Playing off another thread…I have a 10 micron Racor fuel filter with see through bowl that is set up on my four stroke 250 Yamaha. The filter is mounted below deck so I check for water before and after every trip in the bowl. What if I were to have an excess amount of water in the fuel tank and enough water got through the system filled the filter and then killed the motor? If I replaced the filter with a fresh filter while bouncing around in the ocean, then emptied the engine mounted filter and re-installed, and then used the primer bulb to refill the filters with fuel what are the chances of me being able to get the engine to re-crank? Is there any way to bleed of the bad fuel that has made it to the engine while at sea? Would this scenerio be any different on my older two stroke motor mounted on my flats boat?
Most engines have an inline filter as well under the cowling. The only way I can think that you could pump our the water if it got through your filter would be to disconnect the hosing as far upstream as possible and pump it out. I had a clog earlier this year and I disconnected the fuel hose under the cowling and pumped a quart or two into a bottle using the primer bulb. Once it is in the engine I don’t think you can do anything but cross your fingers.
I am assuming you are using Startron fuel stabilizer? If not, I highly recommend it. Startron actually breaks down water into small droplets so it can be burned by your engine. If you know water is in your fuel put IsoHeat in there. IsoHeat is good at soaking up water.
Why don’t you just put non-ethanol fuel and quit worrying about it. There are plenty of places to get it now.
Also, often times an engine will quit running because the fuel filter is full of water and gas can’t pass. This is the filter doing it’s job. Normally once you put a new filter on (always keep spare on boat), engine will fire back up. Just remember to fill the new filter with gas before screwing back on. I just disconnect fuel line and hand pump using bulb into new filter then reconnect fuel line and screw back on. If you don’t put gas back in fuel filter the engine will not run b/c it is full of air.
most motors, including the yamaha f250, have a VST drain
a simple flat head screwdriver opens the drain, and empties out the tank.
a few pumps of the primer bulb, and in comes new gas.
only issue would be if injectors have been clooged
When I bought my boat, an 86 wellcraft v20, the hatch over the gas tank was leaking water onto the gas tank. the fuel fill hose was rotten and letting water into the tank. I had water pass into the motor and stall it out. I drained the Racor bowl and opened the drain in the bowl of each carb and pumped clean gas in. Fired right up.
Thank you for the responses. Yes I am using Startron and yes I use ethanol free fuel; however due to having two kids under the age of 2 1/2 the boat sits for long periods of time in the winter and even ethanol free fuel is subject to having/or getting water in it. I keep two extra filters on the boat at all times plus a filter wrench so I feel as though I am pretty well prepared. Chris thanks for the input on the VST drain. In somewhat laymans terms could you tell me where would that be located?
That VST drain saved my butt one time offshore big time by allowing me to drain the water out of it so we could get motor restarted! Chris V. told me about them a year or so ago and saved us from havin a get a tow back in, as allways his advice was spot on and extremely helpful!
VERY good idea to carry spare filters and proper wrenches to remove them with, also have to watch out for the clear plastic engine mounted filter, ethanol swells them up to the point one cannot remove them, and even if you are able to remove it, it is next to impossible to reinstall due to it being swollen up, unless one puts it in a freezer for a while and “chill” it back down to its normal size so it will screw back on. I allways carry a spare engine mounted filter bowl as well when offshore.
Russ B.
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you can pump some fuel through the hose while the boat is on an incline. the fuel pickup is on the back of the tank, so if you are backed down a ramp or parked facing up a hill the water will run to the back of the tank to the pick up. pump fuel through the seperator and see if water falls out before taking the boat out. You shouldn’t have to do this unless you know you have a water problem or the boat sat all winter and you want to make sure it’s free of water.
the vst (vapor seperator tank) is what the fuel lines run to
its under the black plastic intake
its grey aluminum
there should be a small clear plastic hose attatched to the bottom
there is a flat head screw just above the hose