help required for outboard

[john aisbitt]

occidentally put diesel into fuel tank instead of petrol, didnt find out till a mile out, had to come back on auxiliary engine! its a suzuki 50 four stroke, anyone have any advice or name of someone to fix near amble appreciated
John

 

[alcaucin]

did the engine just cut out? you'll need to totally suck the contaminated fuel out of the tank and change the filter and refill with clean petrol. I think I would remove the spark plugs and spin it over a few times to expel any diesel then replace them and start . Depends if you have damaged the engine but you won't know until you run it .

 

[lingking]

give amble angling a call they might know someone or better still the marina

 

[Wasabi]

Luckily Diesel is not damaging your engine! But it wont start unless you do exactly what Alpaucin has said.

Probably best to pull the boat on land and "wash" it nicely through with fresh petrol.

If its a carburretor version, you might get away by just emptying the whole fuel lines and filter and then drain the carbs...with new petrol pumped in, a few turns might get it started...as Alpaucin said...maybe put new sparkplugs in but it might be unnecessary.

Last not least....check your eyes and nose !!! How could you fill up with Diesel?? It stinks and has a black colour on the nozzle !!

 

[lingking]

fuel pumps(at garages)have black nozzle,i suspect (inspector morse here ha ha) that fuel was taken from a drum,engine fuel tank oped first so the smell of petrol in you nose then drum opened

you are right diesel should do little damage to a petrol engine

 

[john aisbitt]

managed to get it sorted by someone Amble Marina employs, done as suggested above, thanks for all the comments, £70 of mixed fuel binned but hey ho at least the engine is back and running, and a severe learning curve for us, wont happen again for sure! Roll on tomorrow for a bash at the fish

 

[alcaucin]

good news,, we've all been there. just don't go there again.

 

[john aisbitt]

Thats for sure
far too expensive!

 

[Wasabi]

john,

can you explain exactly what the mechanic did.
...just for me to learn

 

[john aisbitt]

cleaned filters fuel line, drained tank down, cleaned plugs and flushed through with petrol, started a bit smoke to start then as cleared all fine, we refilled tank with petrol, used boat yesterday going as good as ever again