Who Has Dual Tanks...

[upsman105]

Ran Out Of Gas Last Week In One Tank...again...and With Efi I Could Not Get Pressure In The Other Tank To Get Going Again And Had To Be Towed In...am Contemplating Puttin In A Primer Bulb In The Fuel Line, Anybody Have Ideas????

[Tom Brown]

Are the two tanks tied together or do you switch them?
My fuel pump has no trouble re-priming itself when I run a tank dry. I run a Bosch automotive pump.
Do you have a pressure bypass regulator or is the regulator built into the pump?

[Jrocket]

Ran Out Of Gas Last Week In One Tank...again...and With Efi I Could Not Get Pressure In The Other Tank To Get Going Again And Had To Be Towed In...am Contemplating Puttin In A Primer Bulb In The Fuel Line, Anybody Have Ideas????
What motor?

[BADBLOWN572]

Mercury motors can be a pain in the ass if you run out of gas. The fuel pump doesn't prime itself. You need to have fuel in the fuel filter for the motor to start and then the fuel pump to take over. If you ever try to fire a Merc motor without fuel in the filter you are wasting your time.
The only thing that I can think of to get you back up and running is to pull the fuel filter off (usually in a black case up next to the impeller and looks like an oil filter), use a flat head screwdriver to undo the fuel line and to suck on the line to get fuel from the full tank and fill up the filter. After that, put the fuel line back on and screw the full filter on. After that, the boat should fire. Just be real careful not to spill fuel in the bilge and make sure that it is well ventilated.
I do not know if a primer bulb would work. I don't know if the Merc motors would allow the air to pass through so it could be like triyng to prime up against a blocked line. That would be a good question for a Mercury technician.

[upsman105]

There Is A Manual Switch, 6.2 With A Super.

[all faded]

if im not mistaken, brett rigged the boat to run both tanks at the same time. is your fuel valve facing down?

[upsman105]

When It Pulls On Both Tanks It Can't Pull Enough Fuel To Feed My Engine. Trust Me I Know. The Lever Has To Point To One Tank Or The Other.

[phebus]

Mercury motors can be a pain in the ass if you run out of gas. The fuel pump doesn't prime itself. You need to have fuel in the fuel filter for the motor to start and then the fuel pump to take over. If you ever try to fire a Merc motor without fuel in the filter you are wasting your time.
The only thing that I can think of to get you back up and running is to pull the fuel filter off (usually in a black case up next to the impeller and looks like an oil filter), use a flat head screwdriver to undo the fuel line and to suck on the line to get fuel from the full tank and fill up the filter. After that, put the fuel line back on and screw the full filter on. After that, the boat should fire. Just be real careful not to spill fuel in the bilge and make sure that it is well ventilated.
I do not know if a primer bulb would work. I don't know if the Merc motors would allow the air to pass through so it could be like triyng to prime up against a blocked line. That would be a good question for a Mercury technician.
How do they prime the motor the first time they fire it up when new?

[upsman105]

Probably The Same Way I Did When I Got Home, Pull Fuel Line Off, Seperator, Blow Air Compressor Line Into Gas Tank Till Fuel Comes Out, Re Attach Line.

[all faded]

we have the same boat, maybe the motor makes a difference i guess. Ive had no problems. are the tanks draining evenly and are they filled evenly.

[upsman105]

I Put That Supercharger On.

[BADBLOWN572]

How do they prime the motor the first time they fire it up when new?
Pull off the fuel filter and pour gas into it from a gas can. Without it, there is no way for it to fire. :( With the fuel filter dry, if you are just cranking it over all you are doing is wasting the battery. :(

[all faded]

If you call brett or pat tomorrow in the morning before they get busy on the coors light they can probably help you.

