Fueling up 2019 R29 CB

B

baz

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 19, 2009
Messages
6,083
Fluid Motion Model
C-24 C
Subject: Fueling up 2019 R29 CB

Was topping off my fuel tank yesterday and estimated I needed around 65 gallons. I Started pumping slowly with absorbent pads around the filler neck hoping any fuel that might burp out would be caught/absorbed. As I approached around 63 gallons there was a burp and a very small amount of fuel exited from the vent hole immediately below the main fuel filler neck where the pump nozzle was inserted. I was under the impression the tank vented through the filler neck and not a vent hole in side of the hull (my mistake). In future will need to have an absorbent pad for that vent hole as well as around the filler neck. 😱 Hope this alerts others with the RT model.
 
yep, my boat burps through the vent hole and not the filler. thankfully I can hold a rag on the vent with one hand and the other hand is on the nozzle handle.
 
Been there, done that.... Some marinas act like it's the 1st time a drop of diesel hit the water...

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk
 
yup! it happens with our RT29CB all the time. Hubs works on getting the flow just right while having a rag around the nozzle and balances the other hand at the vent.
 
i find the best tactic is to listen for a change in sound in the filler pipe
 
Yes had the same surprise as I shot 2 liters of fuel out the side at high velocity.... very embarrassing!
 
There is the Green Marine Fuel whistle. Placed inline of your fuel vent, and while fueling it makes a whistling noise. As soon as I hear the slightest gurgle in the sound I stop. No more spills.
Stuart
 
Like others, I typically use one hand on the fill nozzle and one on an absorbent rag around the vent. it is difficult to find a comfortable position doing this. It is easy to fill too fast as well, spewing diesel from the fill port- so I tend to fill slowly and listen closely.

Rocky
 
The previous owner left this "No Spill" device on the boat and I find it very handy. It sticks onto the transom over the vent with suction cups and catches the "burps"; leaving both hands free to focus on the filler.

 
My home fuel dock has one of those. It is showing it's age, though and the suction cups aren't dependable.... But I still use it. They have put a string on it to tie to a rail....just in case.
 
A nice option for R29 S and CB models is to pull up the floor hatch just inside the cabin door. The hatch is over the fuel tank and provides good access. Put a flash light down on top of the tank and it's very easy to see the fuel level. I use this approach every time and never a spill! This was a great suggestion made by my dealer.
 
Barry, you had a R27 and it never burped on you? Lucky you. My 27 burped a lot!

Here is a stupid simple hack. Take one of the fuel absorbent pads and cut it into 5 inch squares. Use painters tape and tape it over the vent to catch the drips. Takes one minute of time. Then you can stand up and pump, listening closely for the back up in the fuel line when it gets full. Easy clean up and better back.

BTW. When we first got our 29CB it was really difficult to fill without backing up. Discovered the fuel fill line was too long and had a bend in it. The factory shortened the line, which solved the problem.
 
One thing about the No Spill.
It works well. I "help" the suction cups hold it to the transom with my hip as I stand on the swim platform and concentrate on running the diesel pump.
ALSO, the cap should be really loose or off when in use. Remember you are supposed to be venting the tank as it fills.

What causes these burps and spills is the fact that the vent lines need to be uniformly sloped all the way to the tank. No traps in the line. That's not always easy and the line can sag over time or get unintentionally re-routed during maintenance.
If you have a chronic burper you could install a wide place in the line very close to the transom outlet. (Or by increasing the diameter of the entire vent over as much of the run as possible. When the amount of sag exceeds the inside diameter of the hose, you have a trap that will burp.) This would provide a separation space for the liquid and vapor. However, you'd need to be careful not to reduce the slope of the line.

I've only had one burp incident and I have been very careful ever since. I've even thought I could re-route the vent line vertically up through the head in the wall behind the sink and vanity mirror and install the vent high up on the side of the cabin. Don't know if it would violate some Yacht Builders Code or if the fuel stink would be a problem in the cockpit. A vent that is three feet higher than the fill shouldn't ever overflow.
End of ramble.
 
Besides checking the vent line also check the fill hose. On my 25SC the fill line had a slight uphill angle along the bulkhead in the engine compartment. After correcting it I can fill at a faster rate and rarely get any backup.
 
This has been a repeated topic. It is a topic that will go on forever until Fluid motion changes the tank design. The issue is the vent and fill are right next to each other on the aft portion of the tank. If your boat floats completely level forward and aft, port and starboard the issue will not be as bad. Using my boat as an example C26. The fill and vent are located on the far aft starboard side of the tank. The deck fill is in the aft section of the boat and starboard side. My C26 sits slightly stern heavy. When I am filling the tank I am standing aft and starboard pitching the fuel in the tank towards the fill and vent connections at the tank. It will fill normal and I use full pump nozzle flow until the last 10 gallons. I can hear the flow change and know to slow the nozzle flow. At this point because the vent and fill are next to each other the venting is not sufficient. The fuel level is at the top of the tank aft section and there is a large air void in the front of the tank. Volume of air= to approx 10 gallons of fuel. At this point filling slowly, the air void is slowly displaced with fuel. While doing this the tank burps the air along with some fuel out through the fuel fill and vent. I had a fuel burp 5' high saturating the complete cockpit with fuel. I was trying to top off the tank filling slowly and a passing boat left a wake at the fuel dock rocking my boat and the tank burped a large quanity of air and fuel out of fuel fill and vent while I was adding fuel. What a mess! If the vent was located opposite side of the tank or middle of the tank this would mostly be eliminated. If I'm not traveling I fill until I hear the flow change and stop. If I am needing a full tank of fuel for added fuel range I use the Scandvik Clean Way Fuel Fill Kit. This stops the fuel from spilling out of the fill when the tank burps and reduces the burping from coming out of vent. I still have to fill very slow and my wife sits on the port side in bow area has I fill to help level the boat. I always tell the fuel dock attendant that "this is going to take awhile and I would prefer to fill it myself". I always ask if absorbent pads are available and if not I have a supply on board. It has been a learning experience. How to fill your boat with fuel! I learned and have reduced the spillage considerably.

I have removed both fuel fill and vent and rerouted the hoses to have no low spots and continual slope from fill to tank.This helped some but not enough to stop the issue.

This is a drawing of the Ranger/Cutwater tank. Fill and Vent location is an easy install design but poor fuel fill design for a boat that floats slightly stern heavy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

  • Tugnuts.com is the community hub for Ranger Tug, Cutwater, and Solara owners. Since its inception in 2008, the Tugnuts forum has grown into an active and thriving community of more than 9,000 members. It serves as both a meeting place for the best boating community online, and an invaluable archive of information.

  • User menu
Back
Top