Tank keeps getting stuff in it ????

Jon D

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Oct 1, 2008
Messages
32
Hello everyone I am kind of new to being a boat owner have always had one in family and now I have my own. What my problem is I have had to periodically pull out my sending unit and syphen out the gas tank cause i keep getting water or something in the tank. I have syphened the tank around 4 times so far this season. I have 1995,Cobia 174 sportfisher center console. I was curios if there is a way a can find another way to clean tank and i am not surre as to how i keep getting stuff in the tank. One idea is that it is leaking down ffrom where the gas cap is but I am not sure Any ideas or comments would be very appreciative thank you
 

AguaSki

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 4, 2005
Messages
545
Re: Tank keeps getting stuff in it ????

Do you use a 10 micron fuel/water separating filter? It seems to me that a little crud in the tank will not cause you trouble if you properly filter the fuel before it reaches the motor.
 

waterone1@aol.com

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Oct 10, 2004
Messages
1,235
Re: Tank keeps getting stuff in it ????

Sorry to hear about your problem. Four times ever is too much,not to mention four times in one season ! I sure hope you are being very careful about fumes and sparks when doing this.
I don't know your boat. I'm assuming this is a trailerable boat, that you are probably filling at random roadside gas stations ? What size is the tank ?
Is it down in a bilge or on deck ? Have you checked the cap and O-rings ?
What about the vent.......is it pointing down and to the rear ( not up or forward) ? Are the sending unit, pickup, etc penetrations all sealed and gaskets intact ?
 

Jon D

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Oct 1, 2008
Messages
32
Re: Tank keeps getting stuff in it ????

Hello and thanks for the response. First off i do trailer the boat but for the season i kept it in the water while it was running. The way I fill up is to do 5 gallon gas runs (gas on water a little to expensive) I have a 30 gallon tank that is located under the center console in the bilge are, but I can only access the tank by a 10 inch diameter hole under CC witch is where the sending unit is located. i have a gasket or o-ring on gas cap. and the vent is on side of boat just a hole with a cap over it so it can vent (dont know what u mean by down or to the rear or forward) I have a water seperator a car fuel filter and then a attwood clear inline filter on it as well and I am still getting stuff into carbs and have had to replace filters rather fast as they get clooged and dirty fast. background info-i bought this boat 6 months ago and syphened out over 2 gallons of stuff that looks similiar to beer out of tank within a month i had to syphen the tank again and got over a gallon of stuff again. And then about a week ago i syphened the tank and again i got over a gallon of stuff out of tank. Not sure if i am even getting it all out with each attempt and it always seems to fill up with liquid after rain. Curious if it is from bilge water or rain water or ocean water from vent. Again thanks for your time and any response is appreciated. Also every time i check the water seperator it is full of water or beer looking liquid.
 

reelfishin

Captain
Joined
Mar 19, 2007
Messages
3,050
Re: Tank keeps getting stuff in it ????

Water in your fuel is either from one of three means:
Condensation, rain water leak or poured in with contaminated fuel.
The quantity your seeing sounds a bit much for condensation but if your not keeping the tank full, that alone can increase condensation.
I have also seen several cases where water is entering the tank though either a bad fill cap, poorly sealed sending unit which is allowing rain water which drains down over the tank to enter or through a corroded tank.

Another common problem lately has been due to the alcohol or ethanol content in some fuel. Alcohol can separate or loosen existing aluminum corrosion or oxidation in an older tank, this is usually found in the filters and carb bowl.
The same for older rubber fuel hoses, both fill hoses and fuel lines. Most boats though since at least the mid 80's have alcohol resistant hoses.
 

Ned L

Commander
Joined
Sep 17, 2008
Messages
2,268
Re: Tank keeps getting stuff in it ????

Another place I have seen water getting into the fuel tank from is from the top of the tank rusting out. A slight dented area in the top of the tank could have allowed water to puddle & cause a rust spot. I doubt it is the source in this case, but it is something to check.
 

j_martin

Admiral
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Messages
7,474
Re: Tank keeps getting stuff in it ????

Happened to my Dodge Dakota once. Some scofflaw pee'd in the gas tank.

You might be having a vandalism problem.

I had a little moisture problem with the bass boat. I put a Racor vent control valve in the vent line, and a fuel/water seperator. Needs to be drained a couple of times a season, just an ounce or so of water.

Either you have a fuel tank that is disintegrating, or your vent or fill fittings are both leaking and going underwater all the time, or the vandalism I suggested.

Been there, had a nice 5 hp johnson sugared one time.

hope it helps
John
 

gstanton

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 3, 2003
Messages
451
Re: Tank keeps getting stuff in it ????

Assuming that it is NOT water in the fuel, consider this. Some time ago a neighbor used to carry his own gas down to his boat and was having a similar problem.. Watched him one day and noticed that he was using a home made funnel out of a plastic gin bottle. (Nice guy - cheap gin) Turns out the gas was melting some of the plastic as it went through the "funnel" and was clogging the filter and carb.
 

marine4003

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Feb 3, 2008
Messages
1,119
Re: Tank keeps getting stuff in it ????

Hello and thanks for the response. First off i do trailer the boat but for the season i kept it in the water while it was running. The way I fill up is to do 5 gallon gas runs (gas on water a little to expensive) I have a 30 gallon tank that is located under the center console in the bilge are, but I can only access the tank by a 10 inch diameter hole under CC witch is where the sending unit is located. i have a gasket or o-ring on gas cap. and the vent is on side of boat just a hole with a cap over it so it can vent (dont know what u mean by down or to the rear or forward) I have a water seperator a car fuel filter and then a attwood clear inline filter on it as well and I am still getting stuff into carbs and have had to replace filters rather fast as they get clooged and dirty fast. background info-i bought this boat 6 months ago and syphened out over 2 gallons of stuff that looks similiar to beer out of tank within a month i had to syphen the tank again and got over a gallon of stuff again. And then about a week ago i syphened the tank and again i got over a gallon of stuff out of tank. Not sure if i am even getting it all out with each attempt and it always seems to fill up with liquid after rain. Curious if it is from bilge water or rain water or ocean water from vent. Again thanks for your time and any response is appreciated. Also every time i check the water seperator it is full of water or beer looking liquid.

Thats a new one..its possable the tank is getting water from the vent, IF you have had that much rain, as for the tank rusting...NO 1999 fuel tank is made from steel...aluminum or plastic composit...so that leaves three access points..vent - gas cap/ sending unit access hatch.Here's what i whould do, siphon out all the gas you can using a plastic siphon - http://www.globalindustrial.com/gcs/product/productInfo.web?&infoParam.itemKey=30045930&utm_source=nextag&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=DrumPumps-nextag then after every drop is out...leave cap off...access cover off and in a dry area let the rest of the gas vaporize, hopefully the only thing remaining in the tank is small debris...Then , throw out the Attwood clear filter...throw out the car filter....ditto with the separator..right there are 3 more problems...Now go buy a Racor filter - http://www.discountmarinesupplies.com/Fuel_Filters-RACOR_TURBINE_SERIES_FUEL_FILTER_WATER_SEPARATORS.html after you install the new filter..buy a new fuel vent...buy a good 1-way ,then a new cap...lastly, close up the access hatch with a new gasket..then seal w/ SealAll..its removable but gas resistant. with all this done..the only place water is getting into the tanks...Bad Gas. Good Luck.
 
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