[Public-List] A4 Engine puzzler

Michael Connolly crufone at comcast.net
Sun Aug 18 18:05:55 PDT 2013



Gord, 

  

While I like your attempt to blow and suck on your fuel line to diagnose the problem.  I am wondering about a more quantitative test. Something like get the carb full of fuel using tank one. Then switch to tank two disconnect line from carb and pump fuel into a container until the engine stops, keep track of the exact time and quantity of fuel pumped. Restart the engine on tank one and then disconnect the fuel line and run for the same length of time and check the quantity of fuel in the container. Yes......... fuel could be passing through the selector while in position two but if not enough then the carb bowl will eventually not fill and the engine will quit. Oh yeah, BTW don't burn the boat down while doing this exer cise. 

  

I hate to have you go down the wild goose lane, but me still thinks that it is something with the selector valve ..................... Obviously it is a fuel starvation issue, but from what?  If vents are open and pick-up tube in tank is OK and tank is clean and fuel line is not collapsing then what else can it be? 






Michael #133 ----- Original Message -----




From: "Gordon Laco" <mainstay at csolve.net> 
To: "Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all" <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> 
Sent: Sunday, August 18, 2013 5:24:14 PM 
Subject: Re: [Public-List] A4 Engine puzzler 

I'm just back from another bout.... 

I put the selector to draw from tank 2, then removed the fuel line at the 
engine and blew through it.  I could hear bubbling in the tank.  I carefully 
sucked until I had fuel coming out, reconnected the line to the engine.  The 
engine fired right up, ran for a few minutes then cut out and would not 
restart. 

I put the selector back to draw from tank 1.  After some cranking (to fill 
the carb I guess) it fired up and ran happily.  I switched the selector to 
2, a few minutes later it stalled. 

So, it'll run on fuel from tank 2, but wont draw from it.  Tank 2 is a pvc 
Tempo tank mounded up on the shelf in the port side cockpit locker. 

I wonder if the fuel pump has become so feeble that I won't pull the extra 
head?  But is there an extra head once the fuel line is full?  I'd think 
that the fuel coming down will sort of siphon the fuel behind it that has to 
come up. 

I have an electric fuel pump I bought from one of you folks - perhaps I 
should learn how to install it and see if that helps. 

G 



On 18/08/13 3:39 PM, "Michael Connolly" <crufone at comcast.net> wrote: 

> 

Gord, 

Remove the selector valve and check to be certain that there is full 
> flow in both positions. 

Michael 



----- Original Message ----- 


From: 
> "Gordon Laco" <mainstay at csolve.net> 
To: "Alberg 30 Public List -- open to 
> all" <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> 
Sent: Sunday, August 18, 2013 3:37:47 
> PM 
Subject: Re: [Public-List] A4 Engine puzzler 

I thought of that... Tank 2 
> is a new PVC tank. 


On 18/08/13 2:21 PM, "Glenn" <brooks.glenn at comcast.net> 
> wrote: 

> Sounds like the pickup tube in your second tank has corroded 
> through, causing 
> a break in the fuel suction. 

Glenn B 
dolce 318 

Sent 
> from my iPad 

On Aug 
> 18, 2013, at 10:28 AM, Gordon Laco 
> <mainstay at csolve.net> wrote: 

> Hi Gang, 
> 
> 
> I hope you¹re all out 
> sailing.... I stole Friday afternoon and yesterday 
> to 
> do a quick 
> overnighter up the coast. ?Had a wonderful trip. 
> 
> This 
> afternoon I¹ve 
> been making a determined assault on the annoying issue 
> 
> SURPRISE¹s engine 
> has; ?namely it¹s dislike of running while the fuel 
> 
> selector is set to 
> Tank 2. 
> 
> It runs fine on Tank 1, but when the selector 
> is set to 2 it 
> runs for only a 
> few minutes then cuts out and won¹t restart. 
> When I put 
> the selector back 
> to Tank 1, it starts again after a lot of 
> 
> cranking...but at first only with 
> the choke on (it gets over that 
> 
> quickly). 
> 
> When it stalls while running on tank 2, here¹s fuel in the 
> fuel 
> filter, so I 
> think it¹s getting gas. ? If the carb were getting 
> blocked, it 
> wouldn¹t 
> start again on either tank without a carb cleaning 
> job, but it 
> doesn¹t need 
> that. 
> 
> When the problem first manifested, 
> it was stalling 
> on either tank, but after 
> I¹d followed Don Moyer¹s 
> advice and retightened 
> all fuel line hose clamps, 
> the problem was 
> resolved with regard to 1, but 
> the issue still exists with 
> 2. 
> 
> It¹s 
> occurred to me that there could be 
> water in the fuel in 2; so I¹ve been 
> 
> putting fuel line antifreeze in to 
> absorb it.... But it occurs to me that 
> if 
> contaminated fuel were the issue, 
> I¹d have to clean the carb before 
> it would 
> run again and so long as I switch 
> to 2 that doesn¹t happen. 
> 
> 
> The weird thing is it ran quite happily on 
> either for many years before 
> this 
> started happening last season. 
> 
> Does 
> anyone have any 
> suggestions? 
> 
> Gord #426 Surprise 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________ 
> These businesses support 
> 
> your Association: 
> http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html 
> 
> Please 
> support them. 
> _______________________________________________ 
> 
> Public-List 
> mailing list 
> Public-List at lists.alberg30.org 
> 
> 
> http://lists.alberg30.org/listinfo.cgi/public-list-alberg30.org 
> 
______________ 
> _________________________________ 
These businesses support 
> your 
> Association: 
http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html 
Please 
> support 
> them. 
_______________________________________________ 
Public-List 
> mailing 
> list 
Public-List at lists.alberg30.org 
> 
http://lists.alberg30.org/listinfo.cgi/pub 
> lic-list-alberg30.org 
> 



_______________________________________________ 
These businesses support 
> your Association: 
http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html 
Please 
> support them. 
_______________________________________________ 
Public-List 
> mailing list 
Public-List at lists.alberg30.org 
> 
http://lists.alberg30.org/listinfo.cgi/public-list-alberg30.org 
> 
_______________________________________________ 
These businesses support your 
> Association: 
http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html 
Please support 
> them. 
_______________________________________________ 
Public-List mailing 
> list 
Public-List at lists.alberg30.org 
http://lists.alberg30.org/listinfo.cgi/pub 
> lic-list-alberg30.org 



_______________________________________________ 
These businesses support your Association: 
http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html 
Please support them. 
_______________________________________________ 
Public-List mailing list 
Public-List at lists.alberg30.org 
http://lists.alberg30.org/listinfo.cgi/public-list-alberg30.org 

 1376874355.0


More information about the Public-List mailing list