• Untitled Document

    Join us on March 29rd, 7pm EST

    for the CBEC Virtual Meeting

    All EYO members and followers are welcome to join the fun and get to know the guest speaker!

    See the link below for login credentials and join us!

    March Meeting Info

    (dismiss this notice by hitting 'X', upper right)

Deck fill cap for '80's Ericson

Kevin A Wright

Member III
Does anyone have a spare deck fill cap for the water or fuel fills from an 80's vintage Ericson. Lost my fuel cap overboard when the safety chain broke and all the replacements I can find are just a little too small.

Most one's I can find have an outer thread diameter of 1 1/2", but the caps on my boat are just a bit over 1 5/8". I'd call it 42mm, but the thread spacing doesn't seem to be metric pitch. Also very interesting the thread teeth are cut at a 45degree angle rather than the 60 degree which is standard for screw threads like this.

Don't know why someone would have such a non standard part nor why Ericson would use it, but if you have a spare I'm really interesting. The bathtub plug on my fuel fill looks kind of tacky.

Kevin Wright
E35 Hydro Therapy (1986)
(360) 531 1333
 

1911tex

Sustaining Member
If its a good tight fit that will keep dew and rain water out of the fuel...who cares if tacky until you find one. My neighbor marina boat lost his cap months ago and stuck a black rubber cork from the hardware, wedged tight by twisting clockwise in the threads. He finally found one by calling old boat yards. Only a 1/2" stuck out...no one noticed including me, until he mentioned it ....
 

nquigley

Sustaining Member
Try here:


Does anyone have a spare deck fill cap for the water or fuel fills from an 80's vintage Ericson. Lost my fuel cap overboard when the safety chain broke and all the replacements I can find are just a little too small.

Most one's I can find have an outer thread diameter of 1 1/2", but the caps on my boat are just a bit over 1 5/8". I'd call it 42mm, but the thread spacing doesn't seem to be metric pitch. Also very interesting the thread teeth are cut at a 45degree angle rather than the 60 degree which is standard for screw threads like this.

Don't know why someone would have such a non standard part nor why Ericson would use it, but if you have a spare I'm really interesting. The bathtub plug on my fuel fill looks kind of tacky.

Kevin Wright
E35 Hydro Therapy (1986)
(360) 531 1333
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
This subject comes up pretty often here. You might want to do some searching.
A bit over a decade ago I opted out of the whole "deck fill thread mystery" and replaced both of ours with new ones. I found some with the flip up turn lever, in SS. They are pretty nice. :)
Here is just one thread:
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Loren,

How hard was the replacement deck fill job? I'd guess that the whole business -- fitting, hose clamp and hose --pulls out of the deck hole, because that's probably how it was installed. And was there enough slack in the hose?

New deck fittings aren't that expensive and they're shiny. I never could find a replacement for this 1985 water fill, which came apart. I wound up bolting it back together.

deck water drilled.JPG...2 deck water1.JPG
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
I was fortunate. Both of the fills could be accessed (with some difficulty) from below to get at the hose clamps. And having read about the problems with replacement parts, it was just easier to start over. I replaced the hoses, as well. The original fuel hose was permeating, and the whiff of diesel was not desirable.

They are still listed, but now in "closeout" status.
 

Tin Kicker

Sustaining Member
Moderator
How hard was the replacement deck fill job? I'd guess that the whole business -- fitting, hose clamp and hose --pulls out of the deck hole, because that's probably how it was installed. And was there enough slack in the hose?

The hose and ground wire connection could pull up about 4-6" on mine but my replacement is from the tank end. The fill is a heavy stiff hose and after pulling them up you'd need to keep something on the hose and ground wire so they didn't fall back into the abyss.

The next issue will be that the new deck fitting has a different screw pattern.
 

nquigley

Sustaining Member
It seems like it might be easier to get a local machine shop (or forge?) to make replacement screw caps than to replace the whole fitting - the hoses are really hard to get to. I wonder if they could be made in a 3D printer? One could make several at once, to provide back-ups if they don't last too long.
 

Tin Kicker

Sustaining Member
Moderator
The key is going to be getting a good seal because if you don't, the water will leak past and go into your fuel tank. The bacteria and fungi that grow in jet fuel and diesel THRIVE when there is moisture.

I haven't installed the new one yet but the replacement for my deck fill has a cap which covers it so water never gets to the fill hole. It came black and I painted it with appliance white paint to go with the deck.
 

DLM-E30

Junior Member
I am currently rebuilding a 78 E30-2, and am going to change the fuel fill. I can check on thursday if the cap (plug) has the fine thread you are speaking of. This boat came with a gas engine, but now has a diesel, so I'm changing the deck plate to avoid getting the wrong fuel. Free. can be reached at trumpet.4 at hotmail.
 
Top