I give up

[Calabrio]

I purchased an 18' Sea Ray with a 200 Mercury outboard. There are two tanks, one up in the bow, one in the rear. Boat ran fine on the back tank, wouldn't run at all on the front.<br /><br />I drained the front tank. Built a valve to switch tanks using home depot purchased brass fitting and ball valves (designed for natural gas, propane, ect).<br /><br />It still didn't work.<br /><br />Then I saw what appeared to be a problem with the plumbing on my water/fuel seperator, so I reversed it. I believe this resulted in my pumping dirty water into my engine. Needless to say, I had a difficult time starting it in my driveway.<br /><br />I rebuilt the fuel pump. Replaced all the hoses. Installed a couple inline fuel filters (one before each tank and one after the primer buld before the engine). I also bought a new water filter kit and installed that.<br /><br />As of right now, I appear to have absolutely no suction to the front tank. There is absolutely no fuel moving from there. I pump the bulb hundreds of times and nothing happens.<br /><br />The back tank is running a little rough, but improving. I'm seeing some sediment in my last filter floating (maybe this is coming out of the engine?)<br /><br />I'm totally at a loss. I don't know what else to do? I even replaced the primer bulb moments ago, that did nothing.<br /><br />Come morning, I'll double check my cuts and connections in the line to ensure I'm not leaking air at them. But what else can I do? There's about a 20' of hose running from the engine to the front tank......<br /><br />Any help or ideas would be appreciated...<br />And, please take a look at my water filter question, so I can have some peace of mind when I crank the engine in the morning.

 

[The Marine Doctor]

Re: I give up

It might be possible that the pick for the tank is plugged or has fallen off?<br /><br />Steel tanks or aluminum?<br /><br />If the water separator worked for the back tank with no changes...why would you change it for the front tank?<br /><br />TMD

 

[Calabrio]

Re: I give up

Nope, the pick up tube is secure on the front tank.<br /><br />Both tanks are plastic 25 gal.<br /><br />My concern regarding the water filter was just based on the fact that I've seen this engine run, briefly, with the water filter hooked up backwards. It was pumping brown water into the engine as a result. I just didn't want to see something like that happen again.<br /><br />So, pick up tubes looked good. The valve is not clogged. The hose is new. The filters are new. The primer bulb is new. Like I said, I pumped that buld a hundred times, and NO fuel moved from the front tank.<br /><br />My only thought is that I cut one of the hoses crooked, and it's sucking in air at one of the connections? <br /><br />It's a high horespower Merc with a rebuilt fuel filter, that should have enough pressure to draw fuel from the bow of the boat, right? There's probably twenty-some feet an inline filter and the water seperator to draw through......

 

[vaccfam]

Re: I give up

bulb on backwards perhaps?<br /><br />Mike

 

[jim phillips]

Re: I give up

may be you can try blowing some low pressure compressed air through the system it may tell you some thing.

 

[Calabrio]

Re: I give up

The bulb is correct.<br />The lines are obstruction free.<br /><br />I got the front tank to prime this morning. I found an air leak on a fuel filter. <br /><br />Boat started pretty well, putted out of the marina, and was doing o.k. on the water. I opened up the throttle and shortly after it died, starved of fuel. I restarted and then began running around at about 3300 RPMs. No problems, the I opened it up, and it died.<br /><br />I'm starting to think that maybe <br />1. I'm still sucking air in, somewhere (maybe at one of the in line fuel filters<br />2. My carb are dirty. But would dirty carbs prevent the engine from drawing gas from the tank?

 

[ronmold]

Re: I give up

Remove hose from front tank right at tank outlet & plug it w/ a bolt or golf tee and tighten the clamp. Operate primer bulb for front tank. If you have an air leak you will be able to suck the gas out the bulb until the line is empty. othewise the bulb should colapse and stay flat.

 

[greasemonkeyozi]

Re: I give up

My guess is that you aer taking on air in your fuel system, possibly on that brass fitting on your tank. <br />I would go ahead and replace that fitting on your tank, the fuel hose, and that fitting on the end of your hose where it connects to your motor. Those things have a rubber O ring inside it that seals it when connected. In time that rubber O ring will dryrott. <br /> One cool thing about this is you can buy all these parts at Wal Mart

 

[Calabrio]

Re: I give up

Sort of off topic, but related to that last post...<br /><br />WALMART is absolutely incredible! I need a primer bulb at 11:30 at night... GO TO WALMART.<br />They have the essentials, anchors, to wax, to rope, to compasses, and they are open 24hrs!! <br /><br />When I prime the bulb, and it gets hard, but I squeeze it again, should I hear it in the engine?

 

[Hasbeen]

Re: I give up

No one has said anything about this so I guess it might be worth looking at! Is the front tank vented properly? Try your tests with the cap off the tank! If it works with the cap off its probably not vented correctly!<br /><br />Hasbeen

 

[mrn714]

Re: I give up

If you pump up the bulb till hard, then two more times you should hear a spray sound in the carbs. If the buld goes soft after you run it, you have got an air leak at the cut off for the tank. Cut and replace all line connections from the tanks back to the motor. <br /><br />

 

[Calabrio]

Re: I give up

I'm really thinking it's the valve used to select which gas tank I'm running on. I just took the boat out and brought a portable gas tank with me. I connected that directly into the engine and the boat ran beautifully.<br /><br />Then I ran the same tank through my valve, and I was having trouble starting it. Unfortunately, crap luck intervened, and my trim motor kicked on w/o reason and wouldn't turn off, running my battery down. I decided I didn't have time to sit and force this second gas arrangement to work while out on the water, quickly reverted to what I'd done prior, and raced back into shore. by the time I reached the Marina I lacked the power to raise my engine up....<br /><br />Crappy day.<br /><br />However, my engine ran nicely.<br />I'm banking it being on the three way switch, made with ball valves purchased at home depot.