I found an earlier post where a mariner found great difficulty in changing the fuel filler hoses on a 25 foot 1988 sailfish. I am going to do mine this winter as I have a slight leak. Access looks tough. My plan is to take off the cockpit plates, unscrew the hose filler flange. I am hoping I can just pull new hoses through as I pull the old ones out. Anyone had any experience with this?
replacing fuel filler hoses in a 25 grady sailfish
- Thread starter Capt Harv
- Start date
I can not familiar with that boat but you might have trouble pulling the new hose with the old since the connection of the old to the new will be fatter than the original. If that is the case, tie a drag line to the old and pull it through. Then use the drag line to pull the new hose. If the pull is tight, try some electricians lubricant on the new hose. Not too much just a little coating to help the hose slide.
I replaced the fill hoses on my 89 Gulfstream. Obviously you will have to pull the deck(s) above the tank(s) for access. The old hose is probably siliconed right where the hose goes through a stringer/bulkhead. There may even be a plastic zip tie or two on the opposite side of the stringer/bulkhead which may be very difficult to access to cut the hose loose. The hose will be bent in there and you may find it very difficult to pull out the hose in one piece. And, you may have to cut an access port in the side of the gunwhale beside the filler ports.
Recommendations:
1) I cut an access hole beside the filler ports to unbolt the filler and remove the hose. A tempress or beckson plate is used to cover the hole. I cut the round hole abeam the filler port with a roto zip... be careful you don't nick anything else inside the gunwhale.
2) After I detached the hose from the tank end, I cut the filler hose where it came out of the stringer. You can suck a cord down through the hose with a vacume cleaner if you need a pull through line. Tie the end of the line to something in the fuel tank bay.
3) After you unbolt the fill nozzle, you can pull the rest of the hose out through the gunwhale... this may require another person working through an access plate abeam the fuel tank compartment.
4) While my fill hoses were out, they exposed the Stbd side midships thru hull hoses. This might be a good time to replace thru hulls there if you haven't already.
5) While the fuel tank covering boards are off, you will probably want to replace the fuel lines to the motors also, since they are easily accessible.
6) The new hoses were relatively easy for me to get back in since they are much more pliable than the originals.
Good luck.
Recommendations:
1) I cut an access hole beside the filler ports to unbolt the filler and remove the hose. A tempress or beckson plate is used to cover the hole. I cut the round hole abeam the filler port with a roto zip... be careful you don't nick anything else inside the gunwhale.
2) After I detached the hose from the tank end, I cut the filler hose where it came out of the stringer. You can suck a cord down through the hose with a vacume cleaner if you need a pull through line. Tie the end of the line to something in the fuel tank bay.
3) After you unbolt the fill nozzle, you can pull the rest of the hose out through the gunwhale... this may require another person working through an access plate abeam the fuel tank compartment.
4) While my fill hoses were out, they exposed the Stbd side midships thru hull hoses. This might be a good time to replace thru hulls there if you haven't already.
5) While the fuel tank covering boards are off, you will probably want to replace the fuel lines to the motors also, since they are easily accessible.
6) The new hoses were relatively easy for me to get back in since they are much more pliable than the originals.
Good luck.
Once you have the deck hatches up, disconnect the lines from the tank inlets. Also disconnect the lines from the fill ports by reaching up under the gunwales if you can. Take a small block of wood or Starboard (really anything will work) and run two screws through the end of the old hose into the block and two screws through the end of the new hose into the block. Pull the old hose out from the fill port end and since you have the two connected, that will pull the new hose through the exact same path. I learned that trick from Fishon2 a bunch of years ago. 
Piece of cake! I did both of mine in under 2 hours...not including the deck hatch removal and reinstallation.
Piece of cake! I did both of mine in under 2 hours...not including the deck hatch removal and reinstallation.
Gman25
GreatGrady Captain
Capt Harv said:
I wish it was that easy. A few years back I had to replace the hoses on my 88 sailfish. I had to cut an access hole in the box below the fill hose. Then I discovered grady zip tied the hose under the non removeable deck. I had to make an access hole in the bulkhead under the deck and make a long rod with a blade at the end to cut the zips. A MAJOR PITA!!
2005 300 Marlin w/F250's