Fuel line for generator

[JayGee]

2005 Bounder 35E, F53 chassis, Onan 5500

Generator runs great when it has fuel. The fuel line going into the top of the fuel tank has a foot or so of rubber line. That foot of line has a hole in it that may be the result of a squirrel. I can find no way to replace that fuel line without dropping the tank. Dropping the tank is a major project.

I am open to any ideas.
Is there a way to tap into the fuel tank for a new source without blowing up? 🙂
Has anyone converted a 5500 to propane?

[Pirate1]

OP inspired me to think about changing my fuel line. Came home from trip with 1/4 tank left. Crawled underneath and was disappointed to see large cross-member for HWH jacks running across tank. So OP, maybe that's why your estimate was so high. I'm not sure I will mess with mine until I have too.

[mfox20]

I had the same issue on my 2000 HR Endeavor. I was able to access the top of the tank from one of my storage bays. Make sure you look from both sides in the compartments right behind the rear wheels. My passenger side compartment had a narrow panel in the back that once removed (8-10 small screws) provided room to get to the top of the tank. On my unit all of the storage bays are one piece construction made of thick molded plastic that was placed on the chassis before the body was set on. Was able to cut a hole through that material right above the fuel pump/fuel line hookups.

I tried replacing only the short piece of hose above the tank but still had the same fuel problem. I ran a new single hose all the way from the tank, bypassing the metal sections and never had any more issues. Just followed the same route and ty-wrapped the new hose to the old line.

Good luck let us know how it turns out.

[jerseyjim]

2 years ago my genny wold not start. Spun forever but would not start. Turned out to be the gas supply hose from the pump on top of the gas tank. At the curve. Guess it rotted away...or was not the "ethanol resistant" stuff they have now. (2001 F-53). Researching, I found one should drop the tank and go from there. After running the motorhome until the gas gauge showed 1/4 (got rid of as much weight as I could) a friend and I prepared. a couple of 2/4s and floor jacks.

REALLY got LUCKY ! Then we found that with a long flat screwdriver and a long arm, we could, from the passenger side, pop the fitting (and hose) off the tank and put the new hose right on ! Job took minits! Ran the new fuel line (now the "ethanol resistant" type, and after a few hits, the genny started and all is well.
\
Packed up the 2/4s and the jacks...and had a couple of well deserved beers. Hope this might work for you. g'luck!

[Bill_Satellite]

Whatever else you do or do not do, DO NOT convert to propane! Not only do you need a huge tank for the propane, even a large tank will not let you run the genset very long before you need more propane. Having a genset that runs from the fuel tank (gas or diesel) is a big advantage.

[JayGee]

Ford dealership in Knoxville estimated 80 hours labor ($125 an hour) to drop the tank and replace the line. Yep I said 80, not 8. 🙂 16 bolts, drop the tank, replace the line, raise the tank, and 16 bolts.

I am pretty sure, at least I certainly hope, that I can find a better price some where.

[Rick_Jay]

Hi,

When I had to drop my tank, I purchased one of these 500 lb. Capacity Table Carts to put under the tank for support. In my opinion, it was money well spent. For the gas tank, I didn't install the push handle as shown, so it would fit under the moho.

The gas tank is heavy and awkward to handle and you can't get all of the gas out of it, so once it starts tipping, it's tough to get back into position. The cart above allowed me to loosen everything up and gently lower the tank. It was always completely under control.

As a bonus, this cart also came in handy about a year later when we had to replace the refrigerator in the rig. I wheeled the cart into the hallway and slid the old refer right onto the cart. It was great to be able to adjust the height exactly as needed, and then wheel it out to the living room and out the door. We installed the new refer the same way.

Now, mostly I just use it as an adjustable height work table around the garage.

By the way, when I had my tank out, I had a friend weld an extension onto the generator pick-up tube so now it's about an inch off the bottom of the tank, instead of about 4". I figure now it'll run the tank down until below 10 gallons. Previously, the generator would kick out with about 20-25 gallons still in the tank. This bothered me during an extended power outage at home: Knowing there was over 20 gallons of gas in the tank that the generator couldn't use, so I had to dump a couple of 5 gallon jugs in. Not a big deal, but it still bothered me. Plus, now when running down the road, the generator will keep running well past the 400 mile mark on a tank of gas. Previously, the generator might start kicking off about 350 miles. This gives me a bit more flexibility when planning fuel stops.

Good Luck,

~Rick

[crasster]

Well, in the spirit of rigging things up, Yes, you can always run another fuel line. Just be sure you use fuel grade rubber / metal. It's not my 1st choice (dropping the tank and replacing is), but it can be done. It's just physics.

[Matt_Colie]

Jaygee,

Your coach is 14 years old, the fuel lines installed last about 10 years with they new motorfuels. It is well worth your while to empty and drop the tank(s) and replace the rubber lines now with new SAE-J30 R9 for fuel injection pressures or J30 R14 for carburetor pressures. Then you should be good for about another 20 years or until they add something new to the fuel.

Matt (ex Detroit lab rat)

[Dale_Traveling]

Drop the tank (it's actually easier than you think) and replace the entire length. Converting the generator might cost more than paying someone to drop the tank.

Another option would be to cut a hole in the floor over the tank that will allow access to the fuel line. Just measure twist or maybe four times to get the drill point correct. Not a lot of land marks above and below the floor to measure off of.

[midnightsadie]

some times the hard way is the best way,

[azrving]

Along with all of that if it has an electric pump and it's 12 years old it may be a good time to replace it.

[MountainAir05]

As stated drop the tank, run the fuel down low and get you two plus pallets and a pallets jack or two floor jack. Take the vent and fuel inlet hose off. Then the straps, lower tank and change out all hoses that are rubber. Tank only has to drop a few inches to do the work. Jack it back in place and hook up the stuff.

[turbojimmy]

The hole is more likely due to dry rot than a squirrel. If so, it would probably be best to replace them all anyway. My rig is considerably older, but I had to replace all of mine. I tried to drop my tank. After removing both straps the thing wouldn't budge. And in looking at it, I don't know how it would ever drop down because of the filler neck (which does not appear to be removable). I think the tank was installed before the body.

Anywho, I measured (several times) and cut a hole in the floor. As fate (or skill) would have it, I cut directly above the sender. I was able to replace all of the lines easily. I hated the carpet anyway, so that was an opportunity to replace it with Pergo.

[Lwiddis]

2005? I agree with enblethen, change all the rubber hoses.