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Ben G
21-11-2009, 07:14 PM
Hi all , I have a 4.55 polycraft and have a fuel smell under the rear deck. It is the standard polycraft 70L underfloor tank. I have never found leaked fuel so I am not yet convinced there is a leak. Is it possible for the breather hoses to have a strong fuel smell leach through?? The hoses look very discoloured and stiff.

Any thoughts ?

Cheers Ben

bigjimg
21-11-2009, 07:31 PM
If you have no fuel visible anywhere in the boat at all then it will be your breathers as that is what they do vent your tank to allow 1 to fill your tank and let the air out and 2 to let out fumes so as not to pressurise the tank.Normal to get an occassional wiff of fuel.If you are concerned about it you can install flame arresters into the breather hose but they are not cheap.Jim

FNQCairns
21-11-2009, 07:51 PM
My breathers are located on the outer ends of the transom, every 3rd time i walk close past the boat the smell catches me.

cheers fnq

fez
21-11-2009, 09:11 PM
Ben,

Try http://www.polyboatowners.com/pboforum/ lots of info on there speciffically I think that in some models (mine anyway) the breather hoses are too long and tend to sag in the middle, I lifted mine up with some cable ties and no more smell. Fuel used to sit in the bottom of the breather lines and was slow to fill up and would often blow back and out of the breather. No problems now.

Good luck.

fez

Ben G
21-11-2009, 11:26 PM
Seems there has been a few leaky fuel tanks and breather issues, I am lifting the floor to check it out, I will let ya know what I find..

Cheers Ben

TheRealAndy
22-11-2009, 07:13 AM
IT will be the breathers. I have the same problem. Do yourself a favour and take a look at the breather hose, if there is a loop of hose in it the first thing you need to do is cut it out. That helps a lot, however it does not solve the issue entirely.

boatboy50
22-11-2009, 07:32 AM
Hey Ben,

I had a Polycraft 530 Bowrider.

I had three fuel tanks replaced under warranty. A bad batch I was told.

They are the plastic tanks bought in from elsewhere, and mine all leaked between the sender and the top of the tank, when it was close to full. This will be your problem.

Not Polycrafts problem only though, because those same tanks are fitted to many other brands.

Darren

Ben G
22-11-2009, 08:49 PM
The tank and all fittings are good, the breather hoses are stuffed as they are only multi purpose cheap stuff. It appears the fuel smell is coming from the breather outlet it self, when the tank is full or close to it the outlet on the tank that goes to the breather is covered with fuel, when the tank breaths a tiny amount of fuel is pushed through the breather.
The other breather thats connects to the filler cap is useless as a tank breather cause it is sealed when the filler cap is closed.

Is it worth cutting another breather into the line thats connected to the filler cap? This would allow the tank to vent at both ends and stop fuel being pushed out a breather,

Hope my ramble maks sense..

Cheers Ben