Fuel filler hose replacement

[K2MSmith]

It looks like I have to replace the fuel filler hose that goes to the tank from the deck fitting. This is a 1 1/2” ID hose . The hose rated for this purpose ( diesel fuel tank filler ) available at west marine is the Shield series 355. This stuff is very stiff and difficult to bend . Are there any other brands / replacements that are easier to work ? My hose will require a bit of yoga to replace. I don’t know if I can bend it enough at the exit hole where is connects to tank .

 

[Loren Beach]

I bought ours from a local industrial hose/fittings vendor, https://www.premierrubber.com/
Seems like there ought to be a similar company in a city near you.
I also bought my new exhaust hose, also a very specific type of construction, from https://www.englundmarine.com/
because Premier was out of it at that time.
Note that the proper diesel-rated fuel hose has a liner that prevents any fuel vapor from passing thru.
Our OEM hose had permeated -- due to age.
Depending on routing, you may have to slightly enlarge/chamfer the access holes and routing. I had to do that for our hose replacement of fuel and also the replacement bilge hoses. Not any fun, just tedious and a bit time consuming. Boat Yoga and moderate cursing was involved.

 

[HerbertFriedman]

I recently had my diesel fill hose replaced on my 87 E34. The tank was under the rear berth and then ran under the flooring to the side of the starboard lazarrette and finally up to the deck fill fitting just ahead of the transom (on the starboard side). A plywood panel had to be removed in order to get to the hose and that proved to be a real headache. Apparently, that panel was screwed into a fiberglass panel and then the waste tank was installed thereby removing access to two of the screws. So either the waste tank had to be removed or the screws sliced, and using a saw, that was the route. Once the plywood panel was removed the hose replacement was fairly easy although the new hose, CG approved, was expensive. The entire job cost $3K.

Turns out the boatyard tech noticed that the fill hose for the waste tank had a kink in it and lots of brown stain on it. The waste hose has a steel spiral wire and the brown stain was rust, so the waste fill pipe needed to be replaced as well. Of course the waste tank was half full so that had to be emptied before the tank could be replaced, so that would have meant launching the boat, traveling to a waste disposal place, before the tank could be replaced. I chose to do that job myself back at my slip since everything looked fairly accessible. Turns out that job took several days and again the new hose was quite expensive. When I did get the tank out of the boat, the fill hose crumbled in my hand so I was very close to a very unpleasant situation. Moral: after 36 years, replace ALL the hoses.

 

[KS Dave]

I used Shields 355 to replace my original hose a couple of years ago. I found the judicious application of a heat gun really helped in not only getting it bent as well as getting it to more easily slide over the fittings on both ends.

Boat Yoga and moderate cursing was involved.

This is the method I used for this part, too!

 

[Prairie Schooner]

On our tank (and hoses) replacement I unscrewed the deck fitting and pushed it up and out of the boat. Removing the old clamps & hose and installing the new at that end was relatively easy. Either the hole was big enough to pass the clamps or I notched it. I don't recall. At any rate, the deck fitting covered the hole. The run from fitting to tank was 4'-5', as I recall, and not very coplex.
I've also had good luck wiring a new hose to old and using that to pull it through.
- https://ericsonyachts.org/ie/threads/bilge-hose-replacement-battle.20284/post-173207

These may not work with your boat's configuration. Strictly FWIW

 

[K2MSmith]

I used Shields 355 to replace my original hose a couple of years ago. I found the judicious application of a heat gun really helped in not only getting it bent as well as getting it to more easily slide over the fittings on both ends.


This is the method I used for this part, too!

The shields appears to be the only type commonly available. I found 12’ length available on Amazon for about $11/ft . West marine price was almost 30/ft . I only need about 6’ . My neighbor has a heat gun and is willing to help out . So I’ll see how it goes . If we can easily push / pull the old hose out that should give us an idea how hard it will be to get the new hose in . There is access to the bent section of the hose from the berth sliding locker using a stretched arm . My thought is that two of us wrangling it will produce positive results .., The estimate from a local yard to replace the tank was 3-5K so I figure with my cost at currently at 1200 ( tank and hose ) , I’m ahead of the game .

 

[Pete the Cat]

I doubt if any surveyor is going to see it, but i would guess that Shields and Trident products are stamped ABYC and CG approved and you can probably buy other diesel hose for trucks at an auto parts store that is not. I know that some surveyors will note when folks use non CG or ABYC fuel hoses from tank to engine and returns, but I doubt if most are really that observant on fill hoses as you have to take so much apart to get to them. FWIW. And that is not much. I do encourage folks to use labelled/approved hoses where the surveyors can easily see them.

 

[KS Dave]

I purchased mine from Marine Parts Source - it was $11/foot 2 years ago; now up to $15/foot.

You can get the equivalent Trident version from Defender for $13/foot.

I would tend towards sticking to one of these at the risk of getting something of unknown origin/manufacturing and having it fail. Safety and surveyors aside, living with a diesel-saturated cabin sole isn't pleasant.

 

[G Kiba]

It looks like I have to replace the fuel filler hose that goes to the tank from the deck fitting. This is a 1 1/2” ID hose . The hose rated for this purpose ( diesel fuel tank filler ) available at west marine is the Shield series 355. This stuff is very stiff and difficult to bend . Are there any other brands / replacements that are easier to work ? My hose will require a bit of yoga to replace. I don’t know if I can bend it enough at the exit hole where is connects to tank .

Best of luck getting the fill hose replaced. I had heard that Brian (Rumour) also pulled the deck fitting off and pushed the hose in from there.

 

[K2MSmith]

Best of luck getting the fill hose replaced. I had heard that Brian (Rumour) also pulled the deck fitting off and pushed the hose in from there.

The task seemed damn near impossible on my boat without removing a lot of the interior. My solution is a splice double hose clamped on each end . The section of hose I took out was in good condition so I’m not worried about the old section to the deck fitting . Not really the best solution but I’ve already consumed several months on this project ( mainly due to new tank not fitting and having to have it modified) .