Weeping fuel from vent 460 SunDancer

[Shorty0227]

I Have a 2000 460 SunDancer, when I put fuel in I get a little fuel weeping from the vent, looking for any thoughts.

 

[PMC]

When fueling, I listen for the change in sound from the vent, and when the tank is full, I can get a quick squirt out the vent. Is that the same situation, or are you weeping during the entire fill?

 

[scoflaw]

You might have a low spot in the vent line that is holding fuel. You could clear that with compressed air.

 

[Shorty0227]

When fueling, I listen for the change in sound from the vent, and when the tank is full, I can get a quick squirt out the vent. Is that the same situation, or are you weeping during the entire fill?

It does it right from the start, then stops as I fuel

 

[Shorty0227]

You might have a low spot in the vent line that is holding fuel. You could clear that with compressed air.

Thanks for the reply, I looked at both tanks, the vent lines are good, no dips in them, it just does it when I start fueling then stops, I worry about moisture, it's just a very small amount just enough to make a little mess.

 

[Jaws]

Same boat. It still might be a low spot in the line. How do I know?
Once in a while there is a bit of fuel that comes out as you describe but only on the port side. I always have a "burp bottle" over the vents during fueling so no harm done if it happens.
I traced my vent lines and the port line has just a bit of a sag midway along the line. The reason is this: the forward supports are not equal on both sides in my boat. The support on the port side is slightly too short which then pulls the vent hose a bit too high at that point. It's very slight and I will correct it some day by placing a slightly longer support arm to keep that line perfectly straight and elevated all the way back to the vent without sags.
Check the vent line supports I am describing and compare them, port and starboard. See if your boat is similar.

 

[The Bill Collector]

Same boat. It still might be a low spot in the line. How do I know?
Once in a while there is a bit of fuel that comes out as you describe but only on the port side. I always have a "burp bottle" over the vents during fueling so no harm done if it happens.
I traced my vent lines and the port line has just a bit of a sag midway along the line. The reason is this: the forward supports are not equal on both sides in my boat. The support on the port side is slightly too short which then pulls the vent hose a bit too high at that point. It's very slight and I will correct it some day by placing a slightly longer support arm to keep that line perfectly straight and elevated all the way back to the vent without sags.
Check the vent line supports I am describing and compare them, port and starboard. See if your boat is similar.

Port side only drips a little during filling, I now have tried to take dips in the fuel line out and have blown air into the vent trying to clear any remaining fuel. The boat has done this for 12 years and I have always put the port side on the fuel dock so I could put the catch bottle over the vent. I am filling up on Thursday this week and it will be the first since removing the dips and blowing the line... fingers crossed.

 

[Shorty0227]

Same boat. It still might be a low spot in the line. How do I know?
Once in a while there is a bit of fuel that comes out as you describe but only on the port side. I always have a "burp bottle" over the vents during fueling so no harm done if it happens.
I traced my vent lines and the port line has just a bit of a sag midway along the line. The reason is this: the forward supports are not equal on both sides in my boat. The support on the port side is slightly too short which then pulls the vent hose a bit too high at that point. It's very slight and I will correct it some day by placing a slightly longer support arm to keep that line perfectly straight and elevated all the way back to the vent without sags.
Check the vent line supports I am describing and compare them, port and starboard. See if your boat is similar.

Thanks for the input, I will check them again. I have had Searay's for 35 years, this is my first one with this issue. The vent line comes straight up about 6" over the tank then all the way to the back with a small loop, still above the tank then out the vent, my guess it might be getting trapped in that small loop.

 

[kap2]

Install one of these in each of the vent lines.

 

[The Bill Collector]

Install one of these in each of the vent lines.
View attachment 73805

Please read the description... it doesn’t address the issue we are having...

 

[scoflaw]

I'd get rid of the loop. Question is, how does the gas travel strait up 6" ? Maybe your overfilling the tank, so if you fill to the point that your fill line is also filled with gas , that would explain it.

 

[Shorty0227]

I'd get rid of the loop. Question is, how does the gas travel strait up 6" ? Maybe your overfilling the tank, so if you fill to the point that your fill line is also filled with gas , that would explain it.

Thanks for your reply, I just get a little weeping when I start to put the diesel fuel in, then it stops, if I fuel it full then it does the normal squirt out the vent, I try not to fill it that full.

 

[The Bill Collector]

Thanks for your reply, I just get a little weeping when I start to put the diesel fuel in, then it stops, if I fuel it full then it does the normal squirt out the vent, I try not to fill it that full.

My port side weeps the entire time I'm fueling... When I'm close to full I put ear close to the nozzle and the filling pipe starts to whistle I then stop with no squirting.

 

[Shorty0227]

My port side weeps the entire time I'm fueling... When I'm close to full I put ear close to the nozzle and the filling pipe starts to whistle I then stop with no squirting.

Thanks for the reply, this is my first boat with Diesel's, I wonder if there is a little more moister in diesel vs gas, my Racor are fine, water separators are fine as well.

 

[The Bill Collector]

Thanks for the reply, this is my first boat with Diesel's, I wonder if there is a little more moister in diesel vs gas, my Racor are fine, water separators are fine as well.

Keep an eye on your Racors and they will tell you how your fuel is doing with bacteria growth & water in the diesel. Please read and follow Frank Webster's tutorial on diesel fuel management...

 

[ttmott]

Thanks for the reply, this is my first boat with Diesel's, I wonder if there is a little more moister in diesel vs gas, my Racor are fine, water separators are fine as well.

Hopefully you are treating your fuel properly as that will keep moisture and any bacteriological issues at bay. Frank Webster has a great fuel treatment system and has that in the tech section of this forum.

 

[Shorty0227]

Hopefully you are treating your fuel properly as that will keep moisture and any bacteriological issues at bay. Frank Webster has a great fuel treatment system and has that in the tech section of this forum.

Thank you again for the reply, I have a simple question a number of you have mentioned Frank in the tech section, how do I get to that?

 

[The Bill Collector]

Thank you again for the reply, I have a simple question a number of you have mentioned Frank in the tech section, how do I get to that?

donate to CSR