Bayliner gas fume smell from floor compartment!

[Fordiesel69]

I bought another boat and took it out today. It is a 90' Bayliner Capri 2052 CK cuddy cabin. The engine compartment blower does not work at all so I simply remomve the engine cover for 5 min or so before starting. But today I looked for my ancor in the floor compartment and was greeted by a pungent odor of gas fumes. There is no liquid fuel in the compartment or anywhere in the engine bilge. I also can confirm the vent on the outside of the boat works becuase when filling, some gas will squirt out and drip on the ground. I can also see the fuel evaporation waves thru the vent when filling.

Any idea if this is normal, and once the engine fan is fixed the problem will be nothing at all? Or is there a reason the fumes are in the floor compartment?

 

[Bifflefan]

Re: Bayliner gas fume smell from floor compartment!

Are you running with the cover off?

If so i wonder if the fumes may be being pushed forward under the deck from the air flow, To much in and now where to vent it all.
Just thinking out loud..

Or you may have a leak in the tank...

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Bayliner gas fume smell from floor compartment!

Yes and no. Today is the first I had it out. I removed it to check for an ancor, and found the smell so I left it off. As well as the engine cover.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Bayliner gas fume smell from floor compartment!

Fix the blower and use it. Frightens me to hear it is not working. Having said that you did the right thing with the cover off in my opinion.

 

[Summer Fun]

Re: Bayliner gas fume smell from floor compartment!

The tank is almost 20yrs old its time to change it. Some are known to rot out. I know of afew that had to be changed in 1996 Bay models because of rot.. Before anybody jumps on me i've owned 3 Bayliners before. They're good boats for the buck..

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Bayliner gas fume smell from floor compartment!

This tank is in the floor and is a platic composite, so I guess no rotting, just maybe cracking? Who knows.

What does it cost to have that done? Like I said, there was no rainbow or swirl in the bilge water when I pulled the plug. Also in the engine compartment, there is no leaks that I can see from the tank area.

 

[Summer Fun]

Re: Bayliner gas fume smell from floor compartment!

I'm not saying yours is rotted it could be as simple as the gasket on the sending unit has failed or a crack in one of the hoses that goes to it. . There shouldn't be NO smell of gas down there !! It does matter what make of boat it is. .

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Bayliner gas fume smell from floor compartment!

Any idea what a rough cost would be for this job?

 

[Summer Fun]

Re: Bayliner gas fume smell from floor compartment!

No i don't. Its not that hard to do it yourself. . If it was my boat i'd test the tank first with 3 to 5 psi leak down test. That will tell you right off the bat if it has a hole in it or not.

 

[NoKlu]

Re: Bayliner gas fume smell from floor compartment!

Fix the blower and use it. Frightens me to hear it is not working. Having said that you did the right thing with the cover off in my opinion.

With all the exploding boats we read about this is the last thing I would do. Park it till the leak is found and fixed. It's hard to say how much it's going to cost as it could be a few different things.

 

[Bob's Garage]

Re: Bayliner gas fume smell from floor compartment!

Not being able to smell the actual odor, it is difficult to determine the "density" of the fumes. Plastic tanks have a tendency to breath fumes thru their sides, as they are somewhat permeable.

It is also possible that the fuel lines and vent lines are not of the newer CG required "A" and"B" quality lines. The old lines were susceptable to the ethenol in our "new" fuel, and they would breakdown, letting fumes and sometimes fuel escape.

I would start by changing the fuel and vent lines , which you would anyway when you change the tank. If the problem persists, then look to the tank.

It may be an older tank and not upto the to CG standards for permeability.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Bayliner gas fume smell from floor compartment!

I had the same problem.It was the 30 year old fill hose that was cracked and dry rotted.
With a plastic tank i doubt it is leaking.
You should have access hatches to get to the hoses and fuel sender...That would be where to start.

 

[lakegeorge]

Re: Bayliner gas fume smell from floor compartment!

PLEASE DO NOT USE THE BOAT UNTIL YOU FIND THE PROBLEM.

