Fuel Leak!!!

tmarshall · Post by **tmarshall** » Fri May 16, 2008 4:28 am

I have noticed a signifigant amount of diesel fuel sitting on top of my center bilge water. I dont kow if it is residual from changing filters and I spilled some. I have put absorbent rolls in the bilge to try to soak it up and it seems to keep coming back. I dont know if it is just sloshing around from spilling some from the filters but I dont think I spilled as much as I have recovered from the bilge. I have recovered maybe a half gallon of fuel. I am starting to think I have a leak in some component. I just dont know where to start looking. I have checked the filters and have NO leaks there. There does not seem to be a leak in the immediate vicinity of the engines. Are there any well known trouble spots where leaks commonly occur that I could check before I hand over hand all the lines and then pull the cockpit deck off to check the tank?

Post by **dougl33** » Fri May 16, 2008 5:14 am

Thom, What year is the boat? Do you have any diapers under/around the engines? Do you have a gennie?

michael · Post by **michael** » Fri May 16, 2008 5:36 am

THOM I had the same problem and it drove me crazy until one day for some reason I opened the cockpit hatch that is over the fuel tank while we were running and saw fuel coming out of the fuel sender.Every time the boat would bounce a little fuel would come out.I took out the sender and replaced the gasket and the problem went away. Have a full tank when you take a look. Michael 33sf

tmarshall · Post by **tmarshall** » Mon May 26, 2008 1:26 pm

The boat is an 83. I dont have any diapers around the engine because the bilges are clean under them...as far as I can tell. there is however quite a bit in the aft bilge under the gennie. I just cant pinpoint the leak now. -Thom

lwrenn · Post by **lwrenn** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 3:41 am

I had a simalar problem and found the seal bad on the throttle arm seal on the fuel pump. If it is ever hard to start or looses prime this could be your problem. See if you can see any deisel on the top of the block behind your fuel pumps on the 3208's. Then prime and watch where the throtle arm goes into the fuel pump.Hard to see due to the intake manifold blocks your line of sight. Mine was dripping when the engine was running. There is a check valve that has to be retofitted in the fuel pump to relieve presure on the seal. Not hard to do and less than one hundred dollars from cat. If this is your problem and you are taking the intake maifold off to acess the fuel pump be aware that the nut in the hardest spot to reach (lower left front only has to be loosened) Then the eight or so bolts that secure the rear part of the fuel pump are easy to get at. You will spill about a quart of fuel so some diapers under the engine are a good idea. I spent hours thinking my fuel tanks or fuel feeds and returns were leaking. No more stink in the bildge! Captain Larry Wren 305-360-4900 www.apirateschoice.com [img]http://www.bertram33.com/photogallery/p ... Choice.jpg[/img]