Removing fuel pickup tube from tank in an O'Day 28

RBilly

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Jun 18, 2014
24
Oday 28 Midland
Diesel keeps cutting out at cruising rpm (fuel starvation). Can bleed at injection pump to restart.
Changed both filters (Racor/engine filter). Filters weren't that dirty (change annually). Pumped out/replaced 8 gal fuel, replaced all hoses to injection pump, replaced fuel pump.
I'm thinking pick up tube may be obstructed.
Not much room above tank (4 in.) to remove tube to check/clean.
Anyone with an O'Day 28 had this problem? Can p/u tube be removed?
Thanks,
RBilly
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Can p/u tube be removed?
You Betcha... Sawsall, a hammer, screw driver, and a wrench...

Did you find debris in the tank when you removed the fuel? Diesel debris comes in several forms. There are three basic areas of contamination concern – water, inorganic debris (sand, dust, rust), and organic debris (products of fuel breakdown, microbial products and the waste products of fuel deterioration).The easy stuff looks like coffee grounds or water which your filters can remove, mostly. The more insidious stuff is a goo like jelly, “organic debris”. This microbial contamination, mistakenly referred to as diesel fuel algae, has more to do with petroleum gums, varnishes and lacquers. Microbes – bacteria/molds/fungus - do grow and cause problems in stored fuel.

You need to affirm that the hoses and all connections are clean. They must allow fuel to flow unrestricted.

I was having a problem with fuel flow. I cleaned the hoses. Still the issue persisted. I removed the hoses and ran a small brush through the inflow fitting of the filter. I pulled out what resembled the goo that forms in varnish when contaminated with water and allowed to dry a bit. Sticky ball of goo. It floated in the hose and when sucked to the fitting plugged up the fuel line. When the engine was shut down the goo would float back into the hose.

Removed the goo, flushed the lines and all has been good. A good flush my be what you need to clear the p/u tube. Then you can put the sawsall back in the garage.
 
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RBilly

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Jun 18, 2014
24
Oday 28 Midland
All hoses are new to the injection pump. The diesel (8 gal) I removed from the tank was an opaque greenish colour. There was no evidence of dirt, sand, ... I always use a conditioner/biocide.
Thanks for your reply.
 
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
There is nothing much that you could do by removing the pick up tube other than unnecessary damage. There is one sure way of determining if the problem lies in the fuel tank and that is to use fresh fuel in another known to be clean tank. Get a portable outboard engine tank and fill it with fresh diesel and connect the fuel hose going to your primary filter. Run the boat and see if the problem persists. If you determine your problem is in the main tank I would suggest contracting a fuel polishing and tank flush service. They use strong pumps and a series of filters which use the fuel as the flushing element while filtering water and sediments from the fuel. Returning fuel under pressure to the bottom of the tank can dislodge sediments that have settled. It will also remove any globs of gelatin which could be floating in the fuel. Expect to pay $200-$300 for the service. The alternative would be to actually clean the tank itself by cutting an inspection port on it.
 
Jul 5, 2011
702
Oday 28 Madison, CT
Did you miss twisting off the bottom of the electric fuel pump, pulling the plastic fine sieve and magnet and and cleaning those out?
 

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Jun 20, 2014
39
Oday 28 2 Bay City
I had a huge problem with the fuel tank on my O'day 28. I've only had it since August 2021, and the previous owner had just put fresh fuel in the tank. The Yanmar 2GM ran great for every test and underway, until my last trip before winter. The engine had warmed and run perfectly, and I started to cast off. A minute or so later, the engine lost power, and then stopped running. I could not get it started. (Fortunately I was only a few feet from the dock, and was able to get back in the slip with the help of friends and docklines.) Troubleshooting, I drained both filters and found water. I immediately disconnected lines and filters and found water all through, instead fuel.

A piece of fuel line tubing, and a squeeze bulb pump into a clean portable fuel tank solved the whole problem. The pump was exactly what I needed to purge the lines and is an excellent booster to make sure there is no air in the line for starting.

This approach works so well, I've decided to remove the old fuel tank entirely and just use 2 eight gallon portables. Plastic portables cut down on maintenance. It will be much more reliable, lessen the likelihood of dockside refueling catastrophes, and it makes winterizing much easier.

If anyone sees a downside to my decision to eliminate the onboard tank, please post it.
 
Jan 7, 2011
4,723
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
I had a huge problem with the fuel tank on my O'day 28. I've only had it since August 2021, and the previous owner had just put fresh fuel in the tank. The Yanmar 2GM ran great for every test and underway, until my last trip before winter. The engine had warmed and run perfectly, and I started to cast off. A minute or so later, the engine lost power, and then stopped running. I could not get it started. (Fortunately I was only a few feet from the dock, and was able to get back in the slip with the help of friends and docklines.) Troubleshooting, I drained both filters and found water. I immediately disconnected lines and filters and found water all through, instead fuel.

A piece of fuel line tubing, and a squeeze bulb pump into a clean portable fuel tank solved the whole problem. The pump was exactly what I needed to purge the lines and is an excellent booster to make sure there is no air in the line for starting.

This approach works so well, I've decided to remove the old fuel tank entirely and just use 2 eight gallon portables. Plastic portables cut down on maintenance. It will be much more reliable, lessen the likelihood of dockside refueling catastrophes, and it makes winterizing much easier.

If anyone sees a downside to my decision to eliminate the onboard tank, please post it.
Nothing wrong with it…but I prefer to use the 20-gallon tank on my O’Day 322. A clean tank, treated fuel, and clean filters mean trouble-free motoring.

I have never needed to open my tank (knock on wood), and I have only changed the fuel filters once in 7 years. (They were very pristine). I add some fuel additive every winter when I haul the boat and top off the tank. i only burn 1 tank of fuel a season on average.

Using a portable for trouble-shooting makes a lot of sense to try and isolate the issue (assume you only have one)…but fixing the problem more permanently makes sense to me.

Greg
 
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Jun 20, 2014
39
Oday 28 2 Bay City
Thanks for your excellent comment Greg! I too like things to operate properly and work as designed. I have to take the tank out to clean it anyway, so I'll decide whether to make a change after I see what's going on in there.
Take care,
-Terry