Why Is That In The Fuel Filler Pipe?

[Janusz]

I was taking fuel for the first time and right under the cap there was a crumbled paper towel soaked in diesel.
Checked the port side and yes, same thing there.

Why would the previous owner do that? It would not be good if this ball of tissue fell down the pipe to the tank, I think.

Could somebody comment please?

 

[bligh]

no ideas really.

ok... maybe to see if someone is stealing his fuel, the paper towel would be gone?

or maybe the fuel caps are not watertight and fuel spashes up out of them when the boat bounce around?


did you ask PO?

 

[what_barnacles]

too cheap to buy orings?

 

[HopCar]

I went to leaky orings as well. Maybe to soak up water that leaks in?
Pull the paper out and replace the orings just to be sure.

 

[Janusz]

Thanks, I will check O-rings tomorrow, seems like a good suggestion.

 

[cappy208]

When you pull them out.... how much is left? is it a whole PT?
Sounds like an 'old wives tail'.

 

[oscar]

Always a diesel soaked rag at the ready to degrease something?

Not a good idea, of course. Take them out and if the caps leak figure out why.

 

[THD]

A PT just seems really odd. If there were a leak, whether water getting in, or fuel sloshing out, a PT or two wouldn't do much good. Would get saturated pretty quickly. Must be some very odd, totally off the wall reason by the PO.

 

[hmason]

When I remove my fuel fill caps, there is always a few drops of water on the underside of the cap due to condensation. Perhaps that's what the PO was trying to prevent (absorb)?