Gas Tank Rigging Advice/Grounding? 1977 18' V-Hull

Do you fellas think any of the devices added by EPA would help prevent a fire? I have a anti-theft spider in my fuel lines; so not sure the fuel shutoff valve would work, but that could have served as the spider.

I just don't see how any of them prevent fire.

Sorry. I read Ike's reply after posting.

 

They don't, but that is a battle I fought and lost some of. I was liaison between the USCG Office of Boating Safety and The EPA back in 2001 when they first started working on evaporative emissions standards for boats. It took some real convincing that their initial proposals were fundamentally unsafe. One of the basic fundamentals was that most leaks occur at fittings, so the regs and ABYC kept fittings at a minimum. As you can see there are a lot more fittings now. Fortunately most of them are not where fuel is present all the time. Another principle was that the system should be under negative pressure. That's why there is a requirement that the fuel pump must be on or within 12 inches of the fuel inlet on the engine. The EPA wanted to put the pump in the tank. This does have significant advantages in fuel injected engines and helps reduce evaporative emissions. But it pressurizes the fuel delivery system. If a leak develops then all the fuel in the system is dumped into the boat. We won part of that. Fuel pumps are still required to be on or 12 inches or less from the engine. But the tank and vent can have a slight pressure in them. But that is in the fill and vent part of the system. So we kept most of the safety features. But I just saw the latest Boating Safety Circular. They are soliciting proposals for a grant to study fuel systems and look for ways they can be modernized? Maybe I should submit a grant proposal! LOL. Anyway, if anything comes of it, it'll be years before any change are made.

 

Sorry to be a pain.

when I bought my fuel tanks, I was pretty sure they came with anti-siphon valves, but can't find the reference...most of the anti-siphon valves I see have a barb on one end...are most of the tank builders installing them standard?

i.e. Moeller?

 

Tank manufacturers? No I don't think so.

 

I finally found the reference on the tank drawing in fine print.