Fuel in bilge!!!
 

I have a 1998 35 fountain. I fueled up on sunday and I always lift the hatch and do the snift test. We ran around for a while and I kept smelling gas. I just thought it was the vent cause I had just topped it off.

Well........When I got her back on the lift and raised the hatch, the bilge had about 2 gallons fuel in it. I cleaned everything up, flushed the engines with no sign of leakage.

I made sure everything was dry, the next day when I got home from work I went to the boat and found about 2.5 gallons of fuel in the bilge. :mad: :mad: :mad:

As far as I can see all the fuel lines are tight. It appears that the hose connections are dry. I checked them at front of the tank where the fill and vent connects and also at the back of the tank where the lines leave.

Today I cleaned the bilge and turned off the ball valves where they leave the tank.

There is not a drain port that runs from the center of the boat to the bilge so if the tank would be leaking how could it leak through the fiberglass wall in the bilge area.

Has anyone had a fuel leak problem in a Fountain.
I know that Sonics are famous for the tanks to leak but never heard of a Fountain.

But again I just don't see how it could leak into the bilge cause it is sealed!!!!! maybe there is a drain port all the way at the stern of the boat.

If it is the tank how in the hell would you ever get it out !!!

Thanks for your input.

Joe Pasko :(

Re: Fuel in bilge!!!
 

you didn't fill your water tank with gas did you?

Re: Fuel in bilge!!!
 

could be a ruptured tank DO NOT RUN intill you fix it, i think you must cut the floor, call fountain i think they may of had some bad tanks but not sure.

Re: Fuel in bilge!!!
 

water seperator leaking? i had a brass fitting from the fuel pump leak once!?

Re: Fuel in bilge!!!
 

With the ball valves off, still leaking? Need to narrow down the options whether it is in the tank area or in the bildge. Might be a simple fuel line/pump leaking and siphoning out. We can only hope this is all.

I see you checked all the vent, fill, outlet and fuel sender locations for leaks and found none. Removed the inspection covers under the rear seat. Loose separator? I have heard of some having bad fuel tanks. That requires the floor to be cut open. :mad:
I also noticed on mine that there is no drainage from the fuel tank compartment. So that would make you wonder how fuel got into the bilge from a sealed compartment. Kinda points towards a bilge problem.


I 2nd the motion. Don't run it.
Good luck

Re: Fuel in bilge!!!
 

well the tank is leaking. got home tonight and found about 2 gallons of fuel in the bilge.
The ***** is I just filled up.I have 150 gallons of fuel to get rid of. :mad:

Any one have any ideal of what its going to cost to have the tanks replaced. I guess I'll take it back to Fountain. They put them together I guess they can take them apart better they anyone else. :(

Re: Fuel in bilge!!!
 

that sucks............i feel for you Bro. Tom

Re: Fuel in bilge!!!
 

That really does suck, but at least it happened in sept not may.Good luck. Get it to fountain asap or you might not see it till next sept,

Re: Fuel in bilge!!!
 

Hey Joe, Art Lilly does that kind of stuff all the time and will do as nice a job as you will find. Plus he is way closer so you can stop by and see what's going on. He did my buddy Marty's boat from the hull up (stringers, transom, tanks, floor) and it was like a new boat-his guys do exceptional work and know their Fountains. Let me know if you need his number or if there is anything else I can help with.

Re: Fuel in bilge!!!
 

I know of a 97 35 Fountain that ruptured the tanks. Art Lilly Fixed it.

Re: Fuel in bilge!!!
 

Well got home today and started pumping fuel,
the car's full, the trucks full, the seadoo boat is full, the lawn tractors full,
the neighbors boats full etc!!!!

Made arrangements to take the boat back to Fountain.
Gail lane and Martin Sanborn were just GREAT to deal with.
They are willing to work with me on the overall cost of the repair.

The customer service is a first class operation just as the Fountain Power Boats are!!!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!

Joe Pasko

Re: Fuel in bilge!!!
 

I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to have drain hole thru the rear bulkhead with the gas tank out just in case some water does get into that compartment??

