Fuel/Fill/Vent - Seeking opinions

[Blue Agave]

I've noticed that I can no longer fill my tank with any speed.  When filling the tank with fuel the nozzle always trips, making it a slow and painful task.  I can feel air coming out of the vent which leads me to believe that the vent is fine and that I must have a dip in either my fill hose or my vent hose or both. I certainly hope that is not the case  because that would require raising the console and fuel cell door.  My hope is that even though I'm feeling air escape from the vent, that a new vent my solve the issue.

Please chime in with all opinions and assumptions, thanks!

[wingtime]

Is the screen in the vent plugged up?  Does air try to escape out the fill hose while filling?   Do you have access to the vent connection at the tank?  If so try disconnecting it to see if that helps.  That will tell you if the problem is with the vent.

[Blue Agave]

No, no, and no.  In order to get to the tank the console and fuel cell door need to be raised. I'm hopeful that it's just the vent but as I stated I can feel air escaping. I'm going to remove the hose from the vent and see what happens when I add some fuel.

[gran398]

That will be a good test...at the very least you'll move forward.

[seabob4]

I'm betting the vent hose and fuel fill hose have bellies in them.  Try this.  Disconnect each hose from their respective deck fittings and see if you can pull the slack out.  If you get some slack, cut the excess hose off and reattach...

Not a lot of fun, but worth the effort... :x

[Blue Agave]

That's my fear Bob, and it I'm dreading it.  And the worst part is I know better, I removed the console, livewell, and fuel cell door two winters ago and I should have inspected the hoses.  But I didn't and now it haunts me, hopeful I can get some slack.

[seabob4]

Fernando, the vent hose will come off pretty easy, the fill hose not so...but I think that a belly in the vent may be your issue.  Pull it off, pull up to get slack out of it, secure it to the fill hose with a couple of ty-wraps piggy-backed, then reattach and try to fuel up.  Hopefully this solves the problem, without having to deal with the fill hose...

[Blue Agave]

Man I sure hope you are right but I just have a feeling it may be the fill hose. The tank is nowhere near full, yet after it takes a couple of gallons it starts tripping the nozzle.  I'll try the vent and vent hose first. Then I'll have to decide the next plan of attack.

[seabob4]

Man I sure hope you are right but I just have a feeling it may be the fill hose. The tank is nowhere near full, yet after it takes a couple of gallons it starts tripping the nozzle.  I'll try the vent and vent hose first. Then I'll have to decide the next plan of attack.

This is the concept I'm thinking about.  The fuel flow from the pump at your gas station can push the air out of it's way, just by pretty much sheer force...but the air has to go somewhere, and in this case, with a belly in the vent line (and probably some fuel in there too), the air can't escape.    Remove the belly in the vent, the fuel can't remain in the vent hose, and the air has a straight shot overboard...

Hey, just thinkin'...

[flounderpounder225]

My first thought/question... Is this a new occurrence?  Those fuel fill and vent lines are pretty sturdy, i don't see them moving and readjusting their position?  My last boat I had to hold the pump handle sort of upside down while filling to kind of direct the strong flow of gas in a different direction, I guess it flowed easier down the fill hose?

[Blue Agave]

Yes it's a new occurrence. I tried the whole directional fill trick with no such luck.

[seabob4]

Yes it's a new occurrence. I tried the whole directional fill trick with no such luck.

Mud Daubers... :x  :x Oops, winter species Mud Daubers...

[gran398]

Remember that this topic comes up every so often. Actually...pretty often. Will be great for everyone to find a solution.

Bob...know you can work the magic here.

[seabob4]

Naw, Scott, Fernando gets to play around a bit here with his boat's plumbing.  Something is restricting the vent line, it's just a matter of figuring out what the restriction is...

[Blue Agave]

Good news!  I was incorrect in assuming that I had a dip in my fuel lines,  therefore I do not have to go thru the task of raising the console and full cell door.  The problem ended up being the vent itself.  The vent is covered with a large clam shell and when I inspected the vent from the open end of the clam shell all looked to be fine.  But once I removed the clam shell it became clear that the vent was the problem after all.  The portion of the vent that was not visible to the eye, in the closed end of the clam shell,  was corroded.

Bad news is that I can not get to the darn thing without a 3" grinder or an airsaw.  When I rebuilt the boat I rigged the whole thing with the deck cap off.  There is probably a 3/4" -  1 1/4" betweeen the bottom of the deck cap and the top of the fuel chase.  I'm going to have to trim or grind the top of the fuel chase to make enough room to get to the vent.  For those currently rebuilding, make sure and leave yourself enough room so when the time comes to replace the vent you have enough room to work.