Weird Gas tank problem FS165

[softtop]

On my last fishing trip I decided to fill up the boat tank at the gas station. I placed the nozzle in the fill up spout and locked the hose nozzle to on. While it was filling I decided to clean the car windows. When I returned to the Boat I noticed it filled up about 20 + liters (over 5 gallons) and it was still filling.
I expected only to top up around 2 or 3 gallons tops. Anyways I stopped the fill and headed to the lake. On the lake there was a huge gasoline smell coming from the boat (I've always had a minor gas fume smell coming from the rod locker but not like this). This was heavy enough to make you sick. After a 20 minutes I returned to shore to check for gas leaks. I noticed the Rod locker carpet was soaked with gas and there was also about 1 gal or so in the bilge. In fact my float switch for the bilge pump was melted. Man this was Scarey. I could have easily gone up in flames or worse had the float switch turned on. Luckily the gasoline melted the lever stuck open.

I am not sure how the excess gas ended up in the boat without spilling out from the top of the spout while it was overfilled. I checked the Gas hose and air hose at the tank and they are both secure with no movement. Same with the connections at the Spout and the connection from the tank to the motor gas line.

Has any one else experienced this with their boat?

Thanks in advance
ST

 

[DeepV]

Re: Weird Gas tank problem FS165

Wow, that is something!

First of all, I never leave a pump unattended even on my truck. Bad things can happen out of nowhere. Try and always monitor the situation while you are pumping gas.

When you got back to the filler spout of the boat, what was it doing? Did the automatic shutoff kick in? If so, you may have filled your tank plus the rather long large diameter filler hose. After running down the road or lake, it may have wiggled slightly loose somewhere.

Also, there may be a vent valve on the tank to allow room for expansion. Gas coming out of the ground is cooler this time of year than the outside temps. You may have overfilled it and it expanded running into the bilge.

Either way, it is a dangerous situation. In all cases, overfilling a gas tank is a bad idea.

Keep us posted if you find anything else.

 

[softtop]

Re: Weird Gas tank problem FS165

Thanks DeepV for your reply.
I did some more checking and this is what I found. On Saturday May 23 I went out on the lake and ran about 15 miles on the boat. When I came back I added 10 liters of gas (5 gals) from a gerry can (slowly). Everything seemed OK no gas in the Bilge and No gas in the rod locker.
I opened the floor access port to the Gas gage Float switch. I decided to remove the float switch and check how much gas was in the tank (The gage shows full but anything above half a tank registers as full). As soon as I loosend the first bolt gas fumes started hissing out from the bolt thread area followed by some gasoline. I re-tighted the bolt and left it at that. So it looks like the tank is under pressure. So at least I know its not a hole in the tank or a loose hose connection.

Your suggestion of the gas coming out while I was driving seems to make sense. More then likely the gas was in the filler hose and while I was driving the gas warmed up, expanded and forced its way up the vent hole and down inside the boat into the rod locker and then settled in the Bilge area.

 

[overload]

Re: Weird Gas tank problem FS165

In my FS165, the gas tank ventilation tube just flopps around in the bilge. It is likely that you overfilled the tank and it overflowed out of the vent tube and into the bilge. I noticed that when my boat has been sitting around for a time, I got a gasoline odor in the bilge and storage lockers (not good!) and traced it to the vent tube. Ideally, the vent should be in a loop back to the fill port similar to a car, or vented out of somewhere higher than the tank, definetly not in the bilge. I have been meaning to fix this but in the meantime time I have the vent tube routed into the rod locker and out the locker door during storage and tuck it back into the bilge when I'm on the water.

 

[Irv964]

Re: Weird Gas tank problem FS165

In my FS165, the gas tank ventilation tube just flopps around in the bilge. It is likely that you overfilled the tank and it overflowed out of the vent tube and into the bilge. I noticed that when my boat has been sitting around for a time, I got a gasoline odor in the bilge and storage lockers (not good!) and traced it to the vent tube. Ideally, the vent should be in a loop back to the fill port similar to a car, or vented out of somewhere higher than the tank, definetly not in the bilge. I have been meaning to fix this but in the meantime time I have the vent tube routed into the rod locker and out the locker door during storage and tuck it back into the bilge when I'm on the water.

This is good to know, I will have to check mine out this wknd, although I have never had strong gas odor's or the like, I can faintly smell it in my middle console floor compartment.
Also I usually only fill my gas tank just over slightly half,(by the gauge) I find it lasts a good long time there, especially with my 4 stroke and there (imo) is no need to be carrying that extra weight around? (This is just my personal reason, I do not do long boat trips, mostly tubing, skiing, pleasure)

 

[willrush]

Re: Weird Gas tank problem FS165

FS165 2004
Bought the boat Memorial Day and noticed the fuel gauge does not work. I read on a previous post the gauge only works when you get below half tank. Is this true?
I have also noticed the smell after topping off the tank. I am going to run the tank down below half way and see if the smell improves and gauge works. I'll repost soon.

 

[overload]

Re: Weird Gas tank problem FS165

My gas gauge works fine, though like on a car the top half of the tank is bigger than bottom half.