Problem fueling a 191FS?

[2007Triumph]

Yeah, This is the first boat I have owned so I am clueless. I really did think it was normal. I have just learned to listen for that sound it makes just before the gas hits you in the face and spews all over my buddies fishing reels! It's nice to know that it can be fixed.

[FishinFool]

Well, they didn't fix it in the 2008 191FS! I have also had problems fueling my boat and I suspected that my problem was fuel in the vent line to the tank. After reading this forum, I investigated my problem and found that Triumph routed the vent line UNDER the cockpit drain hose. This allowed the vent hose to slip off of the top of the fuel tank and it drooped down about 3 inches beside the tank. When I blew air through the vent hose, it indeed had fuel in it.

To fix it, I disconnected the hose from the filler vent and rerouted the hose over the top of the cockpit drain hose. Then to make sure it could not drop down again, I used a wire tie to cinch it off to one of the other hoses so that now the hose come straight off the top of the tank.

I haven't tried it yet (put fuel in it), but I believe it can no longer hold fuel.

Tony

[waterboy]

Thanks for the advice. I will try that.

[FishinFool]

Ok, so my fueling problem is better on my '08 191FS, but it is still not fixed. After some additional investigation, I have found an additional dip in the vent line. I pulled the deck plug in the center of the floor which is over where the vent line hose connects to the fuel tank. I happened to run my hand down the hose leaving the tank and found that Triumph cinched the hose to the boat beside the tank with a hose clamp...the problem is where the hose is connected to the boat is at a point lower than the level of the hose where it connects to the tank. I can barely touch the hose clamp, so I don't know how I'm going to get to it to fix the problem.

One other thing to look for...I happend to pull the storage tray on the starboard side of the livewell today and look down in there. I found that with the boat sitting on the trailer, the end of the tank toward the bow of the boat sits lower than the end toward the stern (I was about 10 gallons down and could see the level of the fuel through the side of the tank)...and this is with the tongue jack on my trailer at its highest point. This can make a difference since the fuel inlet to the tank is on the stern end and the tank vent is on the bow end. On my Avalanche, this problem gets worse since the trailer tongue sits a good six inches lower than with the tongue jack all the way up. When I put fuel in it today, I actually jacked the tongue of the trailer up (with the trailer attached to the truck) at the filling station. It seemed to help...you just have to remember to stow it away again when you are done!

It seems like Triumph would fix this problem by modifying the height of the front "v" bunk to sit the bow up higher...

[fridaysoff]

FishingFool,
My 2008 195CC has a dual axle trailer.I assume yours does also.My trailer hitch was too low for my boat too.I found a hitch with a six inch rise in it and now my boat/trailer sits level which places an even weight on both axles and it makes it easier to fuel the boat. Another thing that will help if you can do it.Before you fuel your boat, take the gas cap off and blow through the vent outlet.It will clear the vent line and the tank will fill faster until you run it over and fill the vent line again. Sounds stupid but it works.
John D.

[F&SStan]

I'm a new 2008 191 owner and did not have this problem on my first fill up, but I did with my last 16 gallon top off. I don't k now if it will work, but for $2.29 I got a transmission funnel and cut the bottom of the funnel off to maximixe the diameter of the tube while still fitting into tye gas fill opening. I'm hoping that the tube will allow air to escape while filling the tank. I'm also hoping that the vapor capture gasket on the gas nozzel will still function in the large funnel opening and the auto shut off will still function. The funnel stores easlily in the witness hole just under the gas fill. I just need to put some hours on the motor and try my contraction at the next fill up. Then I can update this thread with the results.

[marcusk]

I'm also a new 2008 191 owner. The first time I fueled, I didn't have a problem, but sure enough, the second time was when I took a surprise face-full of gasoline just seconds after I started filling. It took me about 10-15min just to add 20 gallons to the tank by pumping for a few seconds at a time and waiting for the gas to drain into the tank.

I luckily found this thread after I got home, so at least I understood why the vent wasn't working.

I decided to try to make a quick "tool" to blow air into the vent to unclog it (since I didn't really feel like putting my mouth against the gas filler to blow into the vent tube).

I basically rigged a hand air-pump to a gasket made out of half of a floating key-chain with a small hole drilled through it. You hold the outlet hose of the air-pump with the gasket sealed against the tank air vent opening on the neck of the gas filler, and squeeze a few fast pumps of air into the vent. This forces the fuel sitting in the vent tube back into the tank, and unclogs the tube.

When I fueled last weekend, I first verified that the vent was still clogged (I only took a small splash of gas to the face this time), and then I tested my pump. Sure enough, it worked. After purging the tube, I was able to pump in 25 gallons at full-speed.

I'm going to try properly resolve the issue, by re-routing the vent tube to avoid dips, as others have suggested on this thread.

In case I'm not able to do that, I'm probably going to try to make a more elegant work-around pump solution, like adding a valved tee to the vent line, so I can connect a better pump, maybe permanently, and have it all hidden under the access port next to the fuel fill location.

I'll update this thread with some pics, and if I have any luck with the permanent fix.

[marcusk]

I updated my last post with pictures of the air pump that I described to clear out fuel from the vent hose.

I also tried getting access to the fuel vent hose under the deck so that I could re-route it to avoid any dips, but I didn't realize that the deck was both screwed down and glued down. I gave up for now, since I didn't want to undertake a major operation. I'll let my dealer try to fix it.

[NCangler]

I passed the original post by the factory for their input and here is their response:

The correct solution is to make sure that there is no belly in the fuel or vent lines. Excess hose can cause a belly (point that is lower than the fill/vent location on the tank) that collects fuel and prevents proper breathing during filling.

Hope this helps.

[waterboy]

Marcusk, Great idea. Thanks for the post and the pics. I wil rig something like what you've shown. Makes perfect sense.

The unfortunate reality is that this has been an issue for several years and Triumph has done nothing to fix the design. I've owned 3 boats and have friends that have owned dozens. NONE of them have had this problem. This is a fundamental design flaw and nothing has been done to fix it. Not very impressive customer service.