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How to Remove fuel pick up tube from tank?

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GoldToyBox

New member
Working on son-in-laws Jet boat, about 25 years old.

Steel tanks (2)
Chevy 454
Electric Fuel pump w/tank selector switch
New hoses & fittings

We are unable to maintain fuel pressure from one tank. We have found no air leaks and suspect a hole/crack in the pickup tube.
We have been told you can remove the pickup tube but we don't see how. It appears to be welded in?

Anyone else run into this? Is there repair kit available?
 
steel tank...??? possible but not common...

most pickup tubes have a pipe thread fitting at the top....hopefully, what you see is the bung welded to the top of the tank...

repair is usually accomplished by replacement...and they get trimmed to fit...
 
Pretty sure it's welded in and the tube is pressed on.

Could drill it out, filling the tank with steel cuttings and how would I get the tube out of the tank?

I think I have attached two photos (1st try at this)
 

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GoldToyBox said:
Pretty sure it's welded in and the tube is pressed on.

Could drill it out, filling the tank with steel cuttings and how would I get the tube out of the tank?

I think I have attached two photos (1st try at this)
Click to expand...

Ayuh,..... Sweat a piece of 3/8" copper tubin' into yer fittin', for a new diptube,....

If it won't go down through the steel piece already there,...
Carefully drill it out, 'n let it fall into the tank,....

The fuel filter will pick up any drillin' shads, 'n the ole diptube will bounce 'round harmlessly inside the tank,...
 
kimcrwbr1 said:
I would be concerened about metal pieces vibrating a hole in the bottom of the tank over time plus the rust factor sitting in the water on the bottom of the tank/s. Do you have access to the sending units where you can open the tanks up and retrieve the metal tubes and shavings? I found a monkey wrench embedded in the bottom of the bilge of a fish processor. The hull was 3/4 inch plate steel and the wrench almost penetrated the hull. There was a perfect imprint more than 1/2 inch deep in the 3/4 plate steel. Your tanks are what 16 guage steel? I would want to retrieve those chunks of metal. You can reduce the metal shavings by dipping the drill in axle grease. A trick I learned for putting in a helicoil on a older mercury outboard spark plug threads. dip in grease drill a little wipe it clean and dip it in grease again works real good.
Click to expand...

I was able to get the tube off and out of the tank, via the sending unit hole & my extending magnet .... thanks for that idea worked great. Fuel Pressure seems to be holding now, test on the lake this week.

Thanks for the help.
 
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