Fuel/Fill/Vent - Seeking opinions

[seabob4]

Fernando,
Your vent looks to be about 8" below the rubrail.  Can you reach it from the fuel inspection pie?

[Blue Agave]

Fernando,
Your vent looks to be about 8" below the rubrail.  Can you reach it from the fuel inspection pie?

No such luck!  The inspection pie is just an eye sore, serves no purpose. Not sure what I was thinking when I cut the hole, I am sure I was just anxious to get her splashed.

[seabob4]

Fernando...

[Blue Agave]

Well you know what they say, "Experience is the best Teacher".

[seabob4]

Well you know what they say, "Experience is the best Teacher".

Sometimes painfully so...

[fitz73222]

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.  

Why not just drill out the blockage? There was just a screen with a hole behind it.

[Blue Agave]

"Why not just drill out the blockage? There was just a screen with a hole behind it."

That's just a temporary solution, I'd be willing to bet that the inside of the vent is corroded as well. It's a cheap vent, aka non stainless. Will replace with a stainless vent.

[Blue Agave]

Well you know what they say, "Experience is the best Teacher".

Sometimes painfully so...

That it is!  But hell, what did I know ten years ago. My balls were busted ten years ago when I put that inspection plate in that location.  And now they are being busted again Bob, but deservedly so. I'm hopeful that my experience is helpful to my fellow AS brothers, my painful experience and their education. No inspection plate on the fuel chase!

[seabob4]

Fernando,
In reality, one should have the ability to inspect ones fuel system components without having to tear the boat apart.  It is recommended that one do this inspection yearly, in fact all NMMA certified builders have to install a sticker/decal by the fuel fill stating this.

That being said, one would want a pie directly below the fill/vent fittings on the inwale, a pie directly over the fill and vent necks on the tank, and a pie directly over the sender and the pickup.  I stress "directly" as all to often, I have seen boats that have these pies in the cockpit sole, but when you remove them, the sender and pickup aren't under the pie but off to one side...under the deck!  So, yeah, I can see them, touch them, even inspect them.  But what happens when a sender fails? (Gee, that never happens!!)  How the hell are you going to remove it??  Brain dead retards... :x  :x

[Blue Agave]

In hindsight, had I looked at the under side of the deck cap prior to bolting it to the hull I would have noticed the issue. Had I trimmed 2" off the top of the fuel chase, access would not be a problem for both the vent and fill.  Although inspection plates are sometimes a necessary evil and or solution, in my instance it's just an eye sore.

[wingtime]

in my instance it's just an eye sore.

Things like that bother me too but in reality most people are not very observant and will never even notice it.

[seabob4]

Since I work on boats for a living, I kinda like them...

[Blue Agave]

Busted out the air saw, trimmed the fuel chase, and had the old vent out in 5 minutes. I'll pick up a new stainless vent this afternoon and she'll be ready for Sunday and a new year's day trout outing.