[Alberg30] Fuel vent / overflow

R.C. Alley ralley at chesapeake.net
Tue Jul 2 19:33:22 PDT 2002


Bill: Yeah, it's a vent; the tank won't fill properly without one, which
makes the proprietors of fuel docks unhappy. Note  that the tubes originally
supplied occasionally get blocked with things like wasp nests, because there
is no screen.  You can also ameliorate the spillage problem by installing a
sufficient loop in the vent line, if you don't like Mike's answer......

While you are messing about with your tank, you might want to do at least an
ersatz pressure test. My steel tank has a series of pinhole leaks which I
only found by removing the tank and scrubbing the hell out of it.  Damned
thing wouldn't hold water.....The grunge in the bottom was just thick enough
to stop the flow of fuel out the holes;  when stirred up by REALLY bad
waves, the engine would elicit symptoms of fuel starvation when the pick-up
tube screen got clogged.  New vinyl tanks don't rust and don't need
grounding.

Rob Alley
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Blevins" <bblevins at fredericksburg.com>
To: <public-list at alberg30.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 02, 2002 2:04 PM
Subject: Re: [Alberg30] Fuel vent / overflow


> So I'm assuming that it's to vent "air" rather than act as a fuel overflow
> in it's original design?
>
> Bill
>
> --
>
> On 7/2/02 1:40 PM, "Mike Lehman" <sail_505 at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > Bill, I had a problem with the line aft starboard of the coaming. The
line is
> > simply a copper tube, I believe it's 1/4" and it needs to be looped so
water
> > can't infiltrate the line. My problem was that on a sever heel to
starboard
> > the fuel would spill out of the tank onto the after deck. I solved the
problem
> > by drilling a hole through the deck under the stanchion nearest to the
> > starboard winch. I ran a rubber vent line through the hole and up to the
top
> > of the stanchion and sealed the deck/hose hole with caulking. Now the
vent
> > line is inside the stanchion nearly to the top, so in order to spill I
would
> > have to lay the boat on her side, at which point I decided I would have
other
> > things to worry about other that spilling a little fuel.
> >
> > Mike Lehman
> >
> > "Gilleleje" #505
> > "One can never enter the same river twice. The river is always new; the
man is
> > forever changed."
> >
> > ----Original Message Follows----
> > From: Bill Blevins
> > Reply-To: public-list at alberg30.org
> > To:
> > Subject: [Alberg30] Fuel vent / overflow
> > Date: Tue, 02 Jul 2002 11:56:09 -0400
> > I'm sorry I don't have a photo of this, but...
> > My fuel tank is located inside the starboard locker. There is a return
from
> > the engine into a brass "T" where the top goes back into the tank and
the
> > other vents through a line towards the stern.
> > The line goes through a bulkhead, then loops down and back up to a brass
> > tube that goes up through the topside woodwork on the cockpit rail.
> > I had a leak in that main overflow line at one of the many fittings
added
> > over the years and am having another one (all one piece) made.
> > The questions are...
> > Does it need that loop down and up in the back?
> > The metal part is grounded at the "T". Is that necessary? (It looks like
the
> > tank is grounded too.)
> > Is there a better way to connect the line to the brass hook other than a
> > clamp?
> > Is there a better vent than the brass pipe bent into a hook?
> > Is this both an air and fuel overflow vent?
> > The tank is really tall and I would guess that the line needs to stay
above
> > the tank level but that doesn't look possible.
> > Is this that big of a deal as long as it doesn't leak?
> > Any words of wisdom appreciated.
> > Thanks!
>
>  +---------------------------------------------------------------+
>  |  Boatowners Mechanical And Electrical Manual by Nigel Calder  |
>  | http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/007009618X/alberg30-20 |
>  +---------------------------------------------------------------+
>
> _______________________________________________
> Public-list mailing list -- Public-list at alberg30.org
> http://www.alberg30.org/mailman/listinfo/public-list
> To unsubscribe: email to Public-list-request at alberg30.org
> Include command "unsubscribe <password>" in subject or body.
> Use command "help" for more options.
>


 +---------------------------------------------------------------+
 |  Boatowners Mechanical And Electrical Manual by Nigel Calder  |
 | http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/007009618X/alberg30-20 |
 +---------------------------------------------------------------+

_______________________________________________
Public-list mailing list -- Public-list at alberg30.org
http://www.alberg30.org/mailman/listinfo/public-list
To unsubscribe: email to Public-list-request at alberg30.org
Include command "unsubscribe <password>" in subject or body.
Use command "help" for more options.

 1025663602.0


More information about the Public-List mailing list