Can't get any fuel out via the Fuel selector switch.

P

petemos

New member
Has anyone had the three way fuel selector switch fail. I was just draining my fuel tanks, and my external fuel pump stopped pumping. The pump is fine, and I traced the issue back to the fuel line that comes from the selector switch to the fuel separator.

Before I start taking everything apart, wanted to get any feedback on this issue. I have noticed that the selector seems tight, and it was pumping fine until I selected the starboard tank, now I can't get gas out of either tank via the selector.

Thanks Jim :(
 
It is possible that the shaft is slipping on the body of the internal part of the valve, thus even though the handle is turning, the actual shaft or the body of the valve is not turning. First see if the shaft is turning--if it is not, you could try with a pair of Vise Grips--but I would just go ahead and take the valve apart.

What filter do you have? Is there any possibility that the filter is plugged up? I have seen small pieces of teflon tape occasionally block fuel passages.

That the valve is hard to turn, suggests that there is some material in the tank which may be impeding its function.
 
Hi Bob, thanks for the reply. The filter is good as i essentially went around it and tapped into the supply that goes directly from the valve.

Based on that, i think i will take the starboard cover that hides the valve off and see what i have. Hopefully its something i can blow out or snake out at the valve level. Maybe the fuel lines are going bad and clogging up the valve.

Thanks again.

Jim
 
Hi Bob, thanks for the reply. The filter is good as i essentially went around it and tapped into the supply that goes directly from the valve.

Based on that, i think i will take the starboard cover that hides the valve off and see what i have. Hopefully its something i can blow out or snake out at the valve level. Maybe the fuel lines are going bad and clogging up the valve.

Thanks again.

Jim
 
Only after replacing the switch did I discover that there was an 'off' position in addition to the Starboard and Port positions (which were pretty much worn away on Plan C

<chagrin>
 
so its not the switch, its the starboard fuel tank pickup is clogged.

So i removed all the screws and bolts to be able to slide the cover to the middle of the transom, but cant seem to be able to get it out all together. is there some trick to it? do you have to pry it out or bend it in some way to clear the bottom and top lips?

Thanks
 
I have a 2007 22 classic, with the fixed raised floor, so it does not seem to clear the floor that way.

Thanks for the comment.

Jim
 
Jim, I removed my fuel tank cover this summer. I understand your frustration.
Here's what I did and what I found:
When I first encountered resistance, I applied silicone lubricant to the sliding surfaces.
Next, I forced the cover toward the midline of the boat, as you did.
I discovered that the cover is not flat along the top edge and that if I did not position the cover just right toward the midline, the undulations in the underside of the splashwell would not allow the cover to go up sufficiently to allow the bottom edge to be brought out at the bottom. More specifically, the clearance under the lazarette is less than than under the splashwell proper.
After I initially extricated the cover, with great difficulty, I found that the screws holding a bracket on the cover penetrated the plywood stiffening on the back [sternward] of the cover just enough to interfere with sliding along the fuel tank. They were poking into the fuel tank just enough to impede sliding or lifting. Hopefully, this impediment is unique to my boat.
Once I finished with unkind thoughts about one of the P.O.'s, I ground the points of the screws down flush with the back of the cover, and since then it has been quite easy to install and to remove the cover - once I mastered the technique of moving the cover just far enough but not too far to the midline of the boat.
Indeed, the proper technique is to get the cover to the midline, pull upwards, and pull the bottom out toward you.
Hope this helps.
andy
 
Hi Andy, thanks for that info. I thought someone must have figured out a way to get cover off by now. I'll give it a shot over the winter, before i put everything back in place.

Have a great winter.

Jim
 
Jim, Andy's description sounds correct for my 2008 22, except my covers do not have extra brackets.

I added 2 photos to my album to show the positioning of the two covers for removal. Slide one cover (in this case the port cover) towards the middle a few inches, then slide the other cover toward the middle, with the top behind the top of the other cover. When you get it right, you will be able to easily lift the first cover up sufficiently to clear the bottom of the permanent deck floor. Then move the other cover to the middle and take it out. Re-installing is the reverse.

When you re-install, be sure to seal the screw holes that secure the bottom of each cover to the vertical drop in the permanent floor, to prevent water from getting under the floor. A chunk of butyl tape works well for that situation where you may occasionally remove the fastener.

I wrestled with those covers too, and I took the photos to remember how to do it. Now the tough part is the hard rubber fuel fill hoses! No easy way, except maybe do it on a warm day.

Doug
 
Jim,
Writing instruction manuals clearly must be a real art!
Doug gives a great description of the process.
To clarify my original description, the bracket with the screws which protruded into the front of the fuel tank on my 2007 was added by a Previous Owner to hold, perhaps, a boathook or similar. There is a bracket on each cover.
On my particular boat, there is no fastener on the bottom of the cover which would require sealing. I can't really see that the covers require that extra bottom fastener since they don't rattle or shift even with just one screw/bolt in the top. My intense dislike of penetrations into closed spaces would incline me to omit the bottom screws and permanently seal the holes. Just my hang-up!
andy
 
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