Advice for 2300 DVCC fuel line changes?

[Seaway85]

First order of business on my new (to me) 2000 Parker 2300 DVCC is to change the fuel lines... I'm starting with the fill and vent lines because they look original and in rough shape. Does anyone that has changed these have advice for which way to pull the lines through? (feeding through the gunnel to the CC tank access plate or vice versa?) Or the lengths of line you ended up needing?

I changed the lines on my first boat so I'm familiar with the process, but this boat has a tighter corner to get around and it would be awesome to get it through on the first shot!

 

[windknotnc]

Its a pain to pull new fuel fill line because it is 1.5" and very stiff. I have not done that particular hull but you may be able to use a small piece of pipe and pipe clamps to connect the old line to the new and pull it through. The hardest part will be where the deck attaches to the fill box next the hull on the port side. If you can navigate that turn it should be fairly easy. The 5/8" vent line runs in that same chase. As to which end to pull it I would think you can get a lot more leverage pulling from the outside up than trying to manage this from under the console. Completely remove the round inspection hatches, not just the cap. It will give you a couple more inches to work. I don't recall the exact length but you should be able to get close by measuring. You will want an extra 6" of hose to give you something to pull and push on.

 

[GoodChance]

I think you'll need to cut open the chase on the port side of the hull to pull the 1.5" fill hose under the deck.

It's not that big of a deal to cut the face off the chase, pull the hose then reattach the face and paint to match.

 

[Seaway85]

Thanks for the advice! I ended up taking care of it this past weekend.

Its a pain to pull new fuel fill line because it is 1.5" and very stiff.

The new stuff is stiff, but the old fill line was so broken down that it was a lot more flexible and easier to work with when removing.

I think you'll need to cut open the chase on the port side of the hull to pull the 1.5" fill hose under the deck.

My dad suggested that idea at the start, and it probably would have made life a lot easier, but because the old hose was so much more flexible I was able to bend it under the gunwale without too much issue.

Completely remove the round inspection hatches, not just the cap.

This was the first thing I did! It made a huge difference, because you're really working with inches of space above, between, and to the sides of the gas tank fill and vent barbs.

I wish I had taken pictures during the process, but I'll outline what I did (and my trials and tribulations) in case it can help anyone in the future. Some of it will repeat what others have mentioned on this site, but it can't hurt to repeat it!

1. Prep the area in the center console. If it's really dirty (mine was pretty dusty/grimy) then clean it up to minimize gunk falling onto your fuel tank and around the lines while you work. Then remove the entire round deck plate in the center console (not just the pry-out cover). The little bit of extra space makes a HUGE difference.
2. Remove the lines from the fuel tank. Loosen the hose clamps, but be careful not to let them slide down the hoses and out of reach into the hull. To prevent this, you can tighten them a few inches away from where you think the end of the barb is in the hose (just tight enough to not move). I used a flathead screwdriver to help pry off the fill line from the fill barb on the tank. It was necessary because it seemed like there was some sort of sealant or adhesive applied to the hose and barb. BE CAREFUL with the flathead. Especially with an older tank, you could damage the hose barb or it could fail at the connection point to the tank if you apply too much pressure. Same goes for the vent barb - it's much smaller and seems a little thinner and could definitely bend under too much pressure. It's not easy to get the fill line off of the barb even with the flathead. I used a channel-lock wrench to aid in twisting and pulling the hose off of the barb. The vent line was much easier. I pulled both lines off of the barbs before feeding any new line through, because I thought that being able to push the vent line to the side rather than having it still connected would give me more wiggle room (it did) but if you do this then make sure that feeding the new fill line doesn't accidentally pull the vent line into the hull and out of reach!
3. IMMEDIATELY after removing each line from the tank, tape over the opening of each barb. You don't want any dust, grime, or sweat falling into the fuel tank... Also, if you need to use any power tools, you definitely want to limit the fuel vapor in the center console compartment. I used multiple layers of tape because I knew there would be a lot of movement and rubbing of the hose up against the barb, and I didn't want the tape to break.
4. Remove the fuel fill hardware on the gunwale. Loosen the hose barbs and then tighten them again a few inches below (right above the chase openeing) so they don't fall into the chase. Remove the screws holding the gas cap to the gunwale. On mine, one of the screws holding the gas cap to the gunwale was a bolt and underneath was a nut and washer holding the fuel tank ground in place. Make sure you secure the ground line to the outside of the chase or side of the boat so that it doesn't fall into the chase into the depths. I removed the duct tape holding mine before I was ready later in the day and it fell a little ways into the chase. Luckily my dad has a little snake-camera he bought on Amazon with a hook fixture that you can use to find and grab things in hard to reach places... I used a flathead to carefully pry the gas cap from the deck and it didn't require much force. You can scrape off the old sealant underneath to prep for a fresh bead of 4200 or silicone later if you'd like to.
5. Remove the vent line hose barbs and vent fixture. Replace the through-hull vent if necessary. Mine was utterly useless (clogged and broken-down) so I replaced it. Make sure the barb faces upwards on the inside of the boat to prevent any water from getting into the vent line. I also had seen recommendations to point the outside vent down and aft to best prevent splashing from getting into the line. I think I applied a little bit of 4200 on the fiberglass in the vent fixture hole just to be safe.
6. Prep your new fill line to be fed through the hull. As Windknotnc mentioned above, I thought it would be easiest to pull the old lines from outside and feed the new line from inside the center console. I was paranoid and bought 8ft of fill hose because I didn't want to be short. I had asked Parker for the lengths necessary for all of the fuel lines but they didn't respond until the night after I did the replacement. They said "6 ft. fill hose, 7 1/2 ft. vent line, 5 1/2 ft supply line" in case anyone's curious. I would buy 6.5ft for the fill hose to be safe and give you more hose to work with. I picked up a 1.5" to 1.5" hose barb connector from Amazon to aid in connecting the old fill line to the new one. I didn't want hose clamps on the fill line to catch on things as I pulled it through the hull, so I used 3 passes of duct tape up and down from the old hose, across the connection, to the new hose. I have had good results using duct tape on my last boat and it worked well for this one. Almost too well, because it took me longer to get all the duct tape off than it did to actually feed the new fill line through the hull. Luckily I had a neighborhood kid helping out, and he was small enough to fit inside the center console and push on the new line while I pulled from the outside. It was slow going - maybe an inch or two at a time, but it came through without much hassle. I sat on the deck facing aft with my right hand at my ear pushing up on the fill line, and my left hand pulling downward and away from the chase area. Once through the chase, detach the old fuel line from the new, being careful not to cut your new fuel line when cutting the duct tape. Pull the new fuel line upwards until it's flush with the deck. To help, I attached a thinner pair of vice grips to the new fuel line through the deck fill hole and pulled upwards.
7. Prep your new vent line to be pulled through the hull. Similar to the fill line, I used a hose barb (I think 5/8") and duct tape to connect the old vent line to the new. I only used 2 passes of duct tape this time because I knew it would be more than enough.

