water or dirt in fuel

[delsol]

went for my first test run and i got water and dirt in fuel i have inline filter...emptyed it and it looked dirty...would not start till i messed with chock in water...hooked up clean outboard tank straight to fuel pump was able to get back to the dock. but it still ran bad. before all this i have new rebuilt motor in boat and on land i have good idle..while at first on reg. gas tank i have a good idle.....
what i did was the night before i put 14 gallons of fresh fuel in it..if i take out tank today (plastic) AND CLEAN IT and put new fuel filter in it. do you think my carb will be ok...its a rod q-jet 5.7 89 merc w/alpha 1 ..any idea's and any on cleaning the plastic tank...the motors farting or gurling out of car , does sound like gas or could something be hurt..it was a major mistake not to clean tank as its , the boat sat over 5 years....anyhelp would be great as i have made great progress with the boat..part of me wants to do a compression test. but it will not hurt to clean tank as its for sure dirty....and idea's where to get rid of old fuel
bob/philly

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: water or dirt in fuel

Lawn mowers are great for getting rid of old fuel. Change your filters, including the little screen on the carb. If that doesn't do it, you may have to clean the carb too.

 

[delsol]

Re: water or dirt in fuel

no Lawn mower. city boy

 

[Don S]

Re: water or dirt in fuel

Do you have a water seperating fuel filter on your engine? If so, replace the element. Then with your remote fuel tank hooked up start the engine (On muffs of course). With the throttle cable removed. Here is what you are going to do.
Rev the engine up to about 4000 rpm, then close the choke or put your hand over the choke opening to cut off the air supply, at the same time hold the throttle wide open. This will suck the fuel out of the carb passages.
Now the tricky part of this.
While covering it and holding the throttle open, the engine will try to die. You want to catch it JUST before it dies and open the choke so it will keep running. If it dies, it WILL be flooded and a PITA to get restarted.
Go thru this process half a dozen times and your carb should be free of water.

 

[delsol]

Re: water or dirt in fuel

reporting back.
the gas tank was real hard to remove so i drained it all from the sending unit. i saw no water but merkie fuel..could it be vanish. the tank is 30 gallon plastic. the bottom inside looked clean..the boat sat 10 years and like a dumidie threw 12 gallons or so on top on old gas.. with old gas or varnish . what would be the running problems..also most ready thank for any answers . don s i will do that , what you said in the am. \
bob

 

[delsol]

Re: water or dirt in fuel

anyone

 

[Don S]

Re: water or dirt in fuel

10 year old gas is garbage. How you get rid of it, I can't say. But don't use it. You have enough problems as it is, don't make them worse over a few gallons of old varni.......... errr, sorry, Gas.

 

[delsol]

Re: water or dirt in fuel

i was lucky i got rid of it safe and the legal right way...don with bottom all empty. would you run a new filter with a clear auto type inline to see what you have and change the first couple of large water sep. filters regularly to get what i missed.
i even jacked up the trailer to get as much as i could.
bob

 

[delsol]

Re: water or dirt in fuel

when you got good gas mixed with bad gas is it normal for motor to pop at carb???

 

[tommays]

Re: water or dirt in fuel

bad fuel or water would cause a lean condition which would backfire


Tommays

 

[delsol]

Re: water or dirt in fuel

thank you tommays..would you install a small clear filter inline to look sat whats going on...i use to have one on an outboard and an old chevelle..what do you guys think
bob

 

[Don S]

Re: water or dirt in fuel

Do not install a clear filter, this is not an outboard or your old chevelle. The engine should have water seperating fuel filter on the engine. That is what you need, but you MUST get that old gas out of there. You can keep asking different ways, but no one is going to tell you to leave it in there. It's causing all your problems right now.
Get Rid Of That Gas.

 

[delsol]

Re: water or dirt in fuel

don gas is out of tank should i install new gas filter and do what you said with the carb instruction with 5 gallons or so of fresh gas???? i got the merc can spin off filter that looks like a gm oil filter
thanks don

 

[Don S]

Re: water or dirt in fuel

Yep, replace the filter and run it on the remote.

 

[Dakota47]

Re: water or dirt in fuel

install that fuel filter and put fresh fuel in the tank, start the motor and spray some carb cleaner down the throatof carb, .. that should clean her up.. you need to give that engine a tune up as it sat for 10 years too..

 

[Don S]

Re: water or dirt in fuel

Sraying carb cleaner into the throat doesn't get anything to the internal parts of a carb where is problem is. The passages are plugged up.
The spary carb cleaner just makes it look nice for the owner, doesn't help the carb at all.

 

[delsol]

Re: water or dirt in fuel

don you mean run it on my outboard tank seperate first then my 30 gal tank after i do the steps you said??????????

 

[Don S]

Re: water or dirt in fuel

I would, for no other reason than to get it done before what ever mess you have in the carb turns to concrete and won't come out.

 

[delsol]

Re: water or dirt in fuel

thanks you again don will report back later in the day to let you know this is complete
bob

 

[delsol]

Re: water or dirt in fuel

still bad run's bad no power..will post new topic
bob