12-14-2009, 10:26 PM
I wholeheartedly agree with the full gas tank suggestion. Most people are worried about the condensation that builds up water in the tank. While the fuel separator (found on most I/O boats) helps with this, there is another BIG concern with condensation.
If you leave your boat outdoors between fishing seasons you will have a LOT of temperature fluctuations. This will bring with it quite a bit of condensation, then evaporation, then condensation again. Water is one thing. However, the evaporation can cause a really nasty residue buildup inside the tank on all surfaces above the fuel line. This appears as a white-ish powder and does not quickly dissolve into the fuel. It gets through your entire fuel system.
I had this happen to me and it ended up costing a LOT of money. I had to replace the fuel pickup from the tank, the ball valve at the top of the pickup, the entire fuel line, the fuel filter, the fuel pump, the lines from the pump to the carb, and have a major rebuild of the carburator. After all that was done I have had to replace the filter several times as it has plugged up from the residue still in the tank.
If possible, I would have just found a way to powerflush out the tank, but there is no drain at the bottom of the fuel tank and I couldn't find a good way to ensure all water was removed from the tank after the powerflush.
Several hundred dollars later and lesson learned. Keep the tank FULL when storing for any period of time at all!
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If you leave your boat outdoors between fishing seasons you will have a LOT of temperature fluctuations. This will bring with it quite a bit of condensation, then evaporation, then condensation again. Water is one thing. However, the evaporation can cause a really nasty residue buildup inside the tank on all surfaces above the fuel line. This appears as a white-ish powder and does not quickly dissolve into the fuel. It gets through your entire fuel system.
I had this happen to me and it ended up costing a LOT of money. I had to replace the fuel pickup from the tank, the ball valve at the top of the pickup, the entire fuel line, the fuel filter, the fuel pump, the lines from the pump to the carb, and have a major rebuild of the carburator. After all that was done I have had to replace the filter several times as it has plugged up from the residue still in the tank.
If possible, I would have just found a way to powerflush out the tank, but there is no drain at the bottom of the fuel tank and I couldn't find a good way to ensure all water was removed from the tank after the powerflush.
Several hundred dollars later and lesson learned. Keep the tank FULL when storing for any period of time at all!
[signature]