Help please, we are afloat in hood canal

The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
G

GrandWood

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2022
Messages
202
Hello all, we were just cruising along and engine quit like it ran out of fuel. I checked to see if there was fuel at the injection pump and there was. Undid the out put of the fuel pump and there was pressure and some fuel came out of the line. All looks good in the racor visually. There wasn’t and pressure at the injection pump.

Any help would be much appreciated
 
No worries guys, found the problem, I’m outta fuel, which is my dumbazz mistake, being a noob, I did t notice that the sight glass tube was closed, I thought I was just getting great fuel mileage and that both tanks were tied together, I tried opening valves from the starboard to port tank, and I can’t seem to figure it out how to get fuel across. Called boat tow and there bringing me fuel. First purchase when I get back to home port is a dang fuel transfer pump.
 
Is there no way to select the engine to the other tank if that one has fuel in it? There may not be a way to transfer, but you should be able to run the engine from either tank.
 
rslifkin said:
Is there no way to select the engine to the other tank if that one has fuel in it? There may not be a way to transfer, but you should be able to run the engine from either tank.
Click to expand...
That’s what I was thinking but I chased lines, opened valves and nothing is transferring over. I’m a noob and well I will get a mechanic to explain how this fuel system is set up, there’s a manifold type set up, looks original Grand Banks that I’ve seen in other old woodies I just can’t seem to figure out how to get the fuel to transfer over
 
GrandWood said:
That’s what I was thinking but I chased lines, opened valves and nothing is transferring over. I’m a noob and well I will get a mechanic to explain how this fuel system is set up, there’s a manifold type set up, looks original Grand Banks that I’ve seen in other old woodies I just can’t seem to figure out how to get the fuel to transfer over
Click to expand...
If it's a manifold between the tanks and engines, you should be able to select which tank the engine is drawing from and returning to. But other than drawing from one tank and returning to the other, there's likely no way to transfer fuel from one tank to another. So you'd want the feed and return valves open for the tank that has fuel, but closed for the empty tank. Then you'll likely need to bleed the air out of the fuel system before the engine will actually start.
 
GrandWood said:
That’s what I was thinking but I chased lines, opened valves and nothing is transferring over. I’m a noob and well I will get a mechanic to explain how this fuel system is set up, there’s a manifold type set up, looks original Grand Banks that I’ve seen in other old woodies I just can’t seem to figure out how to get the fuel to transfer over
Click to expand...
Don't feel bad. My first date with my now-wife was a harbor cruise. I had done some engine work and turned-off the fuel valve so we stalled a 1/4 mile from the marina. She still loves to tell the story how I pulled the corny "gee, must have run out of gas..." trick as an excuse to, well, you know.......
 
Your sight tube valves should always be in the closed position except when you are checking fuel levels. Don’t make a second mistake of leaving then open only to find a bilge full of fuel.

I prefer sight tubes over gauges. Check my fuel before each trip, calculate what I will use and then recheck after the trip. If I don’t end with the right amount of fuel I start looking for issues.
 
Yup. Open top, open bottom, check level, close both.

The only time those valves should be open is when you check the level.
 
I had the same issue once but it was due to unusable fuel.

If you can’t get fuel after switching tanks you may need to bleed the air out of it first.
 
tiltrider1 said:
Your sight tube valves should always be in the closed position except when you are checking fuel levels. Don’t make a second mistake of leaving then open only to find a bilge full of fuel.

I prefer sight tubes over gauges. Check my fuel before each trip, calculate what I will use and then recheck after the trip. If I don’t end with the right amount of fuel I start looking for issues.
Click to expand...

Have you ever seen this happen? I close them but I’m told it’s excessive caution.
 
Mine are just clear plastic tubes. Any impact could cause a leak. I always open the top before the bottom so if there is a leak, my hand is right on the valve.

No, never seen it happen. Hope I never see it happen. I do see a massive steel fuel tank with substantial valves top and bottom connected by a clear plastic hose.
 
bowball said:
Have you ever seen this happen? I close them but I’m told it’s excessive caution.
Click to expand...
I keep them closed as well as I figure that it is cheap and easy insurance.

During the survey of my boat, the surveyor made a point of noting that the sight tubes have a valve on the bottom, but not on the top. It is one of the many things that I haven't gotten around to yet.
 
dhays said:
I keep them closed as well as I figure that it is cheap and easy insurance.

During the survey of my boat, the surveyor made a point of noting that the sight tubes have a valve on the bottom, but not on the top. It is one of the many things that I haven't gotten around to yet.
Click to expand...
I got the same black mark about no valve on the top. Can't see it really matters. I never press the tank all the way up.
 
