Slow fuel leak?

Lt.Mike

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TB2BLAZER,

My tank was not yet leaking, but on the verge. Cost me $800 plus shipping for a new 90 gallon tank for my Seafarer.

I got the dimensional drawing from Grady White customer relations by email.

Another member suggested Paul @ Patriot Marine Fabricating in NJ (609) 693-5542

Awesome manufacturer to work with and somewhat close to you.

I did the install myself. It's not rocket science, but gritty.

LeeView attachment 12758View attachment 12759
Might have been me referring you to patriot marine.
I had a 60 gal tank fabricated about 6 years back and I think it was $600. The guy is good and he gave me the cheapest price.
He gave me a time frame for it being done and met it without any games. First rate job!
Plan on replacing “all” your fuel lines and clamps while your in there too! Also new tank, new sender.
It won’t be cheap but how often do you plan on pulling it all apart?
Do it right and enjoy the next 10 plus years without thinking about it. ;)
 

leeccoll

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Might have been me referring you to patriot marine.
I had a 60 gal tank fabricated about 6 years back and I think it was $600. The guy is good and he gave me the cheapest price.
He gave me a time frame for it being done and met it without any games. First rate job!
Mike,
I have no doubt you would have helped me out with the lead!!
In my case it was UCPA111 that also used Paul for his Seafared replacement tank.
I have a friend that let me work on my installation at his house, and used to be a welder at on point. He commented how well the seams were done like ribbon icing on a cake.
What I love about Great Grady, is that everyone tries their best to help out their fellow man. :D
 

Sparkdog118

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If you have a poly tank, ethanol fuel can cut the life of the tank. I would recommend non ethanol gas for the sake of your whole fuel system.
 

TB2BLAZER

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Yes a happy ending indeed. I have seen the effects of ethanol in motorcycles so I run non ethanol in all my bikes and boat for sure.Thank you all for your help with this I greatly appreciate it.
 

seasick

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Can't get non ethanol gas in NYC:)
 

SmokyMtnGrady

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I have been doing boat work the last few weekends. One thing I did was replace my fill and vent hoses. The fill hose I discovered at the end of the boating season would weep gas as you filled it. My boat is a cared for 08 and I am willing to be you a steak dinner that the hose is weeping fuel.
 

seasick

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It doesn't even have to weep liquid, it can pass fumes through the walls of the hose.
 

seasick

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I am not sure. Honestly though, when ethanol was mandated, there were issues especially on certain fuel hoses. That was years ago and at my club, I don't see a lot of E10 problems. I do hear every now and then about water in the gas but in almost all of those cases, it was either water intrusion or a bad load of gas. The problems are greatly exaggerated in my opinion.
I have used gas stored for 2 to 3 years in a boat with out issues. If it doesn't smell awful and you stick the tank to check for lots of water, it is probably OK for general use. Yes there are some potential corrosion issues and some older hoses and gaskets that don't like it but the majority of those have been addressed.
The condensation debate will go on forever but I think back to the old days when folks added DryGas to their tanks to deal with moisture. DryGas is mostly alcohol! Many will point out that E10 is hydroscopic meaning it it absorbs water and that is true but if you add water to non ethanol gas, it sinks to the bottom anyway and after a while will build up to a point where it gets sucked into the plumbing. In some respects ethanol gas handles a little water better than non ethanol fuels
One real issue with E10 (and other blends of ethanol) is the possibility of phase separation. That can occur when a lot of water gets into the gas and can be a serious issue. I do not see this all that often in recent years.
 

