Starboard fuel tank access in Tomcat 255

P

Pacificcoast101

Member
I need to replace my fuel lines and look for a possible gas leak in my starboard tank. Do I need to remove the floor inside the cabin or cut the deck in the cockpit to gain access?
 
Phil,

Before you do anything drastic, consider looking around with an endoscope like tool or hiring that job out to a pro.

My 2010 has a very large cutout piece under the starboard sink/cabinet big enough to remove the tank without any deck cutting at all (also remove the starboard gunnel insert 8 screws to get at the tank fixtures).

I have read that all fuel hose manufacturers advise replacing all fuel hoses at 10 years from mfg date.

I’m surprised it’s not 3 years or 5 years, aren’t you? Sorry for the cynicism.

Good luck!
John
 
Sometimes a problem leads to a solution to many problems. We've had issues with gas fumes ever since we bought our Tomcat ten years ago. Most of the time we would fill up or whenever we went fifteen knots we were inundated with fumes. We had to drive with all of the windows open and deck plates off.

Last month we filled up in Marina del Rey. While filling up the starboard tank, the bilge pump came on. We rarely have any water in the bilge so this seemed out of the ordinary. I didn't notice any more fumes than we usually get. I guess I'm just used to the smell.

We made a few local trips and were shocked at how fast the fuel bars were dropping. They showed less than half a tank when we should have still been around six or seven bars.

On one of our last outings, the starboard motor quit as if it was out of gas. We made it back in on the port motor. I put five gallons in the starboard tank and the fumes were worse than ever. We went out again a couple of days later and the starboard motor ran out again after a mile. The primer bulb wouldn't get hard, so I changed the bulb and both water separators. The bulb still wouldn't get hard so I thought there might be a leak in the tank or crack in the fuel lines.

This morning I looked under the gunwale and noticed the gas filler hose was disconnected from the fill inlet. I tried to re-install it but it was too short. I had to loosen the clamp on the tank end of the hose, lift it up an inch or so and finally have enough hose to clamp to the upper inlet. I was able to clamp each end but will need to replace the hose with one a couple of inches longer.

I went to the fuel dock and filled both tanks. This time there were no new fumes. It took a disconnected hose last month to solve ten years worth of problems.
 
I will also say that you were incredibly fortunate that there was no spark in the wiring or some appliance which wold have ignited fumes...!!

Glad you found a "simple" problem.
 
That was a huge concern as we have two dehumidifiers, an air dryer, refrigerator, water heater, and a battery charger inside the pilothouse. We unplugged everything but the battery charger last month when the fumes got worse.

The bilge smelled fine this evening. We removed the cushions and carpet to air them out at home, opened the window in the head, and removed the deck plates. It's a little gassy in the pilothouse tonight but I'll check again tomorrow. I have a longer fill hose on the way.
 
It only took ten and a half years, but I solved most of our issues. The starboard filler hose was installed at the factory three inches short. The hose clamp barely held it onto the gas cap. There must have been a gap at the connection because we've had issues with gas fumes inside the pilothouse since we bought the boat. It took spilling about forty gallons of gas into the bilge before I discovered the short hose had come loose.

I replaced the hose with the correct length and tightened the clamps but the fumes remained. I checked the bilge and there was still a little gas left in it. I poured a gallon of bilge cleaner in the bilge, then later ran a hose inside for an hour. There was a light sheen on the water around the boat for about twenty minutes but it dissipated right away.

I left all of the hatches and inspection plates open for a couple of days, then pumped soapy water into the bilge this morning. I dried everything, cleaned mold off of the hoses and undersides of the access panels, and finally, after ten years the boat is fume-free.

A couple of months ago I installed grommets at the connection of the rigging hoses and the motors. The boat arrived from the factory without grommets. For several years the rigging hoses hung a few inches away from the motors, allowing saltwater to enter. This caused rust and probably led to both drive shafts becoming corroded and snapping.

For now, the boat is fume-free and the outboards are dry. I now look forward to a lot of trouble-free runs before the next issue pops up.
 
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