# New EPA fuel tanks



## 1960 yellowboat (Jul 2, 2019)

O.K. 
Our government at work.
Years ago we had "pressure tanks" for O.M.C. outboards. They were deemed dangerous as when the tank heated up in the sun,they pretty much turned into a bomb. UNLESS you opened that little valve to relieve the pressure. Now fast forward 30 years or so and along comes the nitwits at the E.P.A. who are determined to save the planet, this time from all us no good, uncaring, boating slobs who vent fuel vapors into the air and poison all of the sweet do-gooders. So, now vents on fuel tanks are banned. Modern tanks have fuel caps that let air in but not out. Soooooooooooooo, when the tank heats in the sun and the gas expands , Time Warp! back in the 50's! Pressure tank! The fuel, under pressure now looks for a release. The only places left are the fuel line fittings. And that's where I am now. Gas leaking out the fuel line by the tank barb.
Brand new Specter tank, new fuel line.
Anybody got Ideas how to solve this problem?
The tank is stored on the patio, under a canopy, out of the sun and it still seeps.


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## ktoelke54 (Jul 2, 2019)

You have explained why there is still a good market for the old metal gas tanks. I suppose, that for the new system to work as intended, every seal in the system has to stand the pressure buildup. I have a boat that is open to the sun, so when transporting, the new tanks blow up like a dead pig! Maybe they are designed to do that, but it’s just creepy. I found an old metal OMC tank (hopefully not the one that’s a bomb) and it seems to work well for me. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## LDUBS (Jul 2, 2019)

Get a fuel demand valve like the one shown below. It installs on your fuel line. IMO, these should probably now be a standard part of all fuel lines sold. 

BTW, the new EPA tanks should vent after 5 psi, but that doesn't help your problem. 






PS: I guess looking like a balloon is the new normal for our gaso tanks.


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## turbotodd (Jul 2, 2019)

OEM tanks are MUCH better quality than "ANY" aftermarket tank, period. All of the aftermarket tanks are basically junk and most of them have "made in china" plastered all over them. Fuel has changed as well in the last 10-15 years and continues to change. They aren't bombs until you get 50+ psi in them and add a spark into the tank full of vapors-which is HIGHLY unlikely. What is more likely, however, is an aftermarket junk tank rupturing and a boat operator smoking, and then you have a big problem. I have seen this happen, by the way.


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## Brian121804 (Jul 2, 2019)

Get a manually vented cap:

https://www.amazon.com/Moeller-Tempo-Manual-Vent-Gas/dp/B00BN67792

Not endorsing it, it's just the 1st one that popped up on Google.


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## Pappy (Jul 2, 2019)

The claim of the op is about as false as it gets. Wives tales passed on by know-nothing boat ramp experts. 
Right off the bat you apparently know absolutely nothing about the inner workings of a pressure tank.
The pressure tanks had pressure relief valves built into them and they worked and they still work today. If anything they were over designed for their era. None ever turned into a "bomb". I lived that era and worked for OMC as well and never EVER heard of a tank explosion because of too much pressure. As Todd mentioned you also have to have an ignition source. Pressure alone will not do it. Any tank will "explode" in a boat that is already burning (that was your first hint). Your second hint is that most boats, when the pressure tanks were plentiful, were wood. 
This is the wrong forum to come into and make false claims and present it as fact. Do your homework before posting. 
If I felt like it I would explain why a pressure tank is probably a better tank than todays plastic tanks that turn into a round football with the heat of the day. Lots of advantages to a pressure tank specially with today's gasoline.
If you purchase a plastic tank from an engine manufacturer as well as fuel lines and OEM fittings your "issue" will probably go away. You get what you pay for in aftermarket fuel supply systems as well as aftermarket parts. 
How's that for an answer?


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## 1960 yellowboat (Jul 3, 2019)

actually, thats the best answer I have ever gotten. I stand corrected about the pressure tanks. I still don't like the EPA tho. But I do appreciate a honest answer from a knowledgeable person.


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## 1960 yellowboat (Jul 3, 2019)

And getting such an imformative answer from you is really appreciated. I guess I fell victim to the "Boat Ramp Experts'. That won't happen again.

However, is it possible to convert a two hose tank to single line operation?

I had a steel tank but for some reason, it absorbed humidity from the air and turned the fuel to crap. So I don't know if I'm coming , going, or standing still.

This is my restored steel tank.


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## Pappy (Jul 3, 2019)

First off....I rec'd your private message. Thank you for that but I was not offended in the least. 
I settled on Tin Boats because it is a small forum filled with folks who do a pretty good job distributing "good" information. 
I am lucky enough, through a great education and career, to be able to give back at this point in my life and it feels good to do it.
Once in a while we get a post like yours that is so filled with mis-information it simply has to be corrected. 

