Air/Fuel Separator

One thing that drives me nuts about my boat is that unless I pump fuel into it extremely slowly, the fuel kicks back out of the fill hole and all over the boat and/or me. Figuring the vent hose was probably blocked, I took a look back there and sure enough there is a little black plastic attwood fuel/air separator. Looks like a very simple plastic cylinder with 5/8" barbed fittings on each end, and a little rubber ball inside. When I blow air into the input end of the device, the rubber ball blocks my air flow unless I very lightly blow on it.

My gut instinct is to just replace this device with a 5/8" barbed connector and be done with it. Is this a stock device? Any risks in removing it, as in, it being needed for the design of the tank or anything? If anyone has a TSC 1 boat that has had gas spill out of the vent hole, I figure that means that this thing was not standard equipment and I can ditch it. That's all I want to know- was it factory or not.

Pete, thanks. Before I got rid of it I just wanted to make sure that it was not there because of the tank design- e.g. I take it out and gas goes all over the place in a turn, etc. I fully understand what it is and I know my previous boat did not have one. I just want to make sure that it is not there for a serious/dangerous reason from the factory. If it isn't, then it's coming out.

Who?

Awesome. Get that guy up barefooting, will ya? Once he gets it, he'll be hooked. I think longline deep starts are actually good for your back- let the prop wash be your chiropractor!

Ditch the wakeboard, drop ski, and all the other toys. The superman start never fails for me in teaching newbies. Good luck Rob!!!

8122pbrainard wrote: Joel, The fuel/air separator has nothing to do with the engine. It's intent is to keep the EPA happy by keeping the gas from overflowing into the lake.

The device let's air into the tank, keeps gas from getting out of the tank. In other words, it is a check valve. Problem is that when filling tank, the displaced air has no where to go except out the fill pipe, which plays havoc on auto shut-off pump nozzles.

I purchased a high quality device for this purpose and never installed it on my '93 Ski (because of mounting restriction and space available). The problem is that here in the Austin area, if you are caught letting fuel spill in the water, you can get a citation. Not to mention the marina people giving you a dirty look. The enevitable happens, so many marinas have a solution in a spray bottle that disperses the evidence of the spilled fuel immediately...I guess so no one gets caught and gets into trouble with the lake patrol.

BTW, I have the device still if you want it. I think I got it from Skidim.

Thanks David F. I think I'm just going to get a barbed connector and join the hoses directly- that little SkiDim version is EXPENSIVE!

I understand what the check valve is and how it works. The problem is that when the gas is pumped at anything but the slowest possible setting, it sprays gas all over the boat usually all over me at random and shocking intervals because the incoming gas has no volume in the tank due to the inability for air to escape. It wreaks havoc on the pinstripes as well. I was just curious if this was put there by the factory or not due to the tank design for reasons other than just keeping gas out of the environment. I've never heard of these being stock on any ski boat.

Oh, I think I have room. That would be sweet- I wouldn't be against compensating you to some degree. Fire me an email at joel @ fifteenoff.com and we'll work something out. Thanks for the very generous offer.