Carver Owners Forum

I recently purchased a 1997 CARVER 325 Aft Cabin with twin GAS TB350 XLi engines. I am looking to inspect and replace (as needed) engine tune-up components since I have no assurance of any maintenance accomplished on the vessel prior to ownership and it needs some TLC. I am also trying to eliminate fuel delivery with an issue that I am having. I have the "second design" fuel delivery system. I see there is a "puck screen" on each fuel supply line which delivers fuel directly from the fuel tank on the port and starboard sides. The puck screen precedes the electronic fuel pump and then the gas is pumped to the fuel/water separator and then to the throttle body. I have changed the fuel water separators in both engines (they were clean and showed no dirt or water). An attempt to separate the housing for the puck filters was not made as I do not see a shut off valve in line. My generator has a fuel selector which can feed from either tank, but the Carver has separate tanks for each ENGINE. I assume removing the bolt to expose the puck screen will spill some fuel so my question is, is there a way to minimize the fuel spillage and/or how much fuel can I expect to get once I separate the two sides of the housing? Is there a shut off valve on this model that I am unaware of? If I pull the fuel delivery line and raise it above the tank level will that stop the flow? I assume I could plug the delivery line or just clamp it shut? It seems like a unsafe maintenance design to me? I appreciate any experience another owner can share. Thanks!

Welcome to the forum and Carver.....follow the gas line back to the tank, there you should find it attached to a fitting that looks like a hose barb....that is or should be the anti syphon valve that will stop fuel flow from the tank......if you really want to make sure disconnect the line there and then you are sure there will be only what is in the hose, Dont clamp it as some of this hose may have a liner. Then check that valve for any corrosion or blockage....it is just a ball and spring check affair, but if not maintained and clean can cause all sorts of issues.....good luck man and be safe with the fuel stuff, clean up well after and run blowers for a long while before trying to start.

You won't get much fuel out of it when opened a few ounces mostly. Just place a container under it and loosen the bolt to seperate you can catch the fuel before it totally seperates and if it over fills your container just tighten it back up,empty and repeat. The filter is a oberg and also referred to as a ufo filter. I clean mine with carb cleaner spray and soap and water if needed. Be careful not to damage the screen but if you do it is a 28 micron and are available even on amazon and ebay. Don't worry once you see its easy the first time it's no big deal.

Thanks to both of you. Your advise makes sense.
I just purchased the Carver 325 a month ago and about 240 miles from my home port so I needed to run it home. After my Sea Trail and running the boat in the area I purchased it, I had no apparent engine issues. When I started my return to home port, I gassed both engines about 50 miles from the purchase location to get a sense of my gas usage rate. Shortly after refueling, the port engine lost power and the RPM's fluctuated when I throttled up. Meanwhile the starboard engine continued to operate normally. Despite the loss of port engine power at higher RPM, the engine continued to idle OK and was good for an assist all the way home when needed. When I finally arrived at my home port, I pulled a fuel sample off the port tank and it was clean and water free. I was going to pull the puck screen, but I needed further advise on that. Thanks for your help. I did pull the fuel water separator and that was also clean and didn't have any indication of a problem, but I also replaced it. I did find that my flame arrestor was very dirty to the point it could be considered clogged. I have since cleaned it. I also see the distributor cap needs replacing too. Generally, the boat needs some TLC and none of this was detected by the Surveyor, nor the seller's broker or the seller himself. So I am reaching out for help.
My other issue is I cannot find the manufacturer of the engine. I suspect it is GM? Is there a way to find out for sure? I reached out to Crusader for help but so far no luck with that. Also, is there a way to find out the manufacturer of the distributor? I pulled the cap and there is no indication of who made it.
I will check the anti-syphon valve and give it a cleaning. I will also inspect the puck screen in order to rule out the fuel system. I obviously have a air flow problem that has been corrected. I haven't reinstalled the flame arrestor yet, so I am not sure if that corrected the problem. I'd like to get the fuel filters looked at before I fire it up again.
I obviously have some work to do.

If you got the blue engines.....they are probably Crusaders' marinized GM engines....you are on the right track, all stuff to do that will pay off for you later.....good luck man. Just be careful buying parts....stick with the marine stuff.

bud37 wrote:If you got the blue engines.....they are probably Crusaders' marinized GM engines....you are on the right track, all stuff to do that will pay off for you later.....good luck man. Just be careful buying parts....stick with the marine stuff.

What bud said. Yes, it is a GM 350 block, but buy marine, for anything fuel or electrical related. Since you have Crusader engines, stick with Crusader parts.

Thanks Bud and Buster. I appreciate the advice. My engines are blue and I agree it is a GM block. Any source for an engine parts breakdown? The original engine owner manual from Crusader is generic and lists no P/Ns.

Just wanted to share the source of my fuel problem. A piece of brass thread that apparently broke away from the anti-siphon valve and lodged its way between the plunger and the wall of the valve which restricted the ability to open fully when suction was applied by the fuel pump. At first it appeared the brass was just dirt, but I couldn't get the plunger to move. I disassembled it all, cleaned it, and placed it back in service. The boat is now running well again. I have also replaced or cleaned my fuel filters and plugs, wires, cap and rotor. The boat needed some work.