 

[Seaway85]

8. Make your connections to the tank. This was probably the hardest part of it all, because I attached the fill line to the gas cap and THEN cut it to size inside the center console. That was dumb. The fill hose is thick, stiff rubber with metal wire running through it. It's really hard to cut with a utility knife and wire cutters, so I started the process with a Sawzall and metal-cutting blade. Yes, this was probably dangerous given the proximity to fuel vapors, but I did my best to vent out the center console and couldn't smell any fuel while doing it. The close-quarters are tough, but I managed to wedge a piece of wood behind the new fuel line to protect the deck and the new vent line from the Sawzall blade. A huge pipe-cutter may have been a better solution to get the process going, but our biggest pipe cutter was 1" and the local shop didn't have anything bigger in stock. I used wire cutters to finish the job once there was just a small portion of the fill line left to cut. Be careful, because those wires inside the rubber are sharp and guaranteed to cut you. I used a compressor to blow air through the fill line from the deck end to make sure no rubber pieces or dust were in the line before connecting to the tank. Open your new hose clamps up all the way and place them around the fill barb, paying attention to which way the worm drive will face to make it easiest to tighten after the fill line is attached. I opted for them facing upwards between the fill and vent barbs. The REALLY hard part was getting the cut-to-size fill line pushed into the hull so the end could fit over the fill barb. Before cutting to size, I had pushed it towards the side of the boat as hard as I could to see how far it could get, and then pulled to see how far up the barb I could get it after cutting to size. I wanted to cut it short enough so that it wouldn't be too hard to push it into the boat and then onto the fill barb, but didn't want to cut it so short that there wouldn't be enough hose to cover the barb. In the end, it was a PITA to get the line around the barb, and then once I did it was a PITA to pull it any distance onto the barb. Even though I knew I had extra length to work with, I couldn't for the life of me fit the hose onto the barb as far as the original hose was, but it covered the barbed section and was enough space to get the two new hose clamps on properly, so I was content. I used the channel-lock wrench to grab, twist, and pull the new line to aid in the process, but couldn't be too rough because it was grabbing and ripping the outer rubber of my brand new fill line. If I had to do it again, I would have attached the fill line to the tank barb and then cut the gas cap end to size. Definitely an oversight on my part. I followed a similar process with the vent line, and it was a piece of cake.

