DF30ATL, saltwater in VST

[ColdBoat]

Hi!
I have a friend with a brand new DF30 with water in fuel problems. He had problems from day one. We have done all the usual, replaced all the fuel, (and brand new fuel tank), new boat filter, new engine filters, drained and repeated, 3 times now, and we always get about a full tablespoon of water from the VST drain/filter. No water in the blue prefilter. The water seemingly appears out of nowhere after a short run. So I tasted the water, and I'm about 80% sure it was salt water. And here is the thing, the engine currently has a massive spray issue, where a lot of water, infact a stream of water, shoots up between the midsection and transom from half speed and up. For the record, no water is close to air intake so everything is nice and dry under the cowling. (We are going to lift the engine to hopefully fix the spray issue)

Anyhow, today I noticed that a vent hose from the VST tank was routed directly into the very worst of that water stream. Could that water potentially enter the vent hose and force its way into the VST? Also, has temperature an effect here? It's been pretty cold during these tests, just above freezing. Could that possibly create under pressure in that vent and suck the water in?

For now, I have pulled the vent hose out from the hole it exited an rubber grommet and zip tied it further up under the cowling.

[Moonlighter]

Hopefully someone will answer the VST drain question. I am not familiar with the DF30 but would be very surprised if a VST vent/drain hose could be open to the atmosphere such that water could enter it.

But I will make a recommendation that you immediately install a RACOR style water separating fuel filter in the fuel line between tank and engine. Usually they are installed between tank and primer bulb. This is a really essential installation that pretty well everyone that has larger engines uses but for some reason, is often left off the fuel systems on smaller engined boats.

I had a small boat with a DF40 on it and even though we used portable 20 litre tanks, we had the Racor filter set up with fuel lines connected to it, so that we could simply click different fuel tanks on and off very easily. The clear bowl on these types of filters makes it easy to see water and the drain plug works well to drain any contaminants out.

[ColdBoat]

Thanks, And yes, the boat has a big cartridge filter that we have replaced. I should also mention that I am in Norway, and the fuel have usually very high quality, and until this case, I've never found as much as a single drop in any fuel system I have touched in the last 20-30 years. Also, when we filled the new portable tank, we used an mr. funnel water separator, and there was no sign of water in the fuel we added.

The vent tube from the VST has an incredible bizarre routing, it's nr 17 here: https://www.boats.net/catalog/suzuki...146a-fuel-pump It pokes out in the absolute lowest part of the side cover, just a few inches over the waterline. I tried to suck on it, nothing came out, but I could "taste" fuel.