Parker 2510 WA DV (2006) Fuel Tank Cleaning

[Carmeda]

Good Day, we cleaned out the VST on both Yamaha 200's and the boat ran great for 5 hours. Changed all the filters as well. We found some white sludge in the reservoir and cleaned it up good.
Now we think this sludge is in our tank, any idea on how to clean out a 176 gallon tank? Or should we replace the tank? We are in Central NJ.

 

[afitzray]

If there is an access hatch over your fuel level sending unit, you can open that up and look inside the tank to get a visual of any issues in there. I would start with that. Be careful with the loosening and tightening the screws as the aluminum is pretty soft. Also would be good to have a replacement gasket on hand to get it sealed back after removing.

If the fuel is dirty you can look into a fuel polishing service that cycles the fuel through filters then puts it back in the tank. If the tank is the issue, then hopefully it's just ethanol varnish you need to deal with.

You can also see if your tank has a label in that area so you can identify the manufacturer and serial number. You'll want that if you start going down the road of tank replacement. It's definitely old enough that replacement might be necessary, but plenty of people get a longer life out of their tanks if they've been lucky enough to avoid moisture settling around the tank cavity to induce corrosion and leaks.

While you're messing with tank related work, you might also have someone do a low pressure (~3lbs) test of the tank after remounting the sending unit just to be sure you're not showing any leakage. If you can pass that test there's not much reason to replace the tank today.

 

[Carmeda]

If there is an access hatch over your fuel level sending unit, you can open that up and look inside the tank to get a visual of any issues in there. I would start with that. Be careful with the loosening and tightening the screws as the aluminum is pretty soft. Also would be good to have a replacement gasket on hand to get it sealed back after removing.

If the fuel is dirty you can look into a fuel polishing service that cycles the fuel through filters then puts it back in the tank. If the tank is the issue, then hopefully it's just ethanol varnish you need to deal with.

You can also see if your tank has a label in that area so you can identify the manufacturer and serial number. You'll want that if you start going down the road of tank replacement. It's definitely old enough that replacement might be necessary, but plenty of people get a longer life out of their tanks if they've been lucky enough to avoid moisture settling around the tank cavity to induce corrosion and leaks.

While you're messing with tank related work, you might also have someone do a low pressure (~3lbs) test of the tank after remounting the sending unit just to be sure you're not showing any leakage. If you can pass that test there's not much reason to replace the tank today.

Thank you . Appreciate the feedback. Keep you posted.

 

[Carmeda]

UPDATE. changed the plugs, all 12. Connected a 6 gallon tank to the Port Motor, added fuel injector cleaner, flushed the VST twice and took it for a ride. Ran Great. We added 97 gallons to the 175 gallon tank and so far all is good. We noticed the fuel line is soft, it could be collapsing so we will change it out as well.

 

[afitzray]

Sounds like good news. I had an issue with the liner of a fuel line that had separated right at the end, and when it was slipped back onto the barb that liner folded over and blocked the passage. I've heard that any grey fuel lines on the older yamahas running from the tank to the outboard are prone to that failure and should be replaced.