Lesson Learned

[Tony Meola]

I learned a lesson this past week. Make sure you check all of your fuel fittings to make sure they are tight.

Now , before I start the boat, I always pick up the engine box's and check everything. Make sure there are no drips, oil is good, racors look ok, and so on.

After doing all that took the boat out and on the way back, about a mile from home, we smell diesel fuel. Turns out a fitting that has never been worked on, loosened up and sprayed diesel all over the place. Had to shut the engine down for the last mile. When we docked, I checked the line and found the fitting worked itself loose. All I needed to do was tighten it up.

Spent the next several hours cleaning up the mess.

After this experience I went over every fitting on the engines to make sure they were all still tight. That will now become part of my routine checks before every spring launch, and after filter changes.

[Yannis]

On the other hand, how lucky you were it was not gasoline.
You could have landed on the moon, chin first...
Im glad you're ok, despite the cleaning inconvenience.

[Carl]

Thanks for sharing Tony. Glad it was an easy fix that only caused you a couple of hours to clean up.

As they say, it could have been worse. Diesel may not explode, but it sure burns like hell. Dry exhaust, non-water cooled turbos do not like fuel spraying on them...even with heat blankets, it can be a problem. Even oil lines create mist under pressure that can ignite...never mind the mess.

I go a step further as I had a throttle cable clamp loosen up on me last year...not a great feeling at speed. After that incident, I spend time when servicing the motors to checking all hardware, fittings, and connections. Some get a visual, hands-on wiggle n jiggle going over...other items like hose clamps and motor mounts I'll put a wrench on them to check. So far found fuel line brackets loose, heat exchanger bolts backing out, and exhaust clamps needing some snugging.

[Tony Meola]

Carl

All of what you mentioned we sometimes take for granted. We figure why should it be loose. It was tight last year, but live and learn. Even if we don't see anything dripping does not mean it is tight.

Everything needs a going over.

[Geebert]

Thanks for the reminders. Whenever i hear about stuff like this, it dose stick with me, and is in the back of my mind when im doing my pre trip checks.
One point to mention I've learned over the years, unless you have an in tank pump, part of the fuel system is under suction or vacuum up to the lift pump, and under pressure after that.

In my case, the carburated mercruiser gas lift pump is on the raw water pump, on the engine. The only place pressurized gas can spray from, is a 2 foot long piece of stainless fuel line, with one fitting on each end. Short and easy to inspect.

Do the fuel injected gas engines have in tank pumps?

The down side, is any upstream leak that dose develop, can drip when the engine is off, and won't leak when the engine is on.
It would most likely cause a fuel starvation problem, before it's capable of dripping any significant amount of fuel.

The suction side fuel lines are all rubber on mine, and not so expensive that i fear replacing them when they show signs of degradation.
And i pull solid length through the areas that are difficult to inspect (No joints)

[pschauss]

From my recent experience with the leaking raw water hose, another point to check: open the engine boxes after starting the engines. I am guessing that I put about two hours on my starboard engine before I discovered the leak in the hose from the oil cooler to the heat exchanger. The only symptom was the belt squealing on startup and low voltage for the first few minutes.

The only reason that I discovered the leak was that I decided to replace the hose from the heat exchanger to the risers and started the engine to check that the new hose wasn't leaking.

[Tony Meola]

Mine happened on the pressure side. The spray lined up perfectly with where the engine cover meets the panel. I had diesel running out from that point, so it ran into the bilge.

I know have 5 gallons of contaminated bilge water to get rid of. I called to see about a drop off, but they told me I have to wait for hazardous waste day.

[Carl]

I know have 5 gallons of contaminated bilge water to get rid of. I called to see about a drop off, but they told me I have to wait for hazardous waste day.

Tony- here they only run two of those hazardous waste disposal events a year. Great if you have a place to store the stuff and have a means of getting it to the event. Dirty water with diesel isn't too bad to store for a few months.
But I think back to when I had pulled 35 gallons of old rancid gasoline from the tank the prior owner said was empty. What a surprise for me when I found out it was full.
-Anyway, tried to get rid of...called EPA, they told me to use in my lawnmower.

-Sanitation told me they would not take, I could not bring.

-A Mechanic friend n his boss told me they did not want combustibles in their Oil tank, Can't blame them.

-We worked for a Marine Hazardous waste cleanup company...they couldn't take unless they picked it up from the water.

-I called a hazardous waste company...they said $200 to have analyzed and a minimum of 300 to take. I was going to do that till he said "unless they found something in the stuff that could cost more to dispose of, gasoline he said could have extra goodies in it from refineries looking to rid themselves of their waste.

Anyway, I didn't want the fuel at my house as we often had brush fires...a guy that worked for my dad overheard me talking and wanted it for his equipment. Came and picked it up.

Wow...I think my whole point here is, they make it difficult to do the right thing. I can see how some would find unorthodox way of getting rid of...I'm thinking a couple in an apartment. Where do they store a 5 gallon pail of waste. Or in my case old gasoline.

Hopefully by you Tony they have more hazardous waste days then by me.

