quick fuel question please help

[chipman]

question:

when i run my motor on the water, i don't think i am getting enouph fuel. i am able to get on plain for a few minutes then motor boggs down then dies, i have to pump primer bulb and start senario over. I ran motor on the muffs yesterday and noticed the inline fuel filter next to the motor had vary little fuel in it when running and was sucking air bubbles into the motor, causing rouph idle. i dont think this is normal, would this be an indication of air getting into fuel line, or fuel pump going bad??

i have worked on auto motors but new to boats, any advice would be helpfull

 

[BKS72]

Re: quick fuel question please help

Sounds like air getting into the fuel line. I'd start checking at the fuel filter and work my way back to the tank, checking any connections especially close. You might also want to inspect your fuel line all the way back to the tank for leaks as well.

 

[chasevinrude]

Re: quick fuel question please help

I am having similar problems except I shut down to half speed. It doesnt occur until I am at about 4000 rpms

 

[kory77]

Re: quick fuel question please help

hi, i had the same problem with my starcraft[115hp yamaha] it is such a frustrating problem as you probably already know. after many hours of troubleshooting and part replacing i finally realized that my primer bulb was disintegrated on the inside. little bits of rubber had clogged fuel lines,carb jets,etc. you name it,it had rubber bits in it. that may not be your problem but a fuel restriction could come many different problems. check your primer bulb,fuel lines,fuel pick up if accessable,also make sure coils and spark plugs are good and gas is not varnished. also try running your motor on an auxillary tank with good clean gas and see what happens. hope that helps a little, its a pain in the butt problem but all problems have a source,just takes a while to find them sometimes. ps:replace primer bulb every season.

 

[chipman]

Re: quick fuel question please help

thanks for the quick response

i was thinking air leak, but someone at my work said probably fuel pump. where is the most common place for a airleak? or should i just replace all fuel lines, filters and primer bulb? i looked at the fuel lines and most looked in good shape, i havent pulled fuel tank selector valve yet, is there any way to see if it is leaking?
and someone said thair should be a o-ring on the quick disconnect is this easy to replace or do i need to buy a new one.

so probably not fuel pump.

 

[kory77]

Re: quick fuel question please help

if it was an air leak it would probably be coming from a bad seal somewhere or a crack in a fuel line. when you pump the primer bulb does it go flat after a while? if so,then you could have a venting problem in the gas tank. if a fuel pump is cheap you could try and replace it, i did on mine it cost me 40 bucks for a new one. you put new diaphrams in your existing one too,you can buy a rebuild kit but that sometimes is just a headache. also another trick for finding an air leak is while motor is running,shoot it with some ether or engine starting fluid. just shoot around the fuel lines or anywhere where an air leak would be possible but keep it out of the carbs and electrical parts. if your motor surges then you know you got an air leak coming from engine.

 

[chipman]

Re: quick fuel question please help

thanks for the advice, i will start trouble shooting tomorrow, and will keep everyone posted on what i find, or any new problems i find.
i bought the boat for $500 and found a motor for $1500 i figure im bound to have some little bugs to work out. this is a 1982, 17 foot ranger bass boat, and 150hp evenrude motor, very nice condition for the money.

this site has already been a great deal of help, and i appreciate everyones advice.

 

[fdmsiv]

Re: quick fuel question please help

Very similar experience, but my leaks were just about everywhere. The one I found last was the gas tank line. I got a cheap bulb and gas line that was not fully connecting and the clamps were letting in air.

 

[chipman]

Re: quick fuel question please help

i worked on it some today, i havent bought fuel lines yet, but fuel line from motor through primer bulb to my fuel selector valve looked realy good so i unhooked it from fuel valve and hooked it directly to fuel tank. i started motor and the fuel filter by the motor was about half full instead of almost empty.

should this filter be full of gas while running or is it ok to have some air in it? as the motor was running i tried pumping the bulb to keep filter full and the motor seemed to idle smoother.
i will be changing all fuel lines tomorrow, i hope this will help. thanks for the advice

 

[kjdunne]

Re: quick fuel question please help

The filter will not be full while running. Half full or so is normal.

 

[chipman]

Re: quick fuel question please help

i think my problem is solved, but i won't know till i hit the water,

another question, i got a primer bulb from walmart that has a quick connect fitting on both ends" one for motor and one for portable fuel tank" would it be a good idea to install another quick connect to the fuel line going to the tank so i can disconnect primer bulb and lines when boat in not in use to prevent weathering? any thoughts will be apperciated.

thanks for all the help, i could have spent alot of time and money on fuel pumps and other parts, thanks again!!!

 

[Randyg123]

Re: quick fuel question please help

...i got a primer bulb from walmart that has a quick connect fitting on both ends" one for motor and one for portable fuel tank" would it be a good idea to install another quick connect to the fuel line going to the tank so i can disconnect primer bulb and lines when boat in not in use to prevent weathering? any thoughts will be apperciated....

I used one of those WM set-ups and had some bad luck (To be fair I had the exact same problem with one from Bass-Pro). The WM brand (grey hose) was Atwoods, I think. I do not recall what brand name the BP version (black hose). I always drained my fuel lines when storing the boat for any period of time. The fuel lines would get rock hard if left dry for more than a month or two. Run some fuel through them and they eventually soften back up after a few weeks to a month.

I think your best bet would be to get good quality components from a marine shop and go permanent. The quick disconnects are just another source for potential leaks and contamination entry. I use a portable tank so they are pretty much necessary. For a fixed tank, why add more chances of problems later on.

As soon as the line I have starts to become a pain, I'm going to take my own advice and get some good stuff

 

[chipman]

Re: quick fuel question please help

I think i will return the wal-mart setup and hook it up directly, i have the fitting to change out the quick connect, less chance for leaks, cheaper too.

I was also thinking about eliminating a fuel filter also, currently i have a filter at both tanks before the fuel selector valve, i don't see any reason why i can't put a filter after the fuel selector valve and have one less place to leak air.
does anyone see a problem with this setup? i will also have the filter next to the motor so the fuel will still pass through 2 filters

 

[Randyg123]

Re: quick fuel question please help

So right now you have three filters on your engine? Now I feel really guilty about having none

I made a post a few weeks ago about filters as I am going to finally (after decades) put one on this fall. In reviewing other posts, the only issue with multiple in-line filters was the potential for too much restriction. I guess it all comes down to what kind of filters and how well you maintain them.

I personally don't see a need to have them before the selector valve unless the idea is to keep contaminants from fouling the selector and creating a poor seal or causing it to stick. So perhaps a gross filter (larger particles) on each line before the selector and then a good fuel/water separator filter after would be a good arrangement.

This should bump your post back up top and maybe generate another comment or two.

 

[BKS72]

Re: quick fuel question please help

When I re-did my boat this winter I installed one of the large fuel/water separator filters just after the primer bulb and before the motor. The set up is one of the cheap ones from Wal-Mart (too cheap to spend the money on one where you could see the water that's been filtered out) It uses a filter that looks like an oil filter. The part number for the filter crosses so you can get replacements at most auto-parts stores. My only concern was that it might strip oil out of the mix, but everyone I talked to said it would be fine, and so far, so good.

 

[chipman]

Re: quick fuel question please help

i have all fuel lines in, i put the fuel filter after the fuel selector valve, and replaced the one on the motor. motor seems to run fine, and fuel filter on motor is about half full ehen running.

is a water seperator really necassary, i always use good fuel, and top off after use to prevent condensation in the tanks. how much water do these usually remove is it worth it.