[Brian Belcher]

I keep creating more problems by trying to improve others. It all started with getting the generator to play with the auto genset starter panel for my pure sine inverter (which is not working due to cooling fan going out!!!!). This has all lead to
A. Pulling fuel system apart
B. Pulling and breaking A/C
C. HELL HOLDETH NO CANDLE TO taking black water system apart

So, I want to make sure pick up tube in fuel cell is not collapsing causing a lean condition at WOT. That led to me breaking off the anti siphon fitting going into 90 degree ALUMINIUMUN fitting. Fearing I'd break it off in the bung of the cell, I decided to take 22 gal black water tank out.
Yeah
One problem
Last Sunday as we were leaving the lake from a 3 day 2 night stay, someone stole the adaptor for the hose at dookie vacuum sucker upper dock.
Sooooo
The tank was full. Annnd, we discovered that vacuum dookie sucker uppers are a marine thing ONLY. After calling all the RV and camp sites in central Arkansas , we found out the only way to get dumped was to unload at a marina and drive to the dock

But

The engine is disabled because I had broke the gas system.
Soooooooo, we had an extra 10 gal shop vac and we did it. After much gagging and hacking, we sucked it out and dumped it in the commode. And now the tank is out, the fuel tube is out and now I can get back to the original problem

The horn doesn't work....

[pllevine]

Ewww..... In a shop vac? I guess you dookey what you gotta dookey to get things done. Buy a surplus gas mask for next time


1998 202 Shabah 5.0L Alpha 1

[Hudson River Steve]

Wow!!!

[Firestone]

Brian..... wow

[Brian Belcher]

I'm trying to post videos but I guess I'm too old. I found a rather large flap of trash, looks like a piece of leaf, inside the gas line pick up tube fitting. I now have zero doubt that the bottom of the cell have trash in it. I'm taking a spare T1000 fuel pump from Orellys and pumping the take out.
Maybe I'll figure out the reason why my videos won't post.

[Brian Belcher]

[Hudson River Steve]

Brian,
Did the pickup tube have a sock on it or was it a straight piece of tubing? What is the pickup tube made of, copper, aluminum, plastic? While you have the dookie tank out carefully inspect the welds on the bottom of the tank. I am on tank #3 which is now plastic. The aluminum welds would not hold up to the blue water?

[Brian Belcher]

No sock and it is plastic. I wonder if the " material" I found inside the fitting was what was left of a sock filter. I will be replacing the tube with AL and I'll Tig it to a new AN fitting. I'm moving the anti syphon fitting up close to the pump. I want everything that might ever need servicing out from under the holding tank.
The tank is AL. I'll be taking it to the shop to reweld the joints. Something I have a lot of experience with. Our favorite fuel cells, the RC! 2161 was notorious for splitting along their welds. I'll be doing the same to the tank.
Biggest thing, no more using the head just cause you can !

[Hudson River Steve]

The "no more using the head just because you can" is a rule on my boat. It is there for absolute emergencies.

[ShabahZ280]

I've got the plastic holding tank as well. I've been there before too, engine coupler went out, and mechanic requested I remove the holding tank to save on his labor costs (and to make it easier to remove engine), so I agreed, before remembering it was 3/4 full. Granted, we never use the head for anything other than #1's (at least that I'm aware of!), but my god it was a horrible experience getting it disconnected, lifting it out and above your head, and finally getting it in the dock cart to wheel down to the fuel dock for disposal. I too, tried to take it to an RV park for pump-out, but they didn't have the correct fittings for the tank.

On a side note, as far as your "improvement" projects, I learned to pretty much just give up on trying to improve most things for the same reasons, especially this year. Granted I didn't anything this year, but just realized after some frustrating situations that, it's always going to be a 1999 boat. There's no sense in trying to bring it up to today's standards. I can put some nice "newer" simple to install options on it like LED lighting, electronics and things like that, but for the most part, I don't plan to modify anything else unless it absolutely breaks and is non-functional, and it's getting replaced with the OEM replacement parts to keep it simple. Last year it was an A/C pump, which was replaced with OEM parts, this year was a house water pump, replaced with same model, etc.

My horn gave out a few years ago, and I replaced it with a WOLO 115. Loud as hell, and a relatively simple install. You'll just need to bend the existing trumpet bracket slightly to the starboard side to fit the new trumpet. No new holes to drill or new wiring to run...

Boating needs to be on the KISS philosophy, Keep It Simple Sailor (or Sir)... Otherwise it becomes a job, and we all know pleasure boating is supposed to be enjoyable!