did not even match up with the pickup tube. In fact it wasn't until I removed it all that I discovered a shut off valve on the pickup which was hidden from view by the locker flooring. In summary, I thought that everything was very straight forward and required basic mechanical skills. Lots of working in close quarters with poor ventilation but -- heck -- it is a boat! Good Luck let me know if you have more questions. Bill Murray Good Faith 1995 H29.5 # 175
Glad to help out. It really was about as easy as it sounds. Regarding your questions ... ??? What did you use to clean the tank? Chemicals? Answer - My boat was only one year old so I had limited crud and sludge so I swished it out with diesel until all the gook was gone. My biggest problem seemed to be from chips and drill shavings from when the assembled the tank! I used a long swab to clean up as best I could once the cleaning was done. ??? How did you access the inside of the tank? via the openings for the hoses? Answer - Some on this site have installed inspection ports. I can not remember if ours has one to start with other than the hole the sending unit for the fuel guage fits into. As I recall, I removed that and used it as a smallish inspection port. I wanted to avoid cutting any new holes. ??? Is there any special requirement for reinstalling the pick up tube to reseal it? like caulking? Answer -- I do not think I had to use caulking for anything - just simple reassembly of plumbing fittings. ??? My 29.5 has an access panel held with sliding bolts. It does not extend the entire length of the aft berth (unless I can remove the entire bulkhead). I was thinking I could raise it up via the port cockpit locker??? Answer - mine is the same but attaches with screws. Withg the center panel out there is enough room to twist the tank and slide it to the center to get it out. It won't come out through the gull wing locker. The locker has a floor and a smallish inspection hole. The hole did not even match up with the pickup tube. In fact it wasn't until I removed it all that I discovered a shut off valve on the pickup which was hidden from view by the locker flooring. In summary, I thought that everything was very straight forward and required basic mechanical skills. Lots of working in close quarters with poor ventilation but -- heck -- it is a boat! Good Luck let me know if you have more questions. Bill Murray Good Faith 1995 H29.5 # 175
J
Jane
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