9. Make your connections on the gunwale side of the lines. Cut your lines to size at the gunwale (if you haven't already done that on the tank side like me). Place your new hose clamps on both of the lines, making sure to tighten one to hold both of them from sliding down into the chase. The gas cap barb should fit through the hole in the gunwale and into the new fill line nicely. Screw the gas cap back into the deck (with a new bead of 4200 around the edge and on the screws if you'd like), and make sure to re-connect the ground wire to the bolt. Mine had gotten caught somewhere under the deck or in the chase, so it needed to be lengthened with a shrink-connector and a little bit of new wire. Tighten the hose clamps onto the barb. Same for the vent line, making sure your vent line comes off of your vent barb, up towards the topsides, and down into the chase. This is an added prevention against water getting into the vent line. My boat had a zip-tie screwed into the fiberglass to hold the vent line up against the top of the gunwale and I replaced it.

10. Clean up! I had old fuel line rubber dust and grime everywhere to clean up, and needed bleach to get some of the black stains off of the deck. A few beach towels on the gunwale and deck could have helped prevent this. If I had thought ahead I would have had a new deck plate to replace the old one in the center console, but I'll be replacing all of my deck plates soon.

If I'm missing any details let me know! I put 50gal of fuel in the boat yesterday before splashing it, and MAN was it satisfying to feel the rush of gasoline vapor in my face from the vent hose as I pumped gas after a job sort-of-well-done.

 

[windknotnc]

Good job and a nice accounting of the process.

 

[GoodChance]

Next time put some Dawn dish soap all over the 2 hoses as you are pulling them under the deck and up the chase.

 

[Seaway85]

Next time put some Dawn dish soap all over the 2 hoses as you are pulling them under the deck and up the chase.

That probably would have helped get the hoses through a little easier...

 

[JeHi]

I used ratchet strap to pull old hose with new hose connected. Old hose was very stiff.

 

[GMUGMU]

8. Make your connections to the tank. This was probably the hardest part of it all, because I attached the fill line to the gas cap and THEN cut it to size inside the center console. That was dumb. The fill hose is thick, stiff rubber with metal wire running through it. It's really hard to cut with a utility knife and wire cutters, so I started the process with a Sawzall and metal-cutting blade. Yes, this was probably dangerous given the proximity to fuel vapors, but I did my best to vent out the center console and couldn't smell any fuel while doing it. The close-quarters are tough, but I managed to wedge a piece of wood behind the new fuel line to protect the deck and the new vent line from the Sawzall blade. A huge pipe-cutter may have been a better solution to get the process going, but our biggest pipe cutter was 1" and the local shop didn't have anything bigger in stock. I used wire cutters to finish the job once there was just a small portion of the fill line left to cut. Be careful, because those wires inside the rubber are sharp and guaranteed to cut you. I used a compressor to blow air through the fill line from the deck end to make sure no rubber pieces or dust were in the line before connecting to the tank. Open your new hose clamps up all the way and place them around the fill barb, paying attention to which way the worm drive will face to make it easiest to tighten after the fill line is attached. I opted for them facing upwards between the fill and vent barbs. The REALLY hard part was getting the cut-to-size fill line pushed into the hull so the end could fit over the fill barb. Before cutting to size, I had pushed it towards the side of the boat as hard as I could to see how far it could get, and then pulled to see how far up the barb I could get it after cutting to size. I wanted to cut it short enough so that it wouldn't be too hard to push it into the boat and then onto the fill barb, but didn't want to cut it so short that there wouldn't be enough hose to cover the barb. In the end, it was a PITA to get the line around the barb, and then once I did it was a PITA to pull it any distance onto the barb. Even though I knew I had extra length to work with, I couldn't for the life of me fit the hose onto the barb as far as the original hose was, but it covered the barbed section and was enough space to get the two new hose clamps on properly, so I was content. I used the channel-lock wrench to grab, twist, and pull the new line to aid in the process, but couldn't be too rough because it was grabbing and ripping the outer rubber of my brand new fill line. If I had to do it again, I would have attached the fill line to the tank barb and then cut the gas cap end to size. Definitely an oversight on my part. I followed a similar process with the vent line, and it was a piece of cake.

9. Make your connections on the gunwale side of the lines. Cut your lines to size at the gunwale (if you haven't already done that on the tank side like me). Place your new hose clamps on both of the lines, making sure to tighten one to hold both of them from sliding down into the chase. The gas cap barb should fit through the hole in the gunwale and into the new fill line nicely. Screw the gas cap back into the deck (with a new bead of 4200 around the edge and on the screws if you'd like), and make sure to re-connect the ground wire to the bolt. Mine had gotten caught somewhere under the deck or in the chase, so it needed to be lengthened with a shrink-connector and a little bit of new wire. Tighten the hose clamps onto the barb. Same for the vent line, making sure your vent line comes off of your vent barb, up towards the topsides, and down into the chase. This is an added prevention against water getting into the vent line. My boat had a zip-tie screwed into the fiberglass to hold the vent line up against the top of the gunwale and I replaced it.

