Boat Grumpage - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

TheSpecialist · 08-02-2010, 05:26 PM

I was out saturday morning,and the boat was running awesome. After fishing till slack we decided to make a run to get more pogies. After running about 10 minutes at 17 knots we are entering the area we want to be in, and all of a sudden the boat drops to like 1500 on the tach and the speed slows down. No alarms, so I throw it in neutral and she is idling fine, throw it in gear she takes off like normal and gets up to around 4000, and then does the same thing. I check the aspirator bulb and she is soft while the engine is running, not sure if this is status quo or not, so I squeeze it, and it won't inflate itself. So I am thinking something is going on here. I pop the inspection plate, a look see at the tank and it appears that the vent hose is cut, so I am thinking a piece of the hose fell in the vent opening?? So we make our way back to the ramp at about 5-6 knots, and once we get into the river she dies. While we are floating there I pop the engine cover off, and remove the fuel filter on the engine, when I did this I heard a whoosh, and the screen looked clean, so I put it back together. I then checked the primer bulb and it had re-inflated, so I am thinking if there was something stuck on the pick up screen in the tank, when I opened the filter it release the vacuum and it just came off. I prime the engine the bulb gets rock hard and she starts right up, so I mosey in at the no wake speed with out issue. Today I checked the vent hose, there was plenty of slack, so I took it off and cut it back and put it back on with new clamps. Then I looked at the cut and it was just the outer covering, not through. I put it on the muffs and primed it up and ran it for a bit and everything is hunky dory. I am now thinking run out the fuel, pull the sending unit and try and check the tank. Not sure what else to do right now, but this crap has got to end or it will be a Viking funeral soon...

nightfighter · 08-02-2010, 05:32 PM

Wait.... you got pogies down there????? We have none....

Wish I could help you, Bill, but a mechanic, I am not.....

freebie · 08-02-2010, 05:36 PM

you have what is called high vacuum issue. your vent could be clogged. check the outside parts and make sure it is clear. the other thing that causes this is the pickup tube(where you draw fuel from the tank) usually has a screen in the bottom of it. these screens tend to get clogged with debris that ethanol fuel cleans from the inside walls of older tanks. pull the tube out and remove the screen. you don't need it. while your in there probably wise to replace your anti-siphon valve. the reason it would run low speed is that once you slow down whatever clogged the screen fell back into the tank and no more clog. more likely to happen at high speed

TheSpecialist · 08-02-2010, 05:51 PM

Thanks Freebie, I am off tomorrow so I will pull the sending unit and check the screen.

freebie · 08-02-2010, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSpecialist

Thanks Freebie, I am off tomorrow so I will pull the sending unit and check the screen.

the screen is not in the sending unit. the sending unit if for your fuel gauge. the pickup tube is where the fuel comes from. it should un thread from the tank. make sure you use thread sealer when you put it back together. how did you make out on your waterpump thermos?

TheSpecialist · 08-02-2010, 06:28 PM

Waterpump no problem, thermos have not attempted it yet. The two outside bolts look tough.

Is the screen at the top, or on the bottom of the tube? In other words where the nipple with the hose barb threads in, or the fitting it self that the barbed part threads into?

striperman36 · 08-02-2010, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSpecialist

Waterpump no problem, thermos have not attempted it yet. The two outside bolts look tough.

Is the screen at the top, or on the bottom of the tube? In other words where the nipple with the hose barb threads in, or the fitting it self that the barbed part threads into?

it's not hard you need stubby wrenches, a deep socket set and a prybar

freebie · 08-02-2010, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSpecialist

Waterpump no problem, thermos have not attempted it yet. The two outside bolts look tough.

Is the screen at the top, or on the bottom of the tube? In other words where the nipple with the hose barb threads in, or the fitting it self that the barbed part threads into?

you need to unthread the square block from the tank itself. take out the hose barb and then you can get a wrench on the other part. should be 9/16 for the hose barb and 7/8 for the tube. the screen is usually at the bottom of the tube