[Beer-30]

That's weird. When I first bought mine, I was idling around and switched tanks to make sure all was good. Idled a little more and then it stubled and died. I switched back and fired it up, giving it some throttle to let it pump some fuel through. All was fine. Next time, I switched tanks while underway. Not full throttle, though. Works fine.
I haven't emptied a tank underway yet. Don't plan on it. At the first stumble, though I'd get the switch thrown.
496HO, EddieMarine electic valve.

[surfer2001]

Ran Out Of Gas Last Week In One Tank...again...and With Efi I Could Not Get Pressure In The Other Tank To Get Going Again And Had To Be Towed In...am Contemplating Puttin In A Primer Bulb In The Fuel Line, Anybody Have Ideas????
Why run one completely dry? How about switching between 1 & 2 every so often to keep the tanks relatively equal. Surely you can’t use up both tanks in one day.

[Beer-30]

Why run one completely dry? How about switching between 1 & 2 every so often to keep the tanks relatively equal. Surely you can’t use up both tanks in one day.
There's different thoughts on this one, for sure. I have ran dual-tank pickups for years. Was taught by a very savvy individual to run a tank dry when you can. Theory is that you pull any bits of water and any scraps of old fuel remaining. Then it always gets filled with fresh. No contamination of old fuel. Sure, there will always be a little, and you can't pull all of the silt out, but it is a good point.
Then again, it doesn't seem right to completely empty a tank.
As I get a feel for the tanks, I will be trying to get as close to emptying as possible without draining the FI system.

[jackpunx]

I have only ran one tank dry.. On accident though.. My fuel gauge got stuck..
Just make sure that if your low.. don’t let it burp while your at WOT... you will lean the motor out..
Don’t want to do that..
when Im not sure .. I always got my eye on the fuel pressure gauge..
I run one tank down to half.. then switch.. my boat is very weight sensitive anyway..
and it only really takes a fast ride from dam to dam in parker to go through almost a half of one tank for me..
I also run a water separator for my fuel system..
That gets cleaned at least every25 hrs

[upsman105]

didn't run dry on purpose, wife was driving, can barely get her to drive so did not want to worry her with all the gauges...of course the botton line is it was my faul I should have paid more attention.

[Beer-30]

Running any tank dry is a BAD idea period. In the case of a blower motor as soon as the cylinder fires on only air (lean condition) you've just wasted the motor. Also, unless the tanks feed from the bottom you won't be getting the last drop as there is usually fuel in the bottom of the tank that's "unusable". This is done on purpose so as not to suck up all the crud into the motor. If you run on just one tank til it's nearlt dry it will throw the center of balance off. The best way is what was stated above and that's to alternate tanks at a set interval each. That's how we keep an aircraft trimmed and in balance with 2,4,or even 6 tanks.
Rio
You're right about all. Especially the blown motor bit. I don't worry too much, cause I wouldn't be pushing a light tank a full throttle. If I chose to run it out, I would just be cruising and catch the first stumble. And yeah, you're never gonna pull all of it out.
Could just run them :30 at a time.! Like I do on this:
http://www2.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/2433small.jpg

[RidinRed]

Why run one completely dry? How about switching between 1 & 2 every so often to keep the tanks relatively equal. Surely you can’t use up both tanks in one day.
Yes you should be switching taks as you go. personally, I switch about every Qtr. tank for balance. I respectfully disagree, in our 25 Rage I have run 1 to sputter switched and came in with the other on fumes twice after long trips.
Sounds like a small container should be carried though.

[DaveA]

I ran a tank dry in my TriPacer at about 4500' one day heading home from the beach. Wife promptly sunk her fingernails into my right thigh.
It was tough trying to remove her hand and switch tanks at the same time, while grimacing in pain, AND apologizing for frightening her, all the while saying to myself: "Fly the airplane, fly the airplane, fly the airplane....."
Thinking about the 'scars' helps me remember now. :D
.

[Beer-30]

Haven't sputtered one yet. I am anal about that, though. I read about all of these accidents where a plane runs out of fuel short of the runway. I have vowed not to be a statistic.