@help Fuel leak/fuel smell

[SCSTWG]

Hey @HELP Guys - on the boat (2011 AR240) for the first time this season with the family. Noticing stronger than normal gas smell from different storage compartments. While at anchor I was poking around and removed the fuel hatch cover. Under the tank I see some fluid pudding ( maybe a 1/4"). Gave it the finger test and it is either strait gas or mostly gas. First, am I safe to get it back to the marina....10- 15 minutes?Second, thoughts on troubleshooting? I did not see any fuel around the sending units on top of the tank. Thanks for the help.

 

[2nazt]

I would make sure to run the blower the whole time and you should be fine to return to the marina. I would check the vent line for plugging or cracking along with the condition of the fill hose and the the hose clamps. The vent line could have a low spot that is holding fuel and possibly rotted it out. Or not venting and causing pressure in the tank.

PS You need to put @ help into the body of the message or it will not tag the network of users.

@Administrative do you wanna check this post and add the tag if you feel needed and retitle for more visibility

 

[SCSTWG]

Ok. Thanks. Going to run it back to the marina, get the family off and take a closer look. I appreciate any other thoughts as well. Just hoping it is not s leak in the tank. Thoughts about getting the fuel on the floor of the compartment removed?

 

[2nazt]

Remove the fuel hatch cover and I used my oil extractor since it is just vacuum no power to cause spark.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

- hose clamps of fuel fill
- hose clamp at air box
- tighten tank top sender unit bolts

Sure hope it's not a cracked or cut tank.

 

[ToddW850]

I know you said first time running it this season, but did you top off the gas tank today? Or at the end of last season?

 

[SCSTWG]

Thank you for replies. I got the boat back to the marina and drove the family back home. Heading back to marina to look at it now and check all connections. Good idea on the oil extractor. This was the first time out with boat this season and the gas was topped off before I put it away at the end of last season. I will report back with my findings.

 

[SCSTWG]

In regards to the vent line, where does that appear?

 

[SCSTWG]

Re-Cap:

Took the boat out today for the first time this season. Fuel had been topped off as part of the winterizing routine as always. Upon prepping the boat for launch, my wife and I noticed fuel smell, but wrote it off to the boat being under cover in storage for the past 7 months. Open the engine hatch, ran the blower, etc. Boat ran perfectly on the lake. After about 60-70 minutes of cruising around the lake, we dropped anchor and as we were getting food out from storage compartments, my wife again commented on the smell of fuel. I did some poking around and agreed with her. Engine compartment looked good and did not smell of gas more than normal, but head and other storage areas did. Decided to peel back the carpet and look inside the fuel compartment. I usually only pull this when cleaning the boat before storing it for the winter. Top of the tank was bone dry and all connections looked secure. Upon further inspection, I saw liquid under the tank, reached down and got it on my finger tips and smelled a strong sense of gas...uncertain if it is 100% gas or water with gas. Posted @HELP, ran the blowers and got back to the marina without incident.

Brought the family home and got my tools. Took the following steps:

1. Removed gas tank cap - all seemed normal as expected.
2. Visually inspected and smelled the gas tank vent - could smell gas faintly and the screens on the vent appeared to be clear.
3. Inspected engine compartment - No sign of fuel in engine compartment and nothing else out of the ordinary
4. Removed fuel department hatch cover - Top of tank completely dry. Tightened all clamps and bolts even though nothing seemed loose or out of the ordinary. Again, noted fuel on floor under tank (there is 2"-3" around the tank that you can see down to compartment floor). Cranked trailer jack tongue all the way up forcing fuel to rear of compartment. Removed fuel with oil extractor (thank you for the idea @2nazt ). I think I was able to get 90-95% of the fuel removed. I estimate there was between a quart and half a gallon. Did not notice any new fuel gathering with front of boat elevated.
5. Inspected vent and filler hose/connections - in order to get access I had to remove a cover in the engine compartment. Could not get a screwdriver on hose clamps, but connections felt secure and were dry.

I am taking the boat back out in the morning. Before taking it out I am going to see if any additional fuel has gathered. If so, I will bring it to the Yamaha dealer. If not, I will take the boat out and keep a close eye on things. If boat gathers more fuel during usage, will get off the water and bring to the Yamaha dealer. I don't see myself pulling the tank and I want to keep the family safe.

Any thoughts on the situation? Anything else I should be doing? I appreciate the help.

 

[Bruce]

If it continues to leak you will need to locate the leak so that it can be repaired or parts replaced.

 

[SCSTWG]

If it continues to leak you will need to locate the leak so that it can be repaired or parts replaced.

Yes Bruce, that is the plan. I see that Yamaha Sports Plaza has the tank for $437. Of course there are many other parts in the gas tank assemble as well. Of course, hoping it isn't the tank, but will do what I need to to make it right.

 

[Bruce]

It is rare for a tank to have issues. I would think that a fitting or hose is a more likely cause.

 

[SCSTWG]

It is rare for a tank to have issues. I would think that a fitting or hose is a more likely cause.

I like the way you think! Perhaps when the fuel is sloshing around in the tank it is coming out of the one of the fittings. We will see. I may try driving the boat with the fuel cover hatch off and keeping an eye on it. Any concerns with this?

 

[Bruce]

I would run for a while then check for a smell before boating without the hatch.

The fuel might be leaking from the filler hose when you fuel up or from the the vent hose when the fuel temperatures rises and it expands.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

I think topping off the tank might help recreate the problem

 

[SCSTWG]

In other words, a PITA to troubleshoot.

 

[2nazt]

I second @Murf'n'surf with the tank being filled again to troubleshoot. I think it could of been tank being full and fuel sitting in filler hose for 7 months constantly warming and cooling caused the issue from somewhere, could be dry on the top of the tank but the added pressure before tank is vented off could be forcing fuel from the gasket around sending unit or pumps. I would fill the tank and and angle the boat up with the hatch off and I think you find your issue there. After an hour of use with the boat you would have burned it down from full and the area leaking would be dry. It doesn't take long for fuel to vaporize and be dry by time you went to inspect.

 

[itsdgm]

I agree with the others above. More than likely the fuel is leaking out of a gasket, connection or fitting on the top of the tank. It probably had fuel in the filler tube when stored and it leaked down to the level at which the leak was at during winter.

If there isn't fuel in the compartment after sitting at its current level for some time, I'd refill it and look at the top of the tank for a leak. You'll then might need to run the boat to lower the fuel level below the leak so you can repair it. But maybe it's simply a clamp that you've tightened already.

 

[Seadeals]

I have always feared topping the tank until the auto shutoff based on horror stories of fuel expansion flowing out the vent and destroying graphics. I don't like the idea of fuel in the filler hose or at the pump gaskets. That is why I pull the floor for my winter fill up very year and fill until the gas just starts to touch the top of the tank (in my boat's case at a low spot in the middle).

 

[Julian]

This is why I install fume detectors on my boats....cheap way to be alerted to gas fumes (one deadly way to go).

Hunting this leak down will be a pain. One person before had a leak in the tank due to the fuel sender poking a hole in the tank, but if that were the case here....you'd have a lot more fuel on your hands. If you tightened all the fittings already, you might never find out why it leaked as you might have fixed it....