Dumb, dumb, dumb

[skargo]

I have been working on my new to me boat, adding electronics, general maintenance, etc. We originally planned on splashing her for the first time today, Mother Nature decided against it.

That brings me to my dumbness. I added a couple bottles of Heet and some octane booster as this is mostly last season's gas. The PO was kind enough to give me 60 gallons of fuel along with the boat. Anyway, yesterday evening I added the dry gas and the octane boost, and of course left the fuel cap off. I noticed it about a half an hour ago. We had between .25-.75 inch of rain from what I can find. My thinking is if you set a small glass the size of the filler neck down and put that much rain in it, it shouldn't harm anything, being such a small amount.


Thoughts?

*edit* this is a 1978 carb'd Mercruiser 260

 

[cbavier]

Re: Dumb, dumb, dumb

Depends on the angle of your Fill Cap but I don't think you have anything to worry about. I would because mine only carries 27 Gals and the fill neck is almost straight up and down. Pointed toward the sky.

 

[skargo]

Re: Dumb, dumb, dumb

Depends on the angle of your Fill Cap but I don't think you have anything to worry about. I would because mine only carries 27 Gals and the fill neck is almost straight up and down. Pointed toward the sky.

Yeah, mine appears to point directly upwards as well. I try and be so meticulous and try and remember everything, then I pull the move
I am going to paint the cap fluorescent green or something.

I am doing some reading on water/fuel separators and am now thinking it might be cheap insurance to install one before starting her up again. I know I may be OK but I have a feeling if I don't, I'll dwell on it all the time.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Dumb, dumb, dumb

Why don't you just run it for a day and then top the fuel tank off with fresh Fuel and add another can of dry gas. Just a thought. If you used a 1/4 -1/2 of a tank of fuel then added fresh with the Dry gas you would probably dissapait any moisture left in the tank. Let some others chime in and get their thoughts.

 

[David Greer]

Re: Dumb, dumb, dumb

you have to have a fuel seperator these days; it's as important as the hull plug.
Also, disconnect your fuel line and pump some gas into a jar. If the boat has been sitting still, any water is on the bottom to be picked up by the intake. If there's water showing you definitely don't want to run it.

 

[Edko]

Re: Dumb, dumb, dumb

2nding the thought about a separator, put one on.

Also if the engine is a 78 you may want to replace the fuel lines if you haven't already.

What material is the tank made of btw? I know you know about old plastic tanks and ethanol gas.

 

[skargo]

Re: Dumb, dumb, dumb

Not sure if it's the original tank, I would assume it is.. The previous owner replaced all the fuel lines due to the ethanol issues.

Looking at my manuals, it seems the fuel filter IS a water separator?

 

[David Greer]

Re: Dumb, dumb, dumb

the little filter in the motor is supposed to seperate but you need the big one outside as well.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Dumb, dumb, dumb

Like other members said, get a water separating filter. Because the boat has an inboard motor, a water separating filter with a clear sight bowl can't (legally) be used. But there are metal bowl version of the clear bowl filters just for inboards. Its nice to have the bottom drain even if you can't look inside to see if water is collecting. Just crack open the drain valve and let out a cup of gas into a tin can to see if water is in it.

Racor, Moller and Sierra are the most popular brands.

 

[skargo]

Re: Dumb, dumb, dumb

Will a Racor w/metal base replace my stock filter? In other words will it spin on in place of the one that's there now?

Racor has a great rep in the performance diesel truck crowd, so I'd tend to go there. A drain would be awesome to allow me to tap samples and check for water.

I was at Walmart a couple hours ago looking at their "marine department" and ALMOST bought the cheap Atwood water fuel separator, to add in addition to the stock filter, but thought I'd climb around in the engine bay first. If a Racor or similar would spin onto the stock head, that would be a better solution IMO.

Pretty sure this is what's on my boat.

 

[skargo]

Re: Dumb, dumb, dumb

Looks like I can use this and be good to go?

 

[Mark42]

Re: Dumb, dumb, dumb

So the boat already has a spin on (looks like oil fiter) filter? Then that will work as long as it has a water separating cartridge on it.

No, the racor filters will only fit racor heads. They do have a good rep, and they are the most expensive. I personally chose the moeller with sight bowlfor the Bayliner over the racor because it had the same specs, the Moeller replacement filters are less expensive, and in a pinch, the non-sight bowl filters will fit. Can't do that with racor. I do have a racor in the MFG Niagara, its smaller size was perfect, and at the time was very inexpensive (but not any more).

The cheap non-sight bowl filters did filter well, but skimped on quality construction, like not having rust preventing linings and smaller filter media.

Here is a good filter review, but it does not include the Moeller:

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/fuelFilter.pdf

 

[David Greer]

Re: Dumb, dumb, dumb

Granted, I have an OB, but I like the big blue Yamaha because it's so big. I replace them instead of checking them, and carry a spare in a plastic bag in case I need to switch while under way. My used boat came with a racor and allegedly visible bowl (dark grren plastic) sitting out in the sun in the transom well; I put it in a hatch.
Remember, it's not just the water; it's the gunk the ethanol breaks loose as well. Somehow you can even get algae in your gas!
FTR I don't know anything about I/O or IB so this is more for the benefit of OB owners.
I understand they now make small seperators for motors <50 hp.

 

[pinkham89]

Re: Dumb, dumb, dumb

theres some stuff called k100 out there nowadays.... its like super duper drygas.... the k100 encases the water molecules and allows them to be burnt just as fuel would... I would have never believed it till a sales rep poured some gas + water into a big beaker, then added some k100 and presto. no more water

 

[skargo]

Re: Dumb, dumb, dumb

Interesting, I am reading their site now, thanks.

http://www.k100fueltreatment.com/marine-engines.html

 

[cbavier]

Re: Dumb, dumb, dumb

Interesting, I am reading their site now, thanks.

http://www.k100fueltreatment.com/marine-engines.html

It doesn't state how many gallons it will treat.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Dumb, dumb, dumb

Interesting, I am reading their site now, thanks.

http://www.k100fueltreatment.com/marine-engines.html

It doesn't state how many gallons a bottle will treat.

 

[skargo]

Re: Dumb, dumb, dumb

It doesn't state how many gallons a bottle will treat.

Sure it does
http://www.k100fueltreatment.com/how_much.html

 

[cbavier]

Re: Dumb, dumb, dumb

sorry I don't know how I missed it . So 8oz will treat Skargo's 60 gal's

 

[gypsysoul]

Re: Dumb, dumb, dumb

Let me pipe in, my fuel water separator on my diesel is a spin on. which has some sort of plastic ball in the middle. when I got water with out knowing, the engine quit running. a quick check revealed I was not getting fuel. I spun the filter off and the ball had floated up on the water and shut the fuel flow off. Do they make the same kind for gas? seems like a great idea to keep the water from getting to the engine. food for thought.