getting fuel flow started on long hose

[airshot]

I have a 1987 9.9 kicker with a 15hp conversion as a kicker motor on my 22' starcraft. Every thing works great once I get it going. The problem is it can take 15-20 minutes to suck the fuel from the tank to the motor, now I do have a long fuel line approx. 12' mabey a little more. Anyone have any suggestions on a quicker way to bring the fuel up faster? Fuel line is good and clear, bulb is fairly new as it gets replaced about every other year. Have tried different brands of bulbs in an attempt to find one that moves fuel faster. Thanks for reading and any and all input is much appreciated.

 

[gm280]

WOW it seem a long run for a little simple primer bulb to draw fuel too. Does the primer bulb aloud the fuel to drain back to the tank when removed from the engine? If so, it seem you could have a bad check valve. If you can prime it once and it stay there even when disconnected form the engine, then the next time there would be no long time to draw the fuel to bulb again. Maybe you could even install a fuel valve to turn off the fuel prior to removing the fuel line from the engine so that the fuel won't flow back to the tank. You could install it right at the tank and turn it off and then the fuel will have to stay in the fuel line to the primer bulb... IDK just a suggestion... :noidea:

 

[Fed]

12 Feet is not much longer than normal, mine is normal I guess at about 8 feet and it pumps up 0-20 seconds.
You have to have another problem, fuel leak after the primer bulb or air leak before the primer bulb or even a restriction before the primer bulb. Also check the tank vent for restriction.

 

[Bosunsmate]

primer bulb installed the wrong way, arrow facing wrong way?

 

[Vic.S]

Fit the ball close to the tank rather than close to the engine as it will push fuel more efficiently that it will suck air...

but as said above once primed if the valves in the ball are good it should stay primed.

If the ball is the wrong way round it'll never pump fuel up!

 

[airshot]

12 Feet is not much longer than normal, mine is normal I guess at about 8 feet and it pumps up 0-20 seconds.
You have to have another problem, fuel leak after the primer bulb or air leak before the primer bulb or even a restriction before the primer bulb. Also check the tank vent for restriction.

Thanks for the reply, yes vent is open, line is clear, no sharp bends. You can feel it sucking but man it does take a long time.

 

[jakedaawg]

Check antisiphon valve on tank.
Hold bulb upright when pumping.

 

[airshot]

Fit the ball close to the tank rather than close to the engine as it will push fuel more efficiently that it will suck air...

but as said above once primed if the valves in the ball are good it should stay primed.

If the ball is the wrong way round it'll never pump fuel up!

Now that sounds logical.....yes it is not as bad once fuel is brought up to the bulb, unfortunately it doesn't get used often and can set for 3-4 weeks between uses so I am sure some flows back. Using your idea...what about 2 balls...one by the tank and one by the motor? Read somewhere where that mentioned the ball will work better in a vertical position rather than a horizontal position like mine.....anyone experience this?

 

[airshot]

What really started this becoming a problem was last year we were waiting to load our boat at a busy ramp, for some reason the main motor stalled, unable to get it restarted right away I tried firing up the kicker to keep us from drifting into the shallows. Needless to say we did drift into the shallows, raised the od up and after 15 of frantic ball squeezing I finally got the kicker started. Due to the fact that the wind was blowing toward some rocks, the fuel line ball was not the only ball being squeezed so.....got to find a faster way of getting the fuel to the motor in case of emergency and the fact that my arthiritus in my hands make squeezing that ball a serious and painfull chore. Thanks to all that responded, I will be trying some of your ideas.

 

[GA_Boater]

I'm assuming a portable tank - Can you move the tank closer and shorten the hose? Got room in under stern area of the Islander?

Another idea is adding Kicker Start Up as part of your launch routine. Then when you need it, the hose should be full or close to full and it shouldn't take so much squeezing in a panic situation.

 

[racerone]

If it takes that long to move fuel there is something wrong !

 

[Rick.]

I agree with racerone. It should be firm in a few pumps. I wonder if it's your carb. float not seating? I have a long hose on one of my tanks and it pumps to pressurized real quick, obviously I've never counted. Holding the bulb vertical does help. Best of luck. Rick.

 

[airshot]

I agree with racerone. It should be firm in a few pumps. I wonder if it's your carb. float not seating? I have a long hose on one of my tanks and it pumps to pressurized real quick, obviously I've never counted. Holding the bulb vertical does help. Best of luck. Rick.

Never had a flooding issue, in fact when it finally starts a few extra squeezes of the bulb is needed to keep it going. With all of the ideas suggested here I will move the bulb in the line to a more vertical position and am going to look at possible air suction at the tank fitting. On occasion a few drops of fuel will drip from the tank connection if the hose is wiggled enough, mabey the O-rings in the fitting need to be replaced. On a second note...the tank and fitting are both aftermarket, not OMC original so....spark any ideas here?

 

[Fed]

You could be mismatched with a yamaha tank.

 

[airshot]

OMC aftermarket brass fittings, installed them myself so fittings are correct. After looking more closely I am not happy with the connection at the tank. If you wiggle the hose connection it can drip some fuel and it makes me think it might be sucking air there. Again thanks for the ideas folks.

 

[Tim Frank]

I've given up on the aftermarket stuff. Too many problems.

 

[Fed]

I should correct my previous post, when I said Yamaha tank I should have said, OMC tank fitting with a Yamaha hose fitting.
They fit but leak.
I'm with Tim Frank, I'd rather repair or even buy second hand OEM than use after market stuff.

 

[airshot]

FED.......you just put me on to something in that post. If I remember correctly the fitting in the pkg did list it for omc/Yamaha as a universal fit. I was not aware of the closeness of the two fittings as I have never owned a Yamaha. My hose fits onto the tank fitting but not real well in my mind, I have suspicioned this area in the past but did not have the knowledge to know the two could be intermingled. I might try replacing that tank fitting and see what happens..Thanks

 

[boobie]

The Yamaha fitting and the OMC fitting look the same but will not work if you interchange them. Been there.

 

[Tim Frank]

FED.......you just put me on to something in that post. If I remember correctly the fitting in the pkg did list it for omc/Yamaha as a universal fit. I was not aware of the closeness of the two fittings as I have never owned a Yamaha. My hose fits onto the tank fitting but not real well in my mind, I have suspicioned this area in the past but did not have the knowledge to know the two could be intermingled. I might try replacing that tank fitting and see what happens..Thanks

Beware of "universal" or "one size fits all" fittings....I have about $80- worth of them in a drawer...and now only buy OEM.

**** Just noticed that your OP says 15-20 minutes....I had originally "processed" that as 15-20 PUMPS..,..
15-20 minutes is crazy....definitely something way out of whack.