10. Clean up! I had old fuel line rubber dust and grime everywhere to clean up, and needed bleach to get some of the black stains off of the deck. A few beach towels on the gunwale and deck could have helped prevent this. If I had thought ahead I would have had a new deck plate to replace the old one in the center console, but I'll be replacing all of my deck plates soon.

If I'm missing any details let me know! I put 50gal of fuel in the boat yesterday before splashing it, and MAN was it satisfying to feel the rush of gasoline vapor in my face from the vent hose as I pumped gas after a job sort-of-well-done.

Many thanks for posting this. Where did you get your hoses and how did you know what size and type? I don't see any marking on mine. Thanks again.

 

[Seaway85]

Many thanks for posting this. Where did you get your hoses and how did you know what size and type? I don't see any marking on mine. Thanks again.

I was familiar with the size and type hose from replacing the fill line on my last boat. Fill hoses are either 1.5" inner diameter, or 2" ID, and I think most small to midsized boats have 1.5" fuel fill lines (like my 2300 and likely yours as well). If you can't see any markings to confirm the ID, you can measure the outer diameter and infer what the inner diameter will be, since there's only 1.5" or 2" to choose from. The fuel vent line on both of my boats has been 5/8" ID, and I'd guess yours is as well. The hoses are standardized/regulated by the Coast Guard, and the descriptions online usually describe what application each product is approved for.

I ordered my fuel lines from Defender because I have a membership and receive a discount, but they're pretty reasonably priced for most items even without the discount. The links below are the 1.5" ID fuel fill and 5/8" ID fuel vent lines I purchased.

https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=106386https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=4010345
For lengths, I made an educated guess, rounded up significantly, and then cut-to-size during the install. Parker responded with the recommended lengths the night after I did the install: 6 ft. fill hose, 7 1/2 ft. vent line, 5 1/2 ft supply line. I'd use a few inches more than 6ft of fill hose to be safe, based off of how much line I cut from my 8ft section.

Hope this helps!

 

[GMUGMU]

I was familiar with the size and type hose from replacing the fill line on my last boat. Fill hoses are either 1.5" inner diameter, or 2" ID, and I think most small to midsized boats have 1.5" fuel fill lines (like my 2300 and likely yours as well). If you can't see any markings to confirm the ID, you can measure the outer diameter and infer what the inner diameter will be, since there's only 1.5" or 2" to choose from. The fuel vent line on both of my boats has been 5/8" ID, and I'd guess yours is as well. The hoses are standardized/regulated by the Coast Guard, and the descriptions online usually describe what application each product is approved for.

I ordered my fuel lines from Defender because I have a membership and receive a discount, but they're pretty reasonably priced for most items even without the discount. The links below are the 1.5" ID fuel fill and 5/8" ID fuel vent lines I purchased.

https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=106386https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=4010345
For lengths, I made an educated guess, rounded up significantly, and then cut-to-size during the install. Parker responded with the recommended lengths the night after I did the install: 6 ft. fill hose, 7 1/2 ft. vent line, 5 1/2 ft supply line. I'd use a few inches more than 6ft of fill hose to be safe, based off of how much line I cut from my 8ft section.

Hope this helps!

Many thanks. I got them changed this weekend. Good first project.

 

[bpruitt9]

First order of business on my new (to me) 2000 Parker 2300 DVCC is to change the fuel lines... I'm starting with the fill and vent lines because they look original and in rough shape. Does anyone that has changed these have advice for which way to pull the lines through? (feeding through the gunnel to the CC tank access plate or vice versa?) Or the lengths of line you ended up needing?

I changed the lines on my first boat so I'm familiar with the process, but this boat has a tighter corner to get around and it would be awesome to get it through on the first shot!

thanks for the post...i know its old.but i have a 1998 2300DV and i am having issues with gas coming out of the vent at about 50% full. i am curious if you had any symptoms that caused you to changed the fuel lines or you just didn't like the looks.

thanks
brian

 

[Seaway85]

thanks for the post...i know its old.but i have a 1998 2300DV and i am having issues with gas coming out of the vent at about 50% full. i am curious if you had any symptoms that caused you to changed the fuel lines or you just didn't like the looks.

thanks
brian

Hey Brian, sorry for the late reply. I made checking the fuel lines on my 2300DV a priority after needing to replace crumbling lines on my first boat. The rubber was cracking significantly and chalky in spots, and the lines were likely original (21yrs old), so I knew it was best to replace them. Regarding your issue, are you sure your sender is working properly? It could be stuck and telling you the tank's at 50% when it's actually full. Otherwise, I'm not sure what else would be causing fuel to come out the vent. Hopefully by now you've figured it out, though!