I have an '83 Galaxy Day Cruiser (5.7L OMC) that has original outboard but new 383 stroker.
I am slowly replacing everything on the boat except for the hull and tanks (sigh...). Just added a BlueSea AddABattery (w/2 optima deep cycle)...works great...in addition to an electric fuel pump (removed manual and blocked off).
On a recent outing I again 'died' and thought it 'might' be because I ran out of gas (gauges are another thing I need to replace).
Getting home I noticed fill up of both tanks only produced 15+ gals on p sideand 17 or so on s'board side...I did have gas.
Upon triage I noticed sboard tank doesn't pump gas to carb. I replaced both fuel lines from tank and am still having same problem.
I am about to check actual tank switch valve...but if this is bad I can't see after hours of googling where to get a new one.
I just spent 2 hours triaging fuel lines and problems are intermittent and I cannot solve them.
I drew thru entire fuel 'chain' except fuel tank switch (thinking this was issue) and was drawing from portable fuel tank. Carb fuel line was in bucket...I see flow.
I hooked it up to port tank (still bypassing switch) and see flow.
Then I hook up sboard side (bypassing switch) and see flow.
I repeat using p/s tanks (bypassing switch) and suddenly there is no flow.
I sucked on p/s tanks directly and got plenty of gas in my mouth.
A friend told me I had wrong fuel/water filter and that an electric fuel pump would solve all my problems...yet I have same issues as I did last summer.
Should flow to carb basically be a small trickle? I presume so.
The engine is a 1yr old 383 stroker and I started it up first crank this morning and when I switched to tank that failed me on the water engine died. Since this morning it won't start due to fuel delivery issues.
I am thinking next step (other than selling the damn thing) is to run entire fuel system thru portable tank and check for flow...then hook up line to carb and it should start.
What typically goes wrong in older aluminum tanks that I may need to replace (anti-siphon)? Give I can suck both tanks from hose I guess there's nothing wrong here.
Could my fuel pump be a POS? I bought it only a few months ago. It is a standard Delco model or something.
Sorry for any tone in post...but I am extremely frustrated haven been out 30 times and broken down 3. I've spent > $12k for 30 rides and 3 breakdowns...not a happy camper.
"Is it possible to draw a diagram showing how all this is actually plumbed as I assume you can't take any pics as most of it would be under the floor? How about a pic of this valve, is it really automatic or is it something you have to manually turn so you can draw from one tank or the other or both?"
ok Mike....just asking but are you sure the actual valve is electric? Reason I ask is I have seen boats with 2 fuel tanks and only 1 fuel gauge and they have a switch on the dash but all it does is switch the sender lines going to the gauge.
I have 2 aluminum tanks which feed to a 'switch' controlled by toggle on console.
The 'switch' feeds my Delco fuel pump which has 74 micron on intake.
The fuel pump feeds a Walmart fuel/water separator on bracket.
Fuel/water separator runs to carburetor.
My tanks appear to be aluminum but there is odd fiberglass "band" going full perimeter of tanks right in middle...not sure what this is but it appears to be 1" or so wide f'glass strip.
I will send pictures once I get back to boat in 3 or so days.