Gas fill vented and grounded plastic fill

[Longboatjimmy]

I have a 2001 chase 263, and am replacing the perko gas fill due to a leak. When I removed the old one, there was a ground wire attached to the bottom of the inside of the fill. The perko gas fill I got doesn’t have this option, and I’ve read to not ground plastic gas fills. I am wondering if the previous install modified this perko fill to accommodate the ground wire. It attaches to the screw that is holding down the cap retaining chain.

Any ideas if I can use this new perko fill and if so where do I put that ground?

Thank you!

Jim

 

[Fishtales]

The wire can serve two purposes. It can be a bonding wire to stop electrolysis which can occur from plumbing using dissimilar metals. The other is a path to ground for to dissipate any static charge between the pump and the boat. It the fill is plastic, you don't need the wire. There is no path to ground as the plastic is an insulator. I'd neatly dress the wire so it doesn't bang around or chafe anything.

 

[Longboatjimmy]

That’s great
Thank you so much for your reply

It’s weird, I think the previous person drilled a hole through the cap retaining chain screw hole to come out the other side, where he attached the ground wire.

 

[seasick]

Here are the Coast Guard regs:
If the fuel tank deck fill fitting is nonmetallic, and nonconductive hose is used as a fill pipe, there is no need for grounding the fill fitting. Chrome-plated plastic fill fittings are treated the same as metallic fittings.
If the connection to the plastic fill is conductive, it must be grounded. ( I assume that does not include band clamps on a non-conductive hose)

From the Perko site:
Plastic fuel fills should NOT be grounded.

 

[Ekea]

I know this is an old thread, but I’m doing the fuel tank and fill hose on my 263 Chase as well.
I have a plastic perk fill “fitting” with a metal screw cap. Like the OP, the screw that holds the metal screw cap to the plastic fill fitting has a ground wire on the bottom. The wiring goes into the factory harness and is labeled “fuel grnd”. This is a factory design.

Question..leave as is, or ground fitting to tank? Tank will be grounded to battery neg regardless.

 

[SkunkBoat]

The fuel hose has a steel wire in it. The clamps are SS. The cap is chrome. The attaching screws are SS.
I would keeep the ground wire attached.

 

[Hookup1]

I did both fuel fills last Summer along with new tanks. Use the spacer included with the fills to raise the fill up 3/8". Helps keep water away from fill.


I re-installed my green ground wire to the back-side of the screw for the chain to the metal fill cap. I don't have a photo or remember any drama. I don't see the ground doing any harm.

 

[seasick]

I know this is an old thread, but I’m doing the fuel tank and fill hose on my 263 Chase as well.
I have a plastic perk fill “fitting” with a metal screw cap. Like the OP, the screw that holds the metal screw cap to the plastic fill fitting has a ground wire on the bottom. The wiring goes into the factory harness and is labeled “fuel grnd”. This is a factory design.

Question..leave as is, or ground fitting to tank? Tank will be grounded to battery neg regardless.

I am not sure what you are describing about the metal cap has a screw that attaches it to the fitting.
If there is a screw on the cap it self, that is for a retaining chain to keep the cap from getting accidentally lost.
The purpose of the ground wire on the fill to tank run is purely to discharge static electricity. If static electricity builds, there is a greater possibility that when inserting or removing the fuel nozzle, a spark could be generated.
That circuit for lack of a better word is not the same as a wire out of the harness that is labelled fuel ground. That is the negative connection for the sender. If you had a plastic tank for example, you would need that connection in addition to the sender 'signal' wire for the sender to work. Typically the ground tab of the sender is connected to a common point on the gas tank and that common point is connected to the battery ground circuit.
If you original tank setup had a ground wire connected to the underside of the fuel fill fitting and you are using the same fuel fitting, there should a connection the ground. If the fuel fitting is plastic, regardless of the cap material, you do not need a ground at the fitting. If you have a metal gas tank, it should be grounded.