A steel tank is your best bet (in my opinion) for the simple reason it will not expand. The older steel tanks are built to last and they do!
Parts are also still available for these old tanks including seals, floats, o-rings, gaskets, etc, When you buy one do yourself a favor and go through it. 
As far as a steel tank pulling moisture? If left with enough of an air dome in the tank from low fuel level the tank can pull a bit of moisture from the micro atmosphere inside the tank with heating and cooling cycles. A tank fill cap left loose will certainly speed this up or a leaky seal will also contribute. Ethanol is not your friend when it comes to moisture. Your best bet is to remove the tank and store it out of the sun and rain or make sure you leave your tank full which is not the easiest thing to do after a day on the water.
There is another issue we need to be aware of with tanks that will vent in and not out. 
As a tank builds up heat the resultant pressure can create another issue if you leave your fuel line connected to the engine. A single minute piece of debris lodged between the needle and seat will allow pressurized fuel to free-flow into and overflow through the carburetor vent....non-stop!
If you have left your boat and engine in a hot garage with the tank connected this can pose a very real problem after a few hours of a steady pressurized leak. 
I have an old hot tin roof central Florida warehouse for storage. I disconnect the lines from the engines I run and crack the tank caps. I run nothing but non-ethanol fuel so the hygroscopic properties of alcohol are a non-issue for me. Being under roof the tanks never pull moisture. 

Leave the dual-line tank as it is and find a good single line tank. If your engine is a '55 then I certainly hope you are running it on a 24:1 mixture and no leaner. 
Also, if you are interested in vintage and antique outboards Florida has an antique outboard chapter that is one of the most active in the country. We normally get together and run and or display all over central and northern Florida once a month.


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## Matt193 (Jul 3, 2019)

The demand valve pictured is the proper way to stop the leakage on the new tanks, but replacing the cap with a vented one or defeating the one way vent valve in the cap is another. Some of the tanks simply use a little rubber valve on the bottom of the cap that you can just pull off with a pair of pliers. Other ones are more complicated and a small hole drilled in the correct spot can defeat the valve. 

I own and still use a half dozen of the old style tanks, some vented, some not. I just picked up a cherry OMC tank at the dump today when I was dropping off a load of stuff. I can't resist a good deal! :LOL2:


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## Pappy (Jul 3, 2019)

Wisconsin, huh? 
I am heading up your way end of July and first week of August to Tomahawk for the national meet for antique outboards. 
LOVE the weather up there compared to Central Florida.


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## GTS225 (Jul 4, 2019)

From my understanding, on the "old" pressure tank systems, it wasn't the tank that was the hazard. It was the lines from the tank to the engine that was the thing to be concerned about. Fuel flowing to the engine, under pressure, will perform a quite nice spray pattern from a split or damaged rubber hose. Combine this with the prevalence of smoking back in the day, or a running 2-cycle engine, and you have a potential recipe for disaster.

What say you, Pappy?

Roger


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## Matt193 (Jul 4, 2019)

Pappy said:


> Wisconsin, huh?
> I am heading up your way end of July and first week of August to Tomahawk for the national meet for antique outboards.
> LOVE the weather up there compared to Central Florida.



Yes sir. I usually check out the Tomahawk show on Wednesday or Thursday since I live fairly close to it. That show is one of the highlights of my summer. The summer weather is nice, but the winters here can be pretty brutal and long.


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## 1960 yellowboat (Jul 4, 2019)

Is that at the freshwater hall of fame? The one with the big muskie? Many years ago I donated a 1940's twin cylinder Neptune to them. Tomahawk is a great area. Loved fishing the Flambeau flowage.


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## Matt193 (Jul 4, 2019)

1960 yellowboat said:


> Is that at the freshwater hall of fame? The one with the big muskie? Many years ago I donated a 1940's twin cylinder Neptune to them. Tomahawk is a great area. Loved fishing the Flambeau flowage.


The musky is in Hayward, which is quite a ways north west of Tomahawk. The AOMCI show at a local park that's on a lake/river so people can putt around in their boats, go on cruises, and I think that there might be some racing too? Pappy would know better than I since I would imagine he spends more than a few hours there. 

The TFF is a great body of water to fish, explore, and camp on. I fish it a few times a year, mostly in the fall when the Walleyes are easy pickings. 

This thread has been officially derailed. :LOL2:


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## Pappy (Jul 4, 2019)

The AOMCI show is held at the old airport/park in Tomahawk. The runway parallels the river or lake shore. The swap meet/show takes up pretty much the complete length of the old runway. 
There is still a hangar there as well that doubles as an ice rink during the winter I think. The boats and engines that are there for show display are in there and there are a ton of them. 
This year there will be probably around 8-10 of us coming up from Florida. Ask anyone around there where the Florida group is and you will find us. Most there also know me as Pappy. We will be there all week for the good weather, good friends, and of course to hunt for that elusive part or engine you just have to add to your collection.


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## donairplane (Jul 4, 2019)

I found a neoprene float that is a perfect replacement for the old OMC 6 gal tank
Float comes from AircraftSpruce.com part #05-03395 for $3.35. My shipping was $2.70 to AZ. 

Sorry about the upside down new at this.


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## Pappy (Jul 4, 2019)

That is a good find! 
May also fit some of the antique "square tanker" engines as a float inside the carb. They were that shape and pretty large.


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