Fuel tank for a 1990 2755, 80 gallon tank.-gctid399164

[Guest]

I have a 1990 2755 with a 5.7 merc, alpha 1.

I need help figuring out a gas tank issue. On the 4th of July we opened the cabin to prepare for a week of boating. There was an overwhelming smell of gas. I looked under the stair in the front bilge and there appeared to be sitting gas, approximately 2 gallons. I looked in the engine compartment and I saw some water, but it didn't smell of gas. So I assumed gas tank leak. I chose to cut a hole in the tank and repair it with epoxy. So I syphoned out the gas ÔÇô filled the tank with water and let it sit overnight so that all of the fumes would dissipate. Here is the confusing part, the tank sat full of water overnight and today there was no water in the front bilge compartment nor the engine compartment. So my question is, where else could gas come from to get in the front bilge? Could it have come from the engine compartment? I have not cut the hole in the tank yet because I am not sure now if I actually do have a hole in my tank. Thanks for any help.

[Guest]

maxdall wrote:
I have a 1990 2755 with a 5.7 merc, alpha 1.

I need help figuring out a gas tank issue. On the 4th of July we opened the cabin to prepare for a week of boating. There was an overwhelming smell of gas. I looked under the stair in the front bilge and there appeared to be sitting gas, approximately 2 gallons. I looked in the engine compartment and I saw some water, but it didn't smell of gas. So I assumed gas tank leak. I chose to cut a hole in the tank and repair it with epoxy. So I syphoned out the gas ÔÇô filled the tank with water and let it sit overnight so that all of the fumes would dissipate. Here is the confusing part, the tank sat full of water overnight and today there was no water in the front bilge compartment nor the engine compartment. So my question is, where else could gas come from to get in the front bilge? Could it have come from the engine compartment? I have not cut the hole in the tank yet because I am not sure now if I actually do have a hole in my tank. Thanks for any help.

Anything.

Personally, I've had both the fill hose from the deck fill AND the sending unit gasket fail. The fill hose tends to fail first where it's bent if there are sharp bends, in my case around the water heater.

Is the cabin bilge connected or separate from the engine bilge?

[Iproff]

The fuel tank on a 2755 is visible in the rear bilge right in front of the engine. The tank is in an enclosed area under the aft cabin that is sealed from the under the step bilge. The two bilges areas are not connected. The vent hose and the fill hose are in the rear bilge area. I owned a 2755 and I can't figure out how gas got in that area. Has the aft cabin floor ever been cut to remove the tank.

Ken

[Guest]

I figured it was due to a leak in the front part of the tank, I cut out the plywood in the back, it had never been done before. I don't know how gas would have ended up there unless there was a leak in the front - but it is seperated. But now there has been no water that has leaked when the tank is full of water. The thing is too, I had very little gas in the tank, maybe 15 gallons - when the gas was in the front bilge. I had been on the boat 2 days before the 4th. I am confused.....

[Guest]

I have the same boat, Ken is correct, the bilge under the stairs is forward of the gas tank and sealed off from the gas tank. I believe that all gas tank fittings are located in the engine compartment portion of the gas tank, a long ways from the forward bilge. Even if a fitting were leaking, even if there was a hole in the tank, how would fuel get into the forward bilge? Two gallons is a lot of gas.

What was the position of the boat prior to the gas discovery, was it parked on a forward downslope on the trailer? Then, did you move the boat or change the position when you tested out the water fill? Is there any chance someone could have poured gas in there? The potable water tank is visible under those stairs, no one mistakenly put gas in the water tank did they? Stupid questions I know, this is strange.

[Guest]

We had just been out on the boat on a Sunday and the 4th was a Wednesday - The boat is located at a Marina, so no trailering involved. The only thing I can think of is that gas could have leaked from the gas line and then moved forward into the front bilge (I don't even know if that is possible, I am new to boating and don't know too much about the design) but then I would have figured the entire engine compartment would have been filled with gas fumes. The Sunday prior we were beached on island, while we were hanging in the water we could see a film of oil/gas in the water - there was 50 other boats beached, so we thought it was from a different boat - we never sourced the gas/oil.

The boat is now in my front yard on my trailer - I have moved the bow all the way up and all the way down to see if it made a difference in leaking, and still I have no water leaking from the gas tank. I don't think anyone put gas in the water supply, someone would have had to have gone down to the marina with a gas can and sabotaged the boat- highly unlikely.

I have ordered some por-15 and it should be here later this week, I guess I will cut a hole and seal the tank with it. I just expected that I would have water in either the front bilge or engine compartment when the tank is filled with water.

[Guest]

I think I figured out where the "Gas" was coming from, I went ahead and took my camera and took a picture under the stair - it looks like the fiberglass is saturated with gas - So when I get water after a rain it picks up the gas fumes and then stinks like gas, but it is actually water. Now onto fixing the tank...

Attached files [img]/media/kunena/attachments/vb/702964=29612-IMAG0661.jpg[/img]

[Guest]

Keep us posted, I'd still like to know where the tank is leaking from.

[Guest]

maxdall wrote:
I think I figured out where the "Gas" was coming from, I went ahead and took my camera and took a picture under the stair - it looks like the fiberglass is saturated with gas - So when I get water after a rain it picks up the gas fumes and then stinks like gas, but it is actually water. Now onto fixing the tank...

Hi Maxdall, I see you finally got to the bottom of your problem (hopefully)

I have the same picture under the steps and i am almost positive that the water from the forward bilge does connect with the engine compartment. When I shop vac'ed the water from the engine on my 2755, it was also sucking in from the forward bilge. A full shop vac full of water came out of my boat. You can also see the dump tube in the engine comp. coming from the aft area.

[Guest]

I opened the tank today and saw the issue - I took a picture that is almost the exact same size hole in the almost the exact same spot as this guy's tank.

http://www.baylinerownersclub.org/forum/showthread.php?64093-1993-Ciera-2755-fuel-tank-repair-replacement/page2&highlight=fuel+front+bilge

I will post a picture later - what is with the design of these boats to make the tank do this?