Boat tow showed up with 10gals of fuel, cruised over to pleasent harbor and fueled up. We’re back in business.

Like just about everything on this boat, nothing is labeled on the fuel manifold, so I’m going to have to take the time and figure it all out how it’s laid out.

Thank you for the tip on closing the sight tube valve as well. I would have left um open.

Also I just primed the lines from the lift pump, letting the air out at the bleed screw, and she fired right up.

Thank you all for replying much appreciated
 
GrandWood said:
Like just about everything on this boat, nothing is labeled on the fuel manifold, so I’m going to have to take the time and figure it all out how it’s laid out.
Click to expand...

I have a label maker on the boat. I try to label things so even an idiot can figure it out. This is made necessary since I am the chief idiot operating the boat.
 

Attachments

  • DSCF5150.jpg
    DSCF5150.jpg
    67.8 KB · Views: 35
mvweebles said:
Don't feel bad. My first date with my now-wife was a harbor cruise. I had done some engine work and turned-off the fuel valve so we stalled a 1/4 mile from the marina. She still loves to tell the story how I pulled the corny "gee, must have run out of gas..." trick as an excuse to, well, you know.......
Click to expand...
Well, it worked, didn't it Peter? I mean, she married you, didn't she? Just goes to show that you have great taste! Her's . . . .well, that's another story!:)
 
slowgoesit said:
Well, it worked, didn't it Peter? I mean, she married you, didn't she? Just goes to show that you have great taste! Her's . . . .well, that's another story!:)
Click to expand...
You know, I almost mentioned the time in Ensenada bringing Weebles from the yard to the marina. Alberto, the yard's mechanic who had done some work in the engine room, had inadvertantly switched off the main fuel supply line and the engine shut-down mid shipping channel....... (was good to have you aboard Scot - always traumatic when an engine shuts down unexpectedly).
 
Hmmmm, I had forgotten about that one. And no, I won't marry you!
 
GrandWood said:
Hello all, we were just cruising along and engine quit like it ran out of fuel. I checked to see if there was fuel at the injection pump and there was. Undid the out put of the fuel pump and there was pressure and some fuel came out of the line. All looks good in the racor visually. There wasn’t and pressure at the injection pump.

Any help would be much appreciated
Click to expand...
Bleed the fuel injection pump
 
I was backing my new-to-me Grand Banks 42 out of the slip after a bit of a prolonged warmup when with the bow just clearing the end of the slip, one or both engines coughed a bit. I was in neutral and instantly pushed both clutches in forward and got enough forward motion on to drift back into the slip before they died. Duh - all the fuel lines were left closed. That 1972 model woodie had four, bottom feed fuel tanks which could be cross drained into one another by opening the appropriate individual tank valves and a crossover valve which allowed the engines to draw from any tank which had its valve open.

I once delivered a gas boat with twin engines which could ONLY be supplied from the tank on their respective sides. The tanks were top-draw with no connection between them lower down like most diesel boats are equipped with.

Are your tanks top-draw (equipped with standpipes down in the tank and connected at the top of the tank)? In so, look around the tanks for a plug or maybe even a valve and hose at the bottom. If you don't have the ability to gravity drain the diesel between tanks, it is not much of a job to install what we in the Navy called a sluice line. I once pugged the drain plugs on each of my four diesel tanks (150 gallons of diesel in each on average) to install lockable drain valves. I probably lost all of a half cup of diesel onto the rags I had ready. So, installing a sluice line is not "rocket surgery." :)
 
The OP posted back in post # 3 that he had run out of fuel. It would behoove views to ready the posts before commenting on the thread. Often times the solution to the problem has been raised posts, or even pages prior . . . :whistling::facepalm:
 
Do to my noobness I just kept looking at the sight guages thinking I was getting unbelievable fuel mileage, I have since figured out the fuel manifold set up with the help from others here, and check my sight gauges opening and closing when I check engine room before start up. I can use each tank in either engine just opens g and closing valves located at the bottom of the tanks. Appreciate all the comments
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Coconut Runner
Caterpillar 3208 Fuel Injection Pump Symptoms
Replies
17
Views
1K
Ramblin Rose GB49
R
B
Fuel issues on 120 Ford Lehman
Replies
7
Views
322
Comodave
Comodave
G
Webasto help please😁
Replies
3
Views
553
Lepke
Lepke
BuoyOBuoy
Help. Ford Lehman Dies at worst of times
2
Replies
35
Views
3K
Delta Riverat
Delta Riverat
V
Diesel in my fuel injection pump
2
Replies
44
Views
5K
jgtrucking
jgtrucking

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom