I decided to take the time and change my primer bulb and fuel hose from the gas tank to the motor. The original fuel hose was a little short and ran across my oil tank and cranking battery. I had been able to get ethanol-free fuel until last year, but not anymore. Champlain is 3 feet above flood level and I won't be fishing there for quite a while.
My dilema: I cut off the fuel hose at the gas tank, which is conveniently located under the back deck on my Nitro F&S 185. The hose I removed was labeled 3/8" ID. I bought the same at West Marine. I cannot get that hose more than halfway on the barb fitting at the tank. I tried grease on the fitting and heating up the hose with a hair dryer. I have next to no room to get any good leverage on the hose. I measured the hose barb and it is approximately 1/2" diameter. I'm guessing that the original hose was installed before the deck was installed. I was going to remove the barb/NPT fitting, but I can't get a backer wrench on the fitting from the tank due to a livewell in the way and fear breaking something trying to remove a fittng that has been there for 11+ years. I have cut off the new hose twice and cannot get it to stretch on the hose barb. My knuckles are messed up even when wearling mechanix gloves!
I basically walked away from it the other day out of frustration. My possible solution is to get a short piece of 1/2" ID fuel hose and a hose barb/barb fitting. Attach 1/2" hose to the tank fitting and go from 1/2" hose to 3/8" hose at the mending fitting. If anyone has any other possible solutions, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Note: The fuel hose and primer bulb assembly were clean inside. No build up of any kind. I wanted to be safe going forward with ethanol fuel by replacing the fuel lines.
My dilema: I cut off the fuel hose at the gas tank, which is conveniently located under the back deck on my Nitro F&S 185. The hose I removed was labeled 3/8" ID. I bought the same at West Marine. I cannot get that hose more than halfway on the barb fitting at the tank. I tried grease on the fitting and heating up the hose with a hair dryer. I have next to no room to get any good leverage on the hose. I measured the hose barb and it is approximately 1/2" diameter. I'm guessing that the original hose was installed before the deck was installed. I was going to remove the barb/NPT fitting, but I can't get a backer wrench on the fitting from the tank due to a livewell in the way and fear breaking something trying to remove a fittng that has been there for 11+ years. I have cut off the new hose twice and cannot get it to stretch on the hose barb. My knuckles are messed up even when wearling mechanix gloves!
I basically walked away from it the other day out of frustration. My possible solution is to get a short piece of 1/2" ID fuel hose and a hose barb/barb fitting. Attach 1/2" hose to the tank fitting and go from 1/2" hose to 3/8" hose at the mending fitting. If anyone has any other possible solutions, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Note: The fuel hose and primer bulb assembly were clean inside. No build up of any kind. I wanted to be safe going forward with ethanol fuel by replacing the fuel lines.