BTW, with no drain holes, how did the fuel get into the bilge? The holes for the fuel lines to the motors? Those are pretty high up.

Re: Fuel in bilge!!!
 

I've got a 89 10 meter, and 3 seasons ago I went through the same problem. Both fuel tanks were leaking. When we cut the floor out and got the tanks pulled out, I found a 1" diameter tube that was glassed into the floor of the hull on both sides of the center stringer. It comes from the cabin and I assume it's a drain for the cabin since there is a drain in the cabin floor right where you step down into the cabin.
My wife noticed the smell of gas when she went into the cabin, and I found the carpet wet around the drain. It was wet from fuel. So I assume when the tanks leaked, the fuel went foreward to the cabin, and then drained back down to the bilge through the 2 drains along the center stringers.

Mine only leaked when the tanks were more than 90% full. But when they leaked you could see a trickle of fuel running down both sides of the center stringer in the bilge!!! As soon as the tanks were around 3/4 full, they did'nt leak at all, or at least I did'nt see any fuel in the bilge, and did'nt smell anything either.

Good choice, the only one you have, FIX the fuel leak.
Frank

Re: Fuel in bilge!!!
 

I had a leak on my port side tank only when full, it was the gasket on the fuel tank sendor leaking, a simple change of the gasket fixed my problem.

Re: Fuel in bilge!!!
 

Glad to hear Fountain is standing behind it.

Re: Fuel in bilge!!!
 

Lucky dog you. :cool:

Re: Fuel in bilge!!!
 

I had a leak in my '86 10-Meter's fuel tank, much like 10x's, fuel getting into the cabin, draining back into bilge. Mine also only leaked when they were full.

I had Fountain install new ones back in the winter of 2003. Port tank was 1248.53, Stbd tank was 1199.95. Labor to remove old tanks, 480... labor to install new tanks, floor, carpet was 960. Grand total was $3888.48. (with 15% racers discount on parts)

They did a great job on the whole operation.

Sorry, buddy. I feel for ya :(

Brian

Re: Fuel in bilge!!!
 

I'm taking the boat to Fountain on Nov. 4th.

I'm still not sure how the fuel is getting into the bilge area.
That area is completely sealed off as far as I can see.
We have a bilge pump in the step as you enter the cabin. But never smelled or seen gas in there, in fact its pretty dry.
I was talking to someone and they said there was a pvc tube in the haul but when I told him about the bilge in the step he thought they may have stopped putting in.
If there is a tube where does it enter the bilge area.......cause I can't see/find it.

Joe

Re: Fuel in bilge!!!
 

Joe
That tube should be on both sides of the center stringer, and it ends right at the bulkhead just behind your rear seat.

Re: Fuel in bilge!!!
 

i had a customer with an 00 38, and the tank was leaking around the bung for the pickup. fountain use s.s pickups in aluminum tanks, and as we all know that initiates a fast acting electrolysis problem due to dis-similiar metals. long story short, i cut the floor up in the bilge just behind the bulkhead, around a 11 by 30 whole, and just cut the tank area with the bungs in it out and welded in a new plate with bungs in it.
we thoroughly flushed the tanks with water and while welding filled the tanks with co2 for safety.

Re: Fuel in bilge!!!
 

NOPE.....That area is sealed off!

Re: Fuel in bilge!!!
 

How is the non slip texture of the floor reproduced when it is all cut up?

Re: Fuel in bilge!!!
 

There is a teflon/plastic sheet that has the diamond texture to it when the gel coat is sprayed in the repair area it is overlayed with the sheet and removed when dry We have done it a few times at the shp and it looks good when done.

I have same issue on 2001 Fountain 38 T.E. Main Fuel Tank fill hose is cracked and leaking and needs to be replace from deck fill to tank entry. I am having trouble finding the tank entry. I have located the vent line which is located in the head under the console on the port side near the the bow end of the tank. I just can't see where the fuel fill inlet is to place access panel to service and replace so far. Does anyone have any ideas? Can you send me Art Lilly contact information as he seems to know how to handle this one. thanks

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