More fuel tank help!

[keehr22]

So we've had a couple successful boating trips lately, but I'm starting to see some issues with fuel. I mentioned in another post about the tank venting problem, been going on all summer now and I think all the pressure is starting to affect the fuel pump because we've had a couple rough starts lately, almost no starts had I not stowed a bottle of starting fluid for emergencies.  From what I can see the tank has 3 hoses coming to it. Two going to the filler neck, and the other goes forward to the engine. Neither of the two going to the filler neck seem to be vent lines, one is the fill tube and the other is an overflow line. I can't find any breather ports around the boat. Should this boat have a vented cap on it?

Also, with the hard starts now, I pulled the air filter off and can see while cranking only the right throttle body is getting fuel during starting, once its back up and running both injectors are flowing, is this a sign of not having high enough fuel pressure?

[RonT]

A LazAir will have a fill (1.5") short hose going straight up to the fill fitting, a 5/8" hose from the top of the tank to the fill fitting (vented cap fitting w 2 hoses) a fuel supply line to the engine (3/8") and a fuel return line from the engine (3/8") Most also had the Main/Reserve valve which added more hoses to the system. A short pick-up supply hose & a long pick-up supply hose feed a cable operated valve with a third hose now feeding the engine. It does sound like you are needing to check your fuel pressure & may have a high pressure pump going out.

[keehr22]

Well, no luck finding the vented cap, turns out someone replaced mine with a non vented one, so I ran the 5/8 inch vent line to a perko vent I mounted in the rear blower vent area, good to go. Fuel issue seems to be corrected, but now it's developed a pretty noisy tick/knock during acceleration..one thing after another this summer!

[keehr22]

So I just got word from the marina the tick I was hearing is coming from the tranny, which I just had new seals put on, apparently the fluid is milky already..anyone ever heard ticking or knocking from the transmission, sounds odd to me? I had assumed from the sound that it was a bad valve possibly, but the mechanic is saying it may be a clutch plate, anyone had any problems like that?

[phil]

Fluid is milky? Crap your leaking water in to the tranny.

[brandon]

If you had the tranny seals just installed, the mechanic should have put new fluid in the tranny at that time.  I would question the mechanic who replaced the seals if they bothered to check anyting else out.  If the fluid is milky, either the boat has sunk enough to allow water to seep thru the seals into the trans (the seals are designed to keep the oil in, not for keeping water out, where it shouldn't be anyway), or what probably is the problem is the trans oil cooler is leaking.  If water has been in the trans long enough, which it probably has, it may have caused internal damage.  I would be questioning the mechanic, and if they claim no fault, (they will) try to get someone on here to recommend someone they know is reputable.  I tried starting a post, but not much response.  May be time to take the trip to see Dan or Ron.  I wish you better luck for the last half of Summer.

[phil]

I can tell you that for a quality tranny rebuild check out: http://www.fantasticfinishmarine.com/
I met this guy Eric on the correct craft fan forums and he's helped me out before and countless others on those forums.

[keehr22]

Hey thanks for the input guys. Calling the last mechanics today to see what they say on the trans, I'll look into the trans oil cooler also. Well, after telling the shop I didn't buy their diagnosis that the tranny was making blown valve noises they did a leak down test and found the head gasket is leaking between number 3 and 5 cylinders, looks like I get to tear into it this weekend, kind of excited to finally be doing my OWN work on this boat!

[RonT]

Most common cause of water in trans is the trans oil cooler, usually from freeze damage.
Most common "Ticking noise" from a transmission area is a faulty torsional vibration damper (between the flywheel & input shaft of the trans. there's a series of springs in there that can break (usually from excessive water slinging around inside the bellhousing) and will make a ticking noise at idle.

Of course given your history with mechanics I would do your own compression test before taking the heads off.