De-Fuel

[Scuba_ref]

I've pulled my fuel lines off at the engine to pump out fuel when looking to see if I had water in the bottom of my tank. The hose actually pulled right off. I used my YDS to activate the pumps to pump fuel. The other thing you could do is go for a WOT run on a local body of water and use up some of that fuel!

 

[itsdgm]

Thanks for this information! I suspect your boat is the same configuration as mine. Did you do anything to re-seal the pumps (gasket, sealant, etc?) after you pulled them? Did this solve your issue?

In my case, I wanted just to drain a bit of fuel for weight saving over an upcoming trip. Sounds like it may be more hassle than its worth though

Did you consider siphoning out through the fuel filler AT the tank? It looks like it is pretty easy access from the engine compartment. My nightmare is breaking a fitting on the tank in trying to remove the hose though.

It was actually pretty easy to get to it through the fuel sending unit. I think it would be harder to go through the fuel filler hose/tank connection. That is, if you can get the Tank/deck cover off easily. Mine come out pretty easily, but other guys have found those deck bolts glued in.

I do like @Scuba_ref 's idea of accessing the fuel pump, removing the fuel line, and having the pump do all the work.

 

[ncnmra]

To run the pump, you need to have YDS, right? If that's the case, it is possible to control only one pump at a time, or would I have to pull both fuel lines?

TBH: This is sounding like more work than I need to make for myself, for likely marginal gain. By my math, I'm carrying about 250-280lbs extra in fuel.

The WOT on the lake sounds like a grand idea: but our weather here lately has been awful :{

 

[ncnmra]

@itsdgm : When you re-assembled the fuel pumps did you put in new gaskets, or perhaps use any sealant? Did that process ultimately solve your issue?

 

[Matt Phillips]

Can you pop the access hatch open, then remove one of the pumps from the top of the tank and and siphon it from there?

If you go from the engine area, those little one-time crimp hose clamps are a pain. That being said, once you get them off, a standard clamp from any auto parts store is only about $1.25 (I had to replace a loose one last year at the lake). Just don't loose one of the hose retaining screws down to the nether regions of the lower bilge...you'll never see it again (don't ask me how I learned that lesson).

Remember, this is a minor inconvenience as you'll be boating again in a month with your boat...only 5-6 time zones away.

 

[Scuba_ref]

To run the pump, you need to have YDS, right? If that's the case, it is possible to control only one pump at a time, or would I have to pull both fuel lines?

TBH: This is sounding like more work than I need to make for myself, for likely marginal gain. By my math, I'm carrying about 250-280lbs extra in fuel.

The WOT on the lake sounds like a grand idea: but our weather here lately has been awful :{

You run one pump at a time...YDS connects to only one engine at a time.

 

[itsdgm]

@itsdgm : When you re-assembled the fuel pumps did you put in new gaskets, or perhaps use any sealant? Did that process ultimately solve your issue?

Sorry for such a late response. I didn't replace any gaskets. I simply removed the pumps to clean them and reinstalled with original gaskets. Same with the fuel sending unit.

 

[ncnmra]

Thanks for all the replies. I ended up leaving the fuel in there considering all the work it would have taken. The tow was absolutely fine (actually, it was great because we had a big tail wind, which gave me my best ever fuel economy).