Water in Gas Problem

[trijjicon]

I used some old gas that must have had water/contaminates in it. My Jeep began to run awful and eventually shut-off. Was able to get it to fire up long enough to get it back onto the trailer. The last 3 mechanics that tried to fix it could not figure out why it's not running correctly. They each did a tank drain, fuel line blowout, and fuel filter change. There was water in the gas and in the filter. They replaced (3 times) the fuel gauge and the fuel pump. Each time, those 2 items failed. Now I am considering going to a Jeep dealership (but highly doubt--w/o a computer diagnostic tool)--they'd be much help. Any suggestions would certainly be appreciated. I live in Georgia and there r no ole-school mechanics around anymore. Thanks     Randy

[Rus Curtis]

Wow!

First, this sounds like my problems way back.  I could never seem to get rid of the water.  The fuel gauge will never have anything to do with how the jeep runs - so that's a separate issue.

Draining the tank and blowing the lines is good.  