Not picking up fuel

[can-amsledder]

I?ve been working on my father-in-laws (who passed away a few years ago) pontoon boat. It was left sitting inside his poll barn with fuel in it without being run for three years. I dumped all the old gas, cleaned the carb and flushed the lines and so on. What?s happening now is it doesn?t want to pickup fuel from the tank. It was sucking air at the tank fitting and not priming so I bought a new male fitting that attaches to the line. I thought I was good to go! We took it out today and at anything over about 10 MPH it would act like its running out of gas. Slow down and it?s fine again. I switched over to the other tank, same thing. That?s when I notice the primer bulb, it?s sucked right in! Maybe it?s backwards? Nope, the arrow is pointing the direction of the fuel flow. I bypass the primer and try that, same thing again. Now I take the fuel line and put it right in the tank with the gas cap removed and it runs beautiful!
The only thing I can think of is the fitting on both tanks are partially clogged. Could it be anything else?

 

[Daley]

Re: Not picking up fuel

Have you tried it with the gas caps removed? It's a long-shot, but if the little vent-holes in the caps are clogged, it'll do exactly what you're describing.

 

[can-amsledder]

Re: Not picking up fuel

Yep! Tried that too!

I think it has to be the fitting but....

 

[Daley]

Re: Not picking up fuel

Yep - sounds like you've got it narrowed down to the fittings. Depending on how old the boat is, they might be due for replacement/cleaning anyway.

 

[Solittle]

Re: Not picking up fuel

Install fresh fuel filters if you haven't done that already.

 

[can-amsledder]

Re: Not picking up fuel

I have, but that couldn?t be the problem as I see it because the filter is up by the carb, between the pump and carb. The restriction would have to be on the tank side of the primer in order to suck the primer bulb in. Right????

 

[Treager]

Re: Not picking up fuel

I have, but that couldn?t be the problem as I see it because the filter is up by the carb, between the pump and carb. The restriction would have to be on the tank side of the primer in order to suck the primer bulb in. Right????

That would be my guess. I would check the pick up tube screen as well...

 

[can-amsledder]

Re: Not picking up fuel

I took that all apart too. I pulled the pickup right out of the tank, it just unscrews. From looking in the filler hole it looked like the pickup might have some kind of filter sock on it but it doesn?t, just a plastic tube, no screen.

I took both fittings out of the tanks and have then soaking in carb cleaner (just the cheap aerosol kind). It takes about 10 seconds for the one to drain after filling it up with cleaner and pressing in the little pin and about 15 seconds for the other. Maybe I?ll just break open my wallet buy a couple new ones.