fuel leak

treeguy1

Cadet
Joined
Sep 1, 2008
Messages
6
I have a 2002 tracker tundra 18 ft with 150 hp mercury outboard. I have not used this boat this year, and it is has been sitting outside. I did have a dealer tuneup the mercury this spring. I thought it odd, when I started it up a couple of days ago, and the gas guage either was not working, or someone stole gas, or there was a leak. I put my drain plugs in, went and filled up with 25 gallons of gas. The following morning, I notice a gas smell, and a drip out of the plugs in the transom. I opened the plugs out, and gas poured out. I filled up close to 12-15 gallon in plastic gas containers, all contaminated, from being in the bilge. There is still gas in the tank, I took off the sending unit, and there still is a lot of gas in the plastic tank. I cannot seem to find leaks in hoses. However, it is very difficult to get a good view of the lines to check. Damn Tracker boat. There is a good possiblitly, over last winter, squirrels may have chewed on hoses. I hopethey did not chew on the tank some place, because that is under the floor boards. Any help on where to check, and how to check, would be appreciated. Thanks
 

Plainsman

Rear Admiral
Joined
Apr 2, 2006
Messages
4,062
Re: fuel leak

Maybe try to pressurize it somehow and see if it squirts out.
 

crager

Recruit
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
3
Re: fuel leak

had same problem the fill hose to the tank under the floor boards rubbed from bouncing around and made a hole changed the hose and solved the problem no more fuel in the bilge
 

treeguy1

Cadet
Joined
Sep 1, 2008
Messages
6
Re: fuel leak

Thanks guys for the ideas. Plainsman, do you have any ideas how to pressurize the tank. I have a small pancake air compressor. I know I would not need much pressure at all. Just wondering how to seal up the filler spout the boat. I am hoping to look at this problem more closely this week end. A friend of mine says that older hoses (my boat is an 02), that the gas now days, has so many additives in it, that after a while, the hoses can deteriorate, and that may have caused the leak. I just hope it is not the tank, because, the only way to get to it, is taking off the enitre floor. Any one else with any ideas, let me know. Thanks.
 
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