[Tony Meola]

Carl

I have one coming up in September. Right now it is sitting in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid on it.

Recycling is a joke for the average person. If they were serious about it, it would be easier to get rid of this stuff.

[Carl]

Carl

I have one coming up in September. Right now it is sitting in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid on it.

Recycling is a joke for the average person. If they were serious about it, it would be easier to get rid of this stuff.

I get that if it was "too easy to dispose of" they would see industrial waste finding its way in more than they do already. But there has to be a happy medium, people should not have to be storing fuel/flammables/combustibles and toxic waste in their homes for months. Especially not in questionable containers with mediocre lids. And then have to transport it in sealed cars or trucks...sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

[Tony Meola]

Carl

That is so True.

A couple of months ago on another site, someone was looking how to get rid of stale gas that sat in his boat for a few years. Diesel is one thing, gas is another.

I checked with the Diesel shop that installed my engines, the outfit they recycle through wants a minimum of 350 gallons. I have no idea what that costs to get rid off.

There has to be a better way.

[ktm_2000]

I thought the SOP for fuel lines was 2 clamps, no slots in clamp bands, clamps turned opposite directions?

I've got my fuel setup following this strategy but in trying to use it for other water hose applications there isn't always enough space for 2 clamps.

Question, what do you do if there isn't enough space for 2 clamps?

as for oily water, couldn't you figure out a way to let the water evaporate, then manage a smaller volume?

[Oldcreek]

Tony- here they only run two of those hazardous waste disposal events a year. Great if you have a place to store the stuff and have a means of getting it to the event. Dirty water with diesel isn't too bad to store for a few months.
But I think back to when I had pulled 35 gallons of old rancid gasoline from the tank the prior owner said was empty. What a surprise for me when I found out it was full.
-Anyway, tried to get rid of...called EPA, they told me to use in my lawnmower.

-Sanitation told me they would not take, I could not bring.

-A Mechanic friend n his boss told me they did not want combustibles in their Oil tank, Can't blame them.

-We worked for a Marine Hazardous waste cleanup company...they couldn't take unless they picked it up from the water.

-I called a hazardous waste company...they said $200 to have analyzed and a minimum of 300 to take. I was going to do that till he said "unless they found something in the stuff that could cost more to dispose of, gasoline he said could have extra goodies in it from refineries looking to rid themselves of their waste.

Anyway, I didn't want the fuel at my house as we often had brush fires...a guy that worked for my dad overheard me talking and wanted it for his equipment. Came and picked it up.

Wow...I think my whole point here is, they make it difficult to do the right thing. I can see how some would find unorthodox way of getting rid of...I'm thinking a couple in an apartment. Where do they store a 5 gallon pail of waste. Or in my case old gasoline.

Hopefully by you Tony they have more hazardous waste days then by me.

One "trick" I read on the internet was to put the old fuel in gas cans and leave them in the back of your truck. Eventually, someone will come around and "take" your problem away.

Although, I'd be concerned that these unscrupulous sort of people will then illegally dump the fuel...

[Carl]

Question, what do you do if there isn't enough space for 2 clamps?

Use one good clamp

as for oily water, couldn't you figure out a way to let the water evaporate, then manage a smaller volume?

Yup, that does work. I do that all the time at the shop. Old coolant with tramp oils goes into my production saw. The saw eats up the water, much of the oil sticks to the cut parts. Whatever is left goes in a drum and picked up every 6 months or so. I used to put the stuff straight into the drum, but now at $400 or so a drum to have taken I don't like to fill them up with water.

That said...leaving a pail of oily water to sit out and evaporate takes a long time. Does this open pail sit in your garage or out on your deck...what happens when you forget to close and it rains. In the garage you have to worry about it getting knocked over, something falling in...curious kids or pets.
Also water and oil...the oil on top kinda seals the water causing two issues. The water does not evaporate and anaerobic bacteria will grows when oxygen is depleted. Nice smelly stuff.
Adding heat will have water evaporate...but heat and fuel can be a problem...especially if forgotten.

When I had the old stale gas at the house I kinda thought all the flammable stuff kinda went away with age. My wife was pretty insistent we needed to have it leave asap. So smart I am, I went to prove her wrong, I took a cupful of the old gas and tried to light it. Can you say fireball? Deep red with black smoke in a big poof. Yeah, I brought that to the shop the next day and got after a way to dispose of.

[Amberjack]

Put the contaminated water in a vertical clear plastic container such as a gallon jug. Poke a hole in side near the the bottom. Collect the water which will drain out first in one container for easy disposal and then the contaminent in a separate container for hazardous waste. If hazardous waste disposal isn’t available I’d put it in an open tray full of crumpled paper towels somewhere safe and let it evaporate. Of course I don’t have kids anymore with access to matches…

[Tony Meola]

Dug

I was thinking it might be possible to skim off the diesel. Not sure how much is diesel and how much is water right now. I might just give your trick a try and see what happens.

The only issue I have with separating the diesel from the water is that I think the water would still be considered contaminated. I find it hard to imagine that the diesel does not contaminate the water in some way.