SmokyMtnGrady

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I am not sure. Honestly though, when ethanol was mandated, there were issues especially on certain fuel hoses. That was years ago and at my club, I don't see a lot of E10 problems. I do hear every now and then about water in the gas but in almost all of those cases, it was either water intrusion or a bad load of gas. The problems are greatly exaggerated in my opinion.
I have used gas stored for 2 to 3 years in a boat with out issues. If it doesn't smell awful and you stick the tank to check for lots of water, it is probably OK for general use. Yes there are some potential corrosion issues and some older hoses and gaskets that don't like it but the majority of those have been addressed.
The condensation debate will go on forever but I think back to the old days when folks added DryGas to their tanks to deal with moisture. DryGas is mostly alcohol! Many will point out that E10 is hydroscopic meaning it it absorbs water and that is true but if you add water to non ethanol gas, it sinks to the bottom anyway and after a while will build up to a point where it gets sucked into the plumbing. In some respects ethanol gas handles a little water better than non ethanol fuels
One real issue with E10 (and other blends of ethanol) is the possibility of phase separation. That can occur when a lot of water gets into the gas and can be a serious issue. I do not see this all that often in recent years.
Not to nit pick,but octane hydrocarbon fuel is hydrophobic and alcohols are hydrophilic. I do not know what this hydroscopic thing you speak of..lol. The hydroxy molecule, OH, on alcohols will bind with water.

I minored in chemistry and we studied the properties of various carbon groups of which ethanol is one as well as octane. Ethanol us corrosive to certain rubbed compounds and can cause corrosion in fuel systems. My Tundra is E85 compliant. The dealer told me I can burn E 85 but if I do I need to change the oil every 3,500 miles and have the fuel system cleaned more often. Ethanol has messed up some of my lawn equipment and my Yamaha F25 carburetor. The little o rings in it dissolved. It's not benign. It takes more energy to grow an acre of corn and convert to gallon of fuel than fuel yields in return. If corn growers want to make ethanol knock themselves out, however we should not be mandating it in fuel and we should not be subsidizing their effort to do so.
 
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seasick

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Oops, I was close

hy·gro·scop·ic
/ˌhīɡrəˈskäpik/

adjective
  • 1.(of a substance) tending to absorb moisture from the air.
I also did agree on corrosion and deterioration of seals and gaskets in some cases. I am not a chemist but rather an electrical engineer. I did quite well in traditional and organic chemistry but fared a lot worse in physical chemistry:).
That was a LONG time ago
On the semi-political side, I am no fan of paying farmers to grow corn for alcohol production. I am not against subsidizing farmers in principle but the ethanol initiative was pure pork barrel politics. Assuming we needed ethanol there are less expensive ways to make it and also not impact consumer costs to the food chain. If the intent of adding ethanol to gasoline was to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, that argument is quite moot these days and has been for a lot longer than the current pandemic. I suppose this is not the right place to talk politics. Sorry.
 

Sparkdog118

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Down here in south Florida, at least 35% of my repairs at my outboard shop was an ethanol problem. Our humidity and the heat is off the chart all year around. Without stabilizing, ethanol gas lasts about 4 months before it smells bad. Non ethanol lasts 10 to 12 months before it goes bad. Every marina and many land based gas stations have non ethanol. I use it in everything I own except my tundra. All my lawn equipment and pressure washer has been going strong since 2008 without 1 fuel problem. Must be the cooler temperatures up north that help fuel last longer and not so do much damage.
 

seasick

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Down here in south Florida, at least 35% of my repairs at my outboard shop was an ethanol problem. Our humidity and the heat is off the chart all year around. Without stabilizing, ethanol gas lasts about 4 months before it smells bad. Non ethanol lasts 10 to 12 months before it goes bad. Every marina and many land based gas stations have non ethanol. I use it in everything I own except my tundra. All my lawn equipment and pressure washer has been going strong since 2008 without 1 fuel problem. Must be the cooler temperatures up north that help fuel last longer and not so do much damage.
Could be. We might find out this season since the past winter here in NY was pretty warm on average. Let's see how many folks break down or can't start their motors.
 
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Parthery

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Why don't you remove the sender and look into the tank? If the tank has fuel in it, the sender may be bad.

It's also possible that your fill/vent/supply hoses are leaking due to ethanol.
 

Lt.Mike

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The outboard I run is a2 stroke DT225. Suzuki recommends running a 50:1 premix after prolonged storage for the first tank giving the oil injection system a chance to get its act together.
Then it’s straight gas in the tank.
The engine runs fine on premix plus oil injection so I premix it with a 100:1 mix for the rest of the season. This serves two purposes, first it’s a cushion of safety if the injection pump has a hiccup or fails and the oil in the fuel serves as a barrier coating on all surfaces preventing oxidation or rust and keeping seals from drying out.
This has been done forever with marvel mystery oil for 4 stroke engines. Some old solutions still work.