Fuel like molasses

My 318 quit last weekend just

My 318 quit last weekend just like it ran out of fuel. I blew the lines out and cleaned the filter. I ran great for an hour this weekend then the same thing happened. I pulled the filter and it was full of black sticky gummy mess. My tank is nearly full. I'm sure its a mess inside there. Any great easy wonderful amazing tips on cleaning the fuel tanks? I've got about 3" clearance on top of each tank so getting anything down through the top is near impossible. Thanks

"Ho-boy! Have you got trouble

"Ho-boy! Have you got trouble. That's "evil-nol" stirring up stuff that was content to sit there on the bottom of your tank and ride along. You have two choices: Pump it out, or filter the hell out of it.

The first option requires sucking out at least a quarter of the fuel in the tank--and the bottom quarter only. You'll need a long, stiff tube that you position at the bottom of the tank as the fuel is sucked out. (The end of the hose has to be cut on an angle.) The tank has to sit perfectly still overnight and not move until this is done.

The second option requires a massive set of filters located AFTER the fuel pump. You'll need at least a dual cannister filter deal (like diesels use) with easily replaceable elements--and plenty of them!

Jeff"

Black sticky gummy mess....mmm

Black sticky gummy mess....mmmmm... perchance do you have fiberglass fuel tanks?

I hope not!

Jeff

I hope not!

Jeff

"Galvanized tanks. But this is

"Galvanized tanks. But this is the nastiest stuff I've ever seen, Black molasses like, sticky as any glue. I don't think it would burn in a bonfire...."

"Gonna have to pump her out, I

"Gonna have to pump her out, I'm afraid. Try a quarter of a tank at a time.

Jeff"

"It's possible that this s

"It's possible that this stuff is from rubber that's been disolved by ethanol. But, you'd need to have a lot of rubber to get that much junk in the fuel tank. I've seen that if there is a rubber-lined tank, and someone ran ethanol in it (like on an airplane, with rubber fuel bladders). Make sure you don't have any rubber fuel lines that might be dissolving and creating this stuff. Also possible: who ever sold you the fuel has rubber-lined tanks, and they are using ethanol. So, they "sold" you this junk. Maybe?"

"Larry - My best guess is I ha

"Larry - My best guess is I have one tank full of crude that is working loose. My port tank seems pretty clear. I bought this boat at an auction. It had been sitting up for two years. I imagine one tank was empty and one had a significant amount of fuel in it and thats the one causing me problems. I decided to trailer it home and go through the entire fuel system again. As my luck seems to go, as I was pulling the boat out of the ramp, a trailer tire blew. Late Sunday evening, the only place to buy a tire was Walmart. They did not have a trailer tire so I bought a car tire just to get me home. When I put the weight of the boat on this tire it nearly went flat. Frustrated, I pulled it up next to marina office and left it there. I hope its there when I go back... Or maybe not."

"Bypass the filter and suck it

"Bypass the filter and suck it out of there..
You could disconnect before the fuel pump and put it that way,bypass the filters though.."