Blocked fuel tank pipe

temptress

temptress

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 Aug 2002
Messages
1,886
Location
Gone Sailing -in Greece for a while
gbr195t.com
So the steel fuel pipe from my Stainless tank is blocked. I have tried blowing back through to dear, pushing wire through to no avail. Next try us to use some compressed air but...

It is actually quite serious as we aeein India and the next chandlery is in Maramris, Turkey aome 3k miles away.

Any suggestions?

FYI the tank is stainless steel, the fuel pipe is about 5mm across, comes from near the bottom of the tank, up to the top, turns through 2x 90 degree angles and attaches to the rubber engine fuel pipe.

currently using the generator fuel pick up but that my block as well. Yes I will clean the tank but how do o unblock the welded in place pickup pipe?
 
It is probably kinked being badly supported through the length. Can you drill a new hole in the top of the tank and insert a new pipe
 
I used a SCUBO tank to clear pipe sealant from a siphon break without blowing the pipework.

If you don't have a tank you could borrow one from a local dive shop or SCUBO diver
 
RichardS said:
Compressed air should sort it, or perhaps even a car tyre/dinghy pump if you can get an airtight joint. Blowing with your mouth is usually ineffective as the pressure you can generate is trivial.

Richard
Click to expand...
Beat me to it! Car tyre + connection tube off a car pump +jubilee clip onto pipe. Alternatively a local mechanic may be able to help - from what I've seen on various media there in much creative ingenuity applied to solving engineering problems in the subcontinent.
P.S. A thin (titanium?) welding rod poked through might work if there are no severe bends in it.
 
Turn the fuel off or drain the tank, cut out the existing blocked pipe and replace with another. It doesn't really need to be steel so perhaps a flexible automotive fuel pipe would be ok?
 
Having cleared the pipe, you still have to find out why it choked, and prevent it happening again. Does your tank have a bottom drain, or an inspection cover, or preferably both?
 
A mechanics' trick is using an old bycycle brake wire with its outer mantle, or better still, an old speedometer cable of an Ambassador car. Cut off the mantle short on one end, fray the inner cable end. Put an electric drill on the other (often hexagon) end. The cable is flexible enough for bends, and the frayed end works its way through the blockage.
 
He does say it goes through 2 x 90 degree turns. If those are elbows, it will be well nigh impossible to poke it through. It then goes to a 'rubber feed pipe'. Unless it is a proper fuel-proof material that will be what has caused the blockage as the fuel attacks it. If there's diesel bug in the tank it will have sucked into the inlet orifice and blocked there, and can be blasted out with a pump or compressed air. My money is on that 'rubber' feed pipe, if that is what it really is! Can it be undone where it meets the feed pipe coming off the tank to see whether the blockage is up or down stream from the end of the solid pipework?
 
Why not measure the distance from tank to engine. Take off the rubber hose and schlepp around with it in the nearest large town until some helpful soul tells you where to find the same diameter and bore in automotive spec. With the replacement length obtained, cut the steel pipe down to 10 cm, shove a prodder through to clear the crud , job done.
 
My guess would be one of the right angle joints - disconnect and poke through. I've had this problem twice but the joint is at the top of the tank so easy to fix.
 
Are the the right angle joints soldered or compression and can you get to them?
If you can't clear using high pressure then an option is to cut the pipe near the tank outlet, make sure that is clear then connect it to a new flexible hose (run the new hose first :sneaky: )
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top