Fuel tank placement regarding motor and electrical

If you hole saw a 2" hole thru the seat for pipe to run the fuel line thru, keep in mind, they make a flange that slips over the end to give a more finnished appearance and pvc can easily be painted!! Actually you could make a number of these to pass fuel, electrical and anything you need to pass thru your seat and make them look great, not hacked up!!

airshot said:

In case of an emergency, I dont think you would want to move a 6 gallon tank of fuel if a fire was present...No matter what type of fuel line you use, the advantage of a quick disconnect and ability to remove it quickly is a better choice !! If your screws are comming loose from vibration, pick up a small tube of blue loctite, add the smallest little dab of loctite to the screw threads then they will stay put, yet easily removed when needed..

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This is a rebuild so the switch panel and fuse block are all new. I had read some where that the fuse block screws needed to be checked on occasion because they could come loose. I’ve made quite a few changes that I haven’t been to the water with. I like your idea of loctite though.
The fitting on the fuel tank is a disconnect. I don’t want to use pipe big enough for the disconnect to pass through. I can remove the disconnect from the hose put it through a smaller pipe then put it back on the fuel line. Like you said if there is a fire pulling the hose back through a bigger pipe isn’t any safer IMHO.

airshot said:

If you hole saw a 2" hole thru the seat for pipe to run the fuel line thru, keep in mind, they make a flange that slips over the end to give a more finnished appearance and pvc can easily be painted!! Actually you could make a number of these to pass fuel, electrical and anything you need to pass thru your seat and make them look great, not hacked up!!

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You bet I’d doctor it up. I’m just trying to understand why it’s safer for the disconnect fitting to be able to pull through the hole.

LDUBS said:

I think you said you battery is under the bench seat. Looks like you have plenty of room to put it back in the open transom area (in a battery box of course). Just a thought.

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The hole set up only takes up an 8 1/4” x 15” area. I have a small SLA battery 18ah in a box. Yea I had the boat set up like a kayak. Which is what I’ve been using (until I started working on the boat and learned that plug and play wire was a bad move). During the day it only powers the fish finder and I’ve used it for that all day without putting a dent in the power. I’ve stayed out after dark (not very long) and my anchor/navigation lights are led then I used the to led flood lights for loading.
That being said I’m adding more light for night fishing , charging receptacles and fortunately never had to use the bilge pump. I’ve always had a way to switch over to the trolling motor battery if needed. My future plan is to get a larger battery though and it’ll go behind the bench. If I ever run it out of juice while on the water that bigger battery will come sooner than later. I’m waiting because it’s about time to replace the trolling motor battery. That budget thing again.

I read this as follows: Quick connect = no spill. Removing the fitting from the fuel hose = spill. I think this is more about the general convenience of being able to pull the fuel hose thru the hole without having to remove any fuel line fittings. Just my two cents.

LDUBS said:

I read this as follows: Quick connect = no spill. Removing the fitting from the fuel hose = spill. I think this is more about the general convenience of being able to pull the fuel hose thru the hole without having to remove any fuel line fittings. Just my two cents.

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Yes sir and the line is long enough I can remove the connector outside the boat and catch any spill that may be in the hose between it and the shut off valve. Which when I replaced a bad fitting I had purchased it was very little. Then run it through the pipe.

I haven't read the whole thread, but when you have a fuel tank and battery in the same general area, ALWAYS make sure your terminal nuts are on WRENCH TIGHT. Fumes blow away freely in an open boat, but you don't want any sparks happening.

In my old boat, I had my tank in the back between those transom braces, and it was excellent. It sat nice and tight and didn't bounce around.

thill said:

I haven't read the whole thread, but when you have a fuel tank and battery in the same general area, ALWAYS make sure your terminal nuts are on WRENCH TIGHT. Fumes blow away freely in an open boat, but you don't want any sparks happening.

In my old boat, I had my tank in the back between those transom braces, and it was excellent. It sat nice and tight and didn't bounce around.

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What we’re talking about is running the fuel line in a piece of pvc pipe through the bench where all the electrical is in the bench along with a small sla battery. Because of the motor brackets and transom bolts a can barely get the tank between the braces having to even turn it on its side. I don’t think it’ll work trying to do that with a full tank. And then it fits so snug there’s no way to strap it and these tanks swell quite a bit as well. That kind of sticks me with it in front of the seat.
I was given some advice to use a little blue Loctite on the fuse block terminals. I don’t think I need to worry about fumes passing through schedule 40 pvc though which they would have to permeate through the A1-15 fuel line first.