CONTINUOUSWAVE

Hi. I am ordering new fuel lines for my 2004 Nantucket 190 with Mercury 135 OptiMax. I will order OEM parts from Nauset Marine [a Boston Whaler dealer in Orleans, Massachusetts]. The hoses and parts I would like to change are:

• Fuel filler hose
• Fuel tank level sending unit gasket
• Vent hose
• Fuel supply hose below and above deck)
• Fuel primer bulb

Question: Is it possible to change all of these fuel line and parts through the deck access ports?

Best regards, and thanks

I don't see any reason why [the fuel lines and parts mentioned above couldn't be installed on a 190 NANTUCKET or 190 OUTRAGE via the deck access port].

Consider reviewing the diagrams found on whaler.com/resources section for the fuel system:

Sheet 1 - http://bostonwhaler.com.s3.amazonaws.com/resources/190-Nantucket-Fuel-System-Assembly-Sheet-1-of-2-2004.pdf

Sheet 2 - http://bostonwhaler.com.s3.amazonaws.com/resources/190-Nantucket-Fuel-System-Assembly-Sheet-2-of-2-2004.pdf

PHIL—thank you. Nauset Marine [a Boston Whaler dealer in Orleans, Massachusetts] sent me the same two diagrams. They have [the parts mentioned above] in stock. [An order for the hoses and parts has been] made.

In the future I will have photographs showing the old [parts mentioned above] and the new [parts that I have on order from Nauset Marine to replace them].

How can the old fuel hoses be removed?

The fuel hoses on my boat have been in place for almost 20 years, and they are very well bonded to the inlet and outlet ports.

Cut the hose 1' from the fitting.

Slice the hose at the fitting with a utility knife.

Rotate the hose as you pull.

-or-

Insert a flat bladed screw driver into the slice mentioned above and twist to separate the two halves often works.

-and/or-

Twist the hose at the same time you are separating the hose with the screwdriver.

AnalogMan wrote:How can the old fuel hoses be removed?

The fuel hoses on my boat have been in place for almost 20 years, and they are very well bonded to the inlet and outlet ports.

Your question reminds me of an old joke: How many therapist does it take to change a lightbulb?

Answer: it only takes one, but the lightbulb really has to want to change.

There is a corollary in that joke to removing old mechanical parts.

When working on many mechanical things and trying to replace a certain part, the hardest task is often getting the old part to come loose so it can be removed. The secret to getting an old part to come loose is you have to really want to change that part. Old parts are generally not going to be very cooperative. You have to force them to come loose.

As PHIL's method suggests, if you are going to discard the old part once you remove it, then there is no need to remove the old part intact. You can cut it or grind it or heat it or do almost anything you want to the old part to get it to come loose, as long as you do not do any damage to the GOOD parts around it. And old parts will test your resolve. The will challenge you: how badly to you want this old part to come out? Sometimes you have to really, really, really want that old part to come out in order to get the old part to cooperate.

When you buy replacement fuel hose be sure be to sitting down when you get the prices. Some typical high-quality marine grade 3/8-inch ID rubber fuel hose that meets the latest EPA specifications about permeation is now being sold at retailer at crazy prices. Be sure to shop carefully. Here is some on Amazon at over $4-per-foot:

https://www.amazon.com/Sierra-116-368-0 ... B0002CAD9Y

Phil T wrote:Cut the hose 1' from the fitting.

Slice the hose at the fitting with a utility knife.

Rotate the hose as you pull.

-or-

Insert a flat bladed screw driver into the slice mentioned above and twist to separate the two halves often works.

-and/or-

Twist the hose at the same time you are separating the hose with the screwdriver.

Phil T, thanks, thats essentially what I had to do. First cut the hose off and then get in there with a utility knife, wire cutter, and screw driver. The vacuum [perhaps meant the VENT] line was no problem. The fuel line because it is wire reinforced was a challenge to remove. The hose clamp causes the wire to bend and conform to the fitting. There is no rotating it off without cutting the wires. Al least not in my case. Upon removal confirmed a bend had collapsed in the fuel fill line where debris had built up slowing to a crawl the filling of the tank.

If The good news with this boat/model if you get a jam and cant push fuel into the tank you can easily remove the floor access hatch between the console and the leaning post and then remove the screws to the sender unit and put the fuel into the tank directly.

I frequently use this method during hurricane season in Florida to pull fuel from my boat to fill up the generator.

Re jimh: yes those hoses are expensive! The 1-1/2 inch fuel fill hose uscg type A2 was $22/ft at Goodyear rubber products. I can only imagine what the labor would have costs had I not done the job myself.