Balancing amount of gas in internal tanks - Carver 41 CMY

[bobcinga]

We recently purchased a 2006 Carver 41 CMY. The owners manual talks about valves on the bottom of the main tanks towards the front, inboard section of both main tanks and on the sides of the auxiliary tanks you can open to balance the volume of gas side to side in the boat. This would appear to be important as the generator runs only off the port.

For the life of me I've looked all over the place and can't locate anything that looks like a valve. Both main tanks appear to be sitting flush against the hull of the boat, so I'm pretty sure there isn't a valve underneath them.

Any suggestions???

Thanks

Bob

[bobcinga]

From the owners manual

5.1.1.1 Fuel Equalization Valves
Because the generator draws fuel only from the port main tank, the fuel levels in the main tanks may become unequal. If this occurs, open the fuel equalization valves to allow fuel to flow from the tank with the higher fuel level to the tank with the lower fuel level. When the fuel levels are equal, close the valves. The main tank fuel equalization valves are lo- cated on the bottom, forward inboard side of each tank. The auxiliary tank fuel equalization valves are located on the bottom, inboard aft side of each tank.

[Midnightsun]

They could be set up differently depending on your engine type/equipment as mine has a fuel transfer button at the helm which implies there is a pump that does the work. Select either pump to port or to starboard.

[bobcinga]

Your are right on diesels, but I'm running gas. No switch on helm that I can find

[Viper]

I've yet to see a gasoline application with valves or fittings at the lower end of the fuel tanks. Used to be a lot more common in diesel applications but OEMs have been moving away from that too now for safety and environmental reasons should they spring a leak. I suspect what you're reading was probably for the diesel option at one time and just not edited to reflect current builds. Maybe someone with deisels on the same model and vintage can confirm one way or the other.

Although not very common on gasoline applications, a transfer pump system is doable but you should be able to manage levels with the fuel selection valves you may already have on board. Another option is to add a selector valve for the generator to draw from the other tank as well. As long as there's easy access, it's not that complicated a task.

[km1125]

I agree with what Viper is saying. I thought there was a regulation against putting connections at the bottom of a gasoline tank, which is why you see all the dip tube connections at the top, usually near the fuel level sensor.

I always thought it was weird in some of the models that the engines can't be configured for "both port" or "both starboard", as some just have a single AUX tank and that's your alternate supply, so the port engine gets either the port tank or aux tank and the stbd engine gets the stbd tank or aux tank.

[Wsullivan71]

I own a gasoline engine Carver 404 and it has a fuel transfer switch at the helm as Midnightsun suggested. It is not labeled very well. Look for a control knob that says Fuel: Port Starboard. Turn the switch to the tank you want to transfer to. You cannot transfer fuel from the auxiliary tank in my current setup.

[bobcinga]

Talked to Carver. No way to equalize the two tanks. Said manual was in error.

[tomschauer]

Wsullivan,I may be mistaken, but I believe that is just a gauge switch. Turn it to port it show the port tank fuel level, turn to starboard it shows that tank level.

[Wsullivan71]

Tomschauer, I was hoping you were right because my fuel gauges are not working. I have 2 fuel gauges, I'm assuming one for each primary tank. According to my manual, the fuel transfer switch was an available option in 2001. I haven't actually tried it as both tanks are currently full (I just bought the boat).