Fuel fill hose

[Tcubed66]

Ever since I bought my boat I alway had a slight diesel smell especially when fueling. Well I’m pretty sure I found the problem. While chasing down the smell, I found a screw piercing the fill hose about a foot from the tank. My first thought would be to replace the 1 1/2 hose but after looking it will be a major undertaking and much dismantling seeing it is about 10 ft long. Could I just splice in a new section or would that be unacceptable? The hose I’m sure is the original and seems to be in good shape but….

Thanks for the replies.

[tkeithlu]

Hmmmm. Did you see leakage around the screw?

Are the clamps tight, and on the right sized bibs?

Is the hose USCG approved fuel hose? As in:

https://www.go2marine.com/Shields-35...BoC6z8QAvD_BwE

It should (will) be labeled "USCG Type AI" or USCG Type 2"

I don't know of any allowance for repairing the stuff, and yes, it's both expensive and a bear to maneuver into a tight place.

I'm not being a fountain of joy on this one. On the one hand, it's diesel, for which there are bunches of allowances relative to gasoline in a boat, such gravity feed from the bottom of the tank. Hose doesn't seem to fit into that.

[Bycrick]

Fuel hose used in the engine room really ought to be USCG approved. IIRC, one of the detailed specs has to do with fire resistance. On the other hand, hose that is not run in the engine room might be perfectly well be fuel-delivery hose, which is readily available as it’s used on every fuel delivery truck. Might not meet the letter of the code but ….

Where I’d be careful is the fitting used to couple the two hoses together. PVC from the hardware store probably wouldn’t be a good idea. But any industrial hose distributor that has good fuel delivery hose also has the metal fittings that are appropriate for the hose.

[Bill Seal]

Couldn't you just cut in two at the hole, slip in a piece of 1.5" aluminum tubing or double male hose barbs, and use double hose clemps? The deck fill and tank inlet are probobly just slip fittings.

[Tcubed66]

Yes, there is slight leaking around the screw. It is the proper hose and correct diameter fittings. Would it be acceptable to splice or best to replace? It is 30 year old hose but looks great other than a poor place to put a screw..

[tkeithlu]

The "standard" repair is to cut the hose and insert a double hose barb, with two clamps on each side. In the engine room, bronze would be preferred, for fire resistance. The fill hose itself is fire resistant. Trouble is, I can't find one in 1 1/2" size from the standard sources. Here's a plastic one, which would solve your problem but might raise eyebrows during a survey.

https://www.mcmaster.com/hose-mender...hose-id~1-1-2/

As is sometimes the case, the practical and the regulatory don't quite match.