Gas fumes are more explosive than the gas itself and one spark will set it off.
You must track the source down, there should never be fumes in your bilge and your bilge pump is only a safety precaution it's not meant to cover up a problem

 

[Maclin]

Re: Bayliner gas fume smell from floor compartment!

The gasoline fumes sink to the lowest point and accumulate. Having the cover open will not vacate the fumes!

Your call....

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Bayliner gas fume smell from floor compartment!

The gasoline fumes sink to the lowest point and accumulate. Having the cover open will not vacate the fumes!

Your call....

Yes it will when it swirls or disturbs the air. I sniffed it a few min after and it was fine. Button it back up and the smell comes back. I had filled the boat improperly 1 hr before at a local gas station. I did not run the blower becuase it does not work. The book states to run the blower while filling. I will fix that first as it is illegal to have in water and the fines are expensive for inoperative blower.

 

[Summer Fun]

Re: Bayliner gas fume smell from floor compartment!

The book states to run the blower while filling

I'd throw that book out if it said that. .You NEVER run the blower while gassing up !!!. ITS ALWAYS AFTER. you're done filling up for 4 to 5 mins

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Bayliner gas fume smell from floor compartment!

Here is what I did. The mid floor compartment was a mess and did not drain. I scrubbed it out and flushed water thru the drain hole, and got it flowing thru to the rear engine bilge. I put the drain plug in and flooded the engine bilge and also filled the floor compartment. I blocked the gas vent on the outside of the boat and put 5psi of air in the tank. Soap sprayed the sending unit, hoses and the exposed area of the tank. No bubbles.

Also no bubbles from the drain hole in the floor compartment or the engine bilge connecting hole while the tank is pressurized. How am I ever going to find out where the smell is coming from?

 

[WAVENBYE2]

Re: Bayliner gas fume smell from floor compartment!

Quick question?? Is the gas smell of fresh gas or does it smell like old?? The guy who had it before might have had a leek on one of the hoses mentioned earlier. Ya a pressure test would be good to do like said too. I would do all the troubleshooting first before I tore everything out for no reason. I don't have any smell in mine either. Could have been an old problem before you bought it, call the guy ask him. The guy I bought my boat off of told me to call him if I wanted to know anything, some don't mind.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Bayliner gas fume smell from floor compartment!

Quick question?? Is the gas smell of fresh gas or does it smell like old?? The guy who had it before might have had a leek on one of the hoses mentioned earlier. Ya a pressure test would be good to do like said too. I would do all the troubleshooting first before I tore everything out for no reason. I don't have any smell in mine either. Could have been an old problem before you bought it, call the guy ask him. The guy I bought my boat off of told me to call him if I wanted to know anything, some don't mind.

I can call this guy, but he claimed to had never noticed. He also never noticed the engine blower never worked!!!!!!!!!!

It does smell like normal gas and not varnish or old spill. I just cannot seem to figure it out. The engine compartment does not really smell, other than a normal oily dirty engine compartment. I wonder how safe it would be to just fix the blower, and removed the floor compartment cover and just leave it at home. This way fresh air will always be swirling into the compartment.

 

[WAVENBYE2]

Re: Bayliner gas fume smell from floor compartment!

Here is what I did. The mid floor compartment was a mess and did not drain. I scrubbed it out and flushed water thru the drain hole, and got it flowing thru to the rear engine bilge. I put the drain plug in and flooded the engine bilge and also filled the floor compartment. I blocked the gas vent on the outside of the boat and put 5psi of air in the tank. Soap sprayed the sending unit, hoses and the exposed area of the tank. No bubbles.

Also no bubbles from the drain hole in the floor compartment or the engine bilge connecting hole while the tank is pressurized. How am I ever going to find out where the smell is coming from?

I quoted the whole thing. If you didn't find any bubbles might not mean you still don't have a leak, air on top liquid on the bottom. Ok one more question?? you filled both compartments with water, did you wash everything real good with (example)Mr Clean? If not give everything a good thorough cleaning and then close everything back up after it has completely dried to see if your still getting a strong gas smell.