I am smelling a fuel smell from a boat that I just bought today. I'm concerned because it is being stored it in my garage, which could be dangerous with all the fumes. Is there anything I should do or check to fix this?
Fuel Smell
I am smelling a fuel smell from a boat that I just bought today. I'm concerned because it is being stored it in my garage, which could be dangerous with all the fumes. Is there anything I should do or check to fix this?
Last edited by Fire Ball; 09-20-2009 at 12:18 AM.
Need to know more about the boat first. What style of boat, what make, model, year? What kind of engine? Built-in fuel tank? Portable fuel tank? Pics of boat and motor would help. ;)
Could be as simple as a flooded carb or leaking fuel line. Have you started the boat since you got it?
It is a IMP 16 ft tri hull from the 70's. It has a 80 hp Mercury on it with a portable tank. (Pretty sure it is portable)Originally Posted by Kevman
I tested it out for about an hour or two today at Piru on the way home.
Last edited by Fire Ball; 09-20-2009 at 01:21 AM.
So the fuel tank is above deck? I mean can you see the fuel tank (usually it's red plastic if above deck)? Or is it like a car where you have a gas cap and you can't see the gas tank? If the fuel tank is above deck, try to move it and check for any gas leaking around the tank or on top of the tank, or around the fuel hose fitting.
If the boat has a built-in tank like a car, those tanks are required to have a vent. You might smell a weak gas smell as a result.
How did the boat run at Piru? Did it start easily? Were you able to run at full speed smoothly? Does your boat have a fuel bulb that you must squeeze prior to starting? If yes, does the fuel bulb get hard once you squeeze it a few times?
Have you taken the cover off the outboard to see if the fuel smell is stronger there? If your carburetor is clogged and your float is stuck, sometimes the carb can leak fuel. You might even see some leaking fuel under the cover.
Have you checked your fuel lines (usually black rubber hoses) both to the motor, and the fuel lines under the cover of the outboard, for leaks?
Those are some things to check. If you respond back with more info, we can help you better.
Last edited by Kevman; 09-20-2009 at 01:32 AM.
The fuel tank is in the back of the boat in a little compartment. You fill it directly into the tank and it is a red metal tank.
The motor didn't start very easily, we had to spray some of this stuff in the motor. Also, my grandpa said it would be ok to leave the cover off the motor after spraying the stuff on the motor, which I didn't feel was a good idea. We were running it well at full speed for a while, but then it just started going slower and then it would speed up again a minute or two later, but not quite as fast. I think it might have been a problem caused by leaving the cover off.
Yes, it has a fuel bulb and yes it has a vent on the cap that we have to open up. The cap is a little rusted on the bottom of it, so we are going to try and clean that off some. I'm not sure if the bulb got hard after a few pumps, because my grandpa was pumping it and I was in the driver's seat.
I haven't taken the cover off to see if it is a stronger smell, but I don't think it is, because I smelled around the cover a few hours ago. It seems like the smell is worse when I open the compartment with the fuel tank in it.
I didn't notice anything wrong with the fuel lines.
Last edited by Fire Ball; 09-20-2009 at 01:41 AM.
It sounds like the carburetors in your motor are dirty. I'm not sure how many carbs your motor has. If you post the serial number of your motor, I can tell you what year it is. I'd recommend you buy a shop manual for your motor so you can learn more about how to work on it.
I assume your grandpa sprayed some pre-mix gas into the carbs. Back in the old days they used to spray "starting fluid," which is basically ether, but I wouldn't recommend that since it causes the motor to run without the oil in the gas that is necessary to properly lubricate it.
When your motor only starts easily when you spray gas in the carbs, that is indicative of a fuel delivery problem. Your motor isn't getting enough gas so it only starts easily when you spray extra gas into the carbs.
That your motor runs at different speeds and slows down while running, then speeds up but doesn't run wide open, is indicative of dirty carburetors also.
Running the motor with the cover off won't hurt it, provided you keep everything inside nice and dry. If you splash water on the electrical system, well that's obviously not good. It's OK to run for a short time without the cover when you're not moving and you want to inspect something, but much better to put the cover back on when there may be splashing.
If you don't see any signs of leaks around the fuel tank, the fuel lines, the fuel bulb, under the cover, etc., you are probably ok. It is normal for the compartment with the fuel tank to smell more strongly of gas. You said yourself that the fuel tank has a vent that you open. That's how the gas smell is getting out. Since the gas tank compartment is fairly enclosed, it's just trapping a lot of the fuel fumes in there.
It doesn't sound like you're in any immediate danger from the fumes. Like I said, post the serial number of your motor (you can find it on a metal plate riveted or glued to the exterior of the motor) then I can tell you what year it is. After that you can buy a shop manual and learn lots more about your motor.
I'd strongly recommend you look into cleaning the carburetors. If the motor has been sitting for some time, you may want to rebuild the carbs completely, which involves replacing a few parts in addition to cleaning the carbs. Finally, if you have old gas in the gas tank that will definitely make your motor run like crap. Put the old gas in a car, and put nice fresh gas in the boat. Your motor will run better and be less likely to clog the carbs.
Anyways, that should be plenty for you to chew on. Post again if you need more help.
Good luck!
Kev
Last edited by Kevman; 09-20-2009 at 01:57 AM.
Thank you so much for your time. I will go check it out in the morning and tell you what it is. I'm probably going to take it in to get a tune up soon.
The fuel might not be too new and the previous owner didn't mix the oil and gas too well. We filled the tank with 3.5 gallons of gas and mixed in some oil (50 to 1) after we bought it because tank wasn't too full.
Last edited by Fire Ball; 09-20-2009 at 02:08 AM.
Carbs definately need to be rebuilt, All 4 of them.... Fuel pump will also need to be replaced, as well as lower unit gear oil,spark plugs,and maybe all the hoses inside.... Sorry man,but I don't know if it was the best deal, tri-hulls by todays standards are not really good riding hulls and are too common to resell for more..... Also, your motors tune-up will be about $400-500 because of all the carburetors.... Did you run it before you bought it though?
Yes, I ran it before I bought it. I think there is a leak in the fuel line, because the fuel is pudding in from of the outboard.
I had a 75' 85hp Mercury for 30 years on my Mon Ark green Machine. To get it to start up properly you would pump the buble until fuel would leak from the carb and puddle in the front of the engine, it was necessary every time we took the boat out for 30 years and it ran like a clock. All the different mechanics who tuned her up all said it was the way those merc ran. You sputter problem is unfortunately a Carb problem and that is not a cheap venture to get it done properly. I spent 2700 on my new boat that haddn't been run for year putting on a new carb, all new seals, new impellar and all new fluids along with pumping out all of the old gas. I would strongly recommend that you clean your fuel tank out completely before putting new gas in it. It may be worth it to just buy a new one. The 2700 I spent getting it completely redone and up and running was the best money I ever spent. I wasted many trips trying to nickle and dime my way to getting a motor running. Just my 2c worth but I was there myself not too long ago.
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