While prepping AQ80 for spring launch we noticed a fuel leak on the port motor and traced it down to the fuel pump. At some point in the boat’s history a previous owner got tired of hard starts with the original mechanical fuel pumps and added electric boost pumps to the fuel system. The boost pump on the port motor was pushing fuel out of the top of the mechanical pump into the bilge! Not a good situation to say the least. Since the mechanical pump sits directly next to a stringer replacing it requires pulling the motor or at least raising it several inches. We decided to pull it and found a broken tail housing bracket on the generator.
The boost pump plumbing was a maze of braided fuel line with back-feeds for excess fuel. We removed all that, bent in new hard lines from the pumps to carburetors, and ran new fuel lines back to the filters. The port motor got new water hoses, a generator check-up along with a salvaged tail housing, and we replaced the spark plugs on both motors while access was easy.
With the motor back in place and everything connected we shop tested both motors checking for leaks then put everything back in place and put her in to double check everything under load.
