Fuel around my batteries

[little doc]

I think I may have a tank failure. I took out my genny last winter and the yard did not cap the fuel return. When I looked at my batteries this last fall, there was fuel around them. I capped the fuel return, and thought the errant fuel was just from sloshing out the genny fuel return. fast foreward 2 months, and I go back to look at my batteries, and there is about 2 cups of diesel around the front of the batteries again( the boat has been winterized and not run in the interim). Does anyone have any suggestions? It is not obviously coming from the fuel lines, but I really don't know where it is coming from. Thanks, Scott.

[butch]

Hi Scott, You may want to try this. remove fuel vent at tank close shut-off put 3 to 4 pounds of air in vent with guage (if tank has a leak you will not hold preasure and also push some fuel out)if it holds - open shut-offs and repeat should hold or push fuel thu the leak. good luck, butch

[Rick]

A tank failure seems very unlikely. Is it the original tank ? The originals are very sturdy, especially with diesel fuel. Try the pressure test and anything you can think of to isolate it. Rick Ticket 85 SF Merc 454 MPI's Falmouth, MA

[lwrenn]

If the engines are cat 3208 check the throttle body fuel seal and on the top of the block. If the boat was sitting idle and not running I would also look at the genny fuel filter area. Around the batteries is it a sport fish or fbc?

[little doc]

The battery box is behind the rear bulkhead of the engine room. There was fuel in it (I thought from a missing plug on the top of the tank where the fuel return from the genny was). I removed the genny last year. I cleaned all the fuel out of the box, and left the boat dormant for a month. There was 2 cups of fuel in the battery box after a month. The engines were winterized and had not been started in the interim. I know fuel leaks in diesel berts are extremely rare. (I do have 3208's). It is in the yard now, and they will be doing the pressure testing bit this week. Scott.

[JohnD]

You probably already thought of this, could there be a leak somewhere else and then running down the battery cable?? Good luck finding it, hopefully just something simpe.

[little doc]

Looks like the tank is fine. Was probably fuel in the lines from last spring when the generator was removed (lines were left in). The last thing to look at is the fuel fill and vent lines, which will be done after the exhaust risers are replaced. The same yard did the genny, I hope the bill wont be too big for the runaround looking for a nonexistant leak.

[dougl33]

That's good news.