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  #1  
Old 08-26-2012, 06:17 PM
bigeasy1 bigeasy1 is offline
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Default Gasoline smell/may need fuel tank

I have a strong smell of gasoline whenever I fill the tank in my 23 Tsunami.This only happens when I fill it all the way.I never let it overflow and always stop pumping the gas at the first sign of any gurgling.
The smell is very strong coming from the hull vents up front.I had the boat on the trailer next to my deck,when we got the strong odor of gas coming from the vents.
Fortunately,when I restored the boat,I made the bottom of the front hatch removable,in case I ever had to access the the bilge area in the front.
When I pulled the panel up,exposing the bare inner hull and keel strip I didn't find any liquid gasoline,but when I rubbed my finger along the surface it was slippery and smelled of gasoline.I also lifted up the motor box in the stern(it's an I/O),to check the bilge,but didn't find any gasoline.There was some bilge water with an iridescent sheen,but I think that was more from a small oil leak from a previously leaking oil pressure sender.

I ended up mixing a batch of bilge cleaner and water and gave the entire bilge from front to bath a good cleaning.No odors since.
I'm hoping that it's from just a leaking fill or vent hose,or the fuel sending unit on top of the tank.All these hoses were new and alcohol resistant and installed when I did the resto three years ago.The sending unit was new as well,all hoses were double clamped.
This doesn't happen if I don't fill the tank all the way.
I put 15 gallons in when it was low and I got no odor.It only happens when I try and fill it.This leaves my to believe that It's either a minute leak from a loose hose connection,or the sending unit and may leak a tiny amount when the fuel reaches that height in the tank.

It's the original aluminum 1974 tank 55 gallon tank and was made in Hialeah Fl.It had some very tiny pitted spots on the corners,and surfaces,but we checked them extremely carefully,and even did our own pressure test on the tank with a couple pounds of pressure which held overnight.
I coated the tank with some interlux epoxy barrier coat to keep any future water away from the aluminum itself to stop any future corrosion.I only boat fresh water.

So, my three questions.
(***has anyone had any similar experience,or any thoughts on the issue?)
(***Who makes aluminum tanks in the New England area, if It ends up being the tank.)
(***does anyone make a sending unit that lasts longer than a year?

I checked out the plastic tanks but none fit my space,so it looks like I'd need an aluminum one built to the same size as the one I have in place already.
Any idea of the price range? I hope! it's not the tank.
I'm hoping to get back up to the boat(6 hours away)in early October to take up the tank hatch and check it out.

Here's a pic of the original tank,back in place with the new hoses and sending unit.



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Last edited by bigeasy1; 08-26-2012 at 06:20 PM.
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  #2  
Old 08-26-2012, 06:34 PM
FossilMan FossilMan is offline
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Wema brand sending units work incredibly well. No complaints from customers since I switched to them 12 or so years ago. http://wemausa.com
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  #3  
Old 08-26-2012, 06:46 PM
McGillicuddy McGillicuddy is offline
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wema sender appears to be of simple design and good quality. wemausa.com

About $35 shipped on ebay.

Regarding the odoriferous emanations of gasoline, my guess would be a poor fuel vent connection issue or just the smell coming from the vent.

Looks like you have a slight sag in your vent hose - that could be prone to holding gasoline and creating a fume zone that only vents when forced out by a fresh fill...

Hopefully it is not your tank.
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  #4  
Old 08-26-2012, 08:34 PM
BigLew BigLew is offline
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I think McGiillicuddy is probably right. If you get the smell when you are "burping" the tank on a full fill, you are probably pushing gas/fumes up the vent hose due to the filling pressure of the gas nozzel pushing gas into the tank.

Allow it to burp, and the SLOWLY top it off if you must. A half gollon or so may not make that much difference normally. Every pump has a slightly different shut off pressure and at least half of them will push gas up/above ahead of the resting level.
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  #5  
Old 08-26-2012, 09:20 PM
Dilligaf Dilligaf is offline
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haveing the issue now. all the hose were dry rotted and cracked. i figured since i went this far i pumped out all the gas and pulled the tank. extremely pitted where the foam was touching the tank. picking up my new tank tomorrow. if its the original tank..... REPLACE IT!
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  #6  
Old 08-26-2012, 09:31 PM
Bushwacker Bushwacker is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bigeasy1 View Post
. . . (***has anyone had any similar experience,or any thoughts on the issue?) . . .
John,

I've camped out on my Seafari MANY times, and trust me, if there are ANY fuel leaks, you'll smell it in the cabin when you're sleeping aboard! I'd bet on a small leak around the sending unit, that only leaks when the tank is full. I've had that problem before. I've found that the old No. 2 Permatex black goop is one sealer that will resist gasoline. Even with a good rubber gasket, it might be worth pulling that sender and smearing some Permatex on both sides of the gasket, especially around the screw holes. Denny
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  #7  
Old 08-26-2012, 10:47 PM
floorboy floorboy is offline
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I had a second outlet port that was plugged and leaking when I bought mine, don't see one on yours, just sayin. It only leaked when I filled the tank full enough to come in contact with the plug. Resealed it and all is good.
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  #8  
Old 08-26-2012, 11:01 PM
FishStretcher FishStretcher is offline
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I replaced the sender (Moeller, I think), vent and fill lines with legal hoses (A1/A2 or B1/B2 as appropriate) within the past year. I managed to overfill it until it came back out the fill hose this summer. After I mopped it up and ran the motor long enough to drop the fuel level below the fill hose to tank joint, then I had no odor of fuel. I didn't like paying for the new low permeability hose, but it really does work.

I have a 20 year old aluminum tank, for whatever that's worth. I would check hoses first, and think about a ethanol embrittled fill or vent connection. Especially if our tank held pressure last time you checked. The fill hose I yanked looked pretty bad.
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  #9  
Old 08-27-2012, 09:40 AM
CaptLloyd CaptLloyd is offline
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Had the same problem on my 20SF. It was the sending unit. New gasket and sealed with Permatext #2. Problem gone.
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  #10  
Old 08-27-2012, 11:38 AM
bigeasy1 bigeasy1 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bushwacker View Post
John,

I've camped out on my Seafari MANY times, and trust me, if there are ANY fuel leaks, you'll smell it in the cabin when you're sleeping aboard! I'd bet on a small leak around the sending unit, that only leaks when the tank is full. I've had that problem before. I've found that the old No. 2 Permatex black goop is one sealer that will resist gasoline. Even with a good rubber gasket, it might be worth pulling that sender and smearing some Permatex on both sides of the gasket, especially around the screw holes. Denny
Thanks Denny,
That's exactly where the smell is the strongest(in the cabin)The vents I mentioned were the hull vents,not the fuel vent.I'm sure it's not bad hoses,as they are three years old,and were the best I could get for alcohol resistence.
I hope I'm right in thinking it's a loose connection or a leaky sending unit.I can't see how it would be a leak in the tank,as it only happens when I fill it near the top.
Of course I didn't have the smarts to put a deck plate over the sender when I did the resto,but I'll put one in now,so I don't have to remove the hatch to get to it in the future.

Thanks to all of you for your help.
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Last edited by bigeasy1; 08-27-2012 at 11:46 AM.
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