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I have 2 original [Tempo 12 gallon metal] tanks and reworked them. One works fine but the other will not pick up gas so I think the pick up tube has a small hole which I can not locate. The gas bulb will not pick up gas,so it isn't the bulb which works on one tank.
Are replacements tubes still available and if not some other ideas on replacing the rigid tube. fiber glass it, use clear vinyl tube, find some rigid plastic ????
All suggestions welcome or comments from others who have fixed the problem and how!!
I have fixed the same problem. When I bought my 1979 Montauk a few years ago, it came with a Moeller red plastic single 12 gallon tank, brand new. I asked the seller about the new tank, and he said he had just bought it for me since the original pair of Tempo 12 gallon metal tanks did not work very well.
Since there is nothing more simple than an outboard fuel tank, I went to work on them to figure out why they would not deliver the fuel to the engine. I completely cleaned them out, checked out the rigid tube fuel withdrawl assembly, and everything looked good, no blockages. But still the engine would starve for fuel, which seemed impossible. Finally I figured it out - when the aluminum fuel withdrawl block, which holds the withdrawl tube, was tightened all the way down, it was jamming the intake screen fitting against the tank bottom, so fuel could not get in! I pulled the tube off the filling barb, cut 1/16" off the top, and re-installed it. Presto - problem solved. The factory had cut the tube too long, or the aluminum top fitting was now threading deeper into the tank. I'll bet this is your problem.
You can test this easily. Put some of the yellow gasoline impervious pipe tape on the alum fitting as a sealer, but down't tighten it down all the way. Then see if fuel will be supplied. If so, that is your problem.
I have noticed that on the newer tanks, the bottom of the withdrawl fitting no longer has a perpendicular filter screen, and they cut the plastic tube off at an angle, so it is impossible for it not to pick up fuel and to jam it against the tank floor. The problem with this detail is that it leaves a little more unuseable fuel in the tank
Here is a photo fo one of my restored Tempo tanks:
Thanks for the reply. My tanks did not look like yours but of an earlier style [see personal page]
I did fix the problem, I think. The fuel connection nipple was not closing or opening when the fuel line was connected, put new end on filler tube at the tank and it worked.
I had seen your page before, nice boat! Just for general information what would you use to replace the filler tube if necessary? Did you happen to measure the ID of the tube ?
Additional note--I am not sure my tanks are tempos, not sure who made them in 1974. They also had pin holes in one and I glassed them closed and have had no problems to date.
I would say your tanks are definitely by Tempo. Even though different from mine (1979 vintage)i have seen Tempo tanks with exactly the same handles on the ends as yours have. I'm sure they were originally red. Mirax used to offer tan tanks around 1970. Your fuel withdrawl fitting is identical to those on mine. I think the ID of the tube is 3/8". I believe Moeller now sells repacement plastic opaque white withdrawl tubes, with the sliced off end on them. Check out their website or Ebay.
