Camano Troll -- port side fuel leak

[kief]

Hello all: I have a 2002 Camano trawler which has developed a slight fuel leak on the port side (pics attached, hopefully!) and I'm looking for advice from others who may have run across this problem. About every 2 to 3 weeks I'm getting a cup or so pool in a shelf area at the front end of the engine compartment. There are no fuel lines within 3 ft of where it's pooling and as you can see in the pics I've put absorbent towels in between the main fore/aft stringer and both the fuel and fresh water tanks. The fuel is leaking somewhere in the fuel tank area and then migrating forward. Everything on the inboard side of the stringer is bone dry and none of the valves/vents/hoses that I can see or touch have any moisture. Mechanics were in to pressure test the system and said they could see some fuel in the small gap between the fuel and fresh water tanks. Their working theory is a pinhole leak in the tank itself. To replace the tank means unbolting the settee, removing the ac, and pulling up the carpet and flooring. Obviously not something I want to do, but ....

My first thought is to drain and remove the fuel lines you can see fastened to the top of the stringer, then let it sit for a couple of weeks and check again. I'm wondering if there might be a very slight slit on the back side of one of the hoses that I just can't see since their bundled so tightly. (Any advice on best/cleanest way to drain the lines?) After that I'm not sure what else there is to check; there's not a lot of moving parts in this system.

Any thoughts?

Peter
Deale, MD

 

[nussbda]

Hi Peter,

It's been a few years, but my recollection is that if you empty the port settee the back wall has a removable "hatch" - held in with 4? Robertson screws. This will give you access to the fuel vent and vent line and I think the fuel fill. They are behind the air conditioning flex duct. I don't think the tank is removable from inside the cabin - I think the solid deck extends below the settee. I think if you need to remove the tank you'll need to do everything inside the engine compartment. Once you remove the fill, vent, fuel return and fuel line you'll need to undo the ratchet strap, lift the tank over the lip on the shelf and slide the tank toward the centerline inside the engine compartment. The racors and bracket are probably in the way and will have to be removed. If you have the factory generator, that may also be in the way. Hopefully the engine isn't in the way.

Good luck - hopefully your problem is only a loose clamp or cracked hose on the fill or vent line.

Dave

 

[kief]

Thanks for the heads up about the hatch, Dave. I didn't realize it was there so that should let me get to the hoses on the top of the tank. My guy says the only way to get the tank out is to cut the plywood floor, but another 2002 Camano had the tanks pulled without cutting. So I'm still investigating.

Peter