Water in my gas

bayson

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'05 Gulfstream that I have water in my gas. I have a quarter of a tank in my rear 100 gal. tank and just filled my 50 gal. tank. I was flipping back and forth between tanks so not sure where the water is coming from. HEAT was recommended to remove the water. Will this work? If not what to use?
 
Don't use a dry gas additive! I use Sierra clear bowl filters.Run the boat and shake up the fuel in the tank. Drain filter before it gets too high. Repeat until you clean it up.

If you drop the filter dump into container, pour gas back in and top off with clean fuel. Put filter back in.

There are a lot of posts on Great Grady that cover this topic. Search "water fuel".
 
Hookup1 already wrote what to do, a fuel polishing company will probably do it better.
Last Summer when i pulled the fuel tank from my RIB the shipyard has a small polishing device to empty the tank.

What you should do is to figure out where the water comes from, a leak, condensation, hygroscopic action of ethanol fuel, contaminated fuel?

Chris
 
Appears I have the problem again. I am wondering if I have a bad tank? When I filled up last I noticed a little gas in the bilge, then nothing after. Now the engine is running at under 4k rpms. 300 Suzuki with 75 hours.
The boat stays on a lift.
 
I am wondering if I have a bad tank?
You have either a bad tank, a bad filler hose or a combination of both.

When you get fuel smell and gas in the bilge only when filling up then it's probably a cracked filler or vent hose if you have a older boat.
If you clean the leaked fuel, go out and get again fuel in the bilge then it is probably the tank, or the filler hose if it's happening only with full tank.

Have you checked the fuel sender plates, thats the most common place for leaks due saltwarer dripping on them and start to corrode the tank. That you had water in the fuel may indicate water water dripping from pie plate to the fuel sender and entering the tank.

Be advised that testing fuel leaks can lead to a possible fatal explosion, in your yard or on the water so you may opt to empty the tanks, ventilate them for some weeks and then remove Deck and then tha tanks to check correctly where the leak is.

Chris
 
You have either a bad tank, a bad filler hose or a combination of both.

When you get fuel smell and gas in the bilge only when filling up then it's probably a cracked filler or vent hose if you have a older boat.
If you clean the leaked fuel, go out and get again fuel in the bilge then it is probably the tank, or the filler hose if it's happening only with full tank.

Have you checked the fuel sender plates, thats the most common place for leaks due saltwarer dripping on them and start to corrode the tank. That you had water in the fuel may indicate water water dripping from pie plate to the fuel sender and entering the tank.

Be advised that testing fuel leaks can lead to a possible fatal explosion, in your yard or on the water so you may opt to empty the tanks, ventilate them for some weeks and then remove Deck and then tha tanks to check correctly where the leak is.

Chris
You have either a bad tank, a bad filler hose or a combination of both.

When you get fuel smell and gas in the bilge only when filling up then it's probably a cracked filler or vent hose if you have a older boat.
If you clean the leaked fuel, go out and get again fuel in the bilge then it is probably the tank, or the filler hose if it's happening only with full tank.

Have you checked the fuel sender plates, thats the most common place for leaks due saltwarer dripping on them and start to corrode the tank. That you had water in the fuel may indicate water water dripping from pie plate to the fuel sender and entering the tank.

Be advised that testing fuel leaks can lead to a possible fatal explosion, in your yard or on the water so you may opt to empty the tanks, ventilate them for some weeks and then remove Deck and then tha tanks to check correctly where the leak is.

Chris
Sounds like it could be the vent hose or cracked filler. Only found a small amount of fuel in the bilge when 1st filled, none since. Smell of gas in the cabin just after fueling.

Would the water leak into the fuel from the vent hose?

2005 23' Grady w/2020 300 Suzuki. This boat was kept in a boatel until 2018 and since on a lift.

Thank you for your help.
Nelson
 
I am not so sure you have a water issue. You probably do have leaky or permeable hoses than would explain the gas odor after gassing up. The little bit of liquid in the bilge is worrisome and unless you know how it got there and fix that issue, you shouldn't operate the boat.
If you do have water in the gas, you will have water in the onboard fuel filter and water separator. Pour a sample into a clear jar and let it sit for an hour or so to see if there are layers of liquid.
If you have a combo fuel fill check the o-ring. It may be leaking rain water.
When the motor bogs down, remove the gas cap and see if the problem goes away. If so, you have a blocked tank vent. You may also have a restricted pickup or anti-siphon valve. I am not familiar with the zukes and do not know what the on motor filter looks like. Is it opaque or is it clear?

If water is making the motor stutter or bog down, that should happen at low revs also and not jut at higher ones.
 
Would the water leak into the fuel from the vent hose?
It can if you have a damged external vent hose vent what let water enter the vent hose even if a gooseneck is there.
Depends if you have the outside of the hull one or the newer type venting inside the filler

Yes, could be either fuel filler or vent hose and given the age it's time to repace them anyway, but thats in most cases a guge PITA as they become stiff like hell and new ones are already stiff.
Permeating fuel hoses have kind of a more old, stale fuel smell while a gasoline leak smells immediately like fresh fuel, the nose test is a good one for pinpointing the direction.
However, you should verify this very well to exclude a fuel leak

Good further informations about the water in the fuel are above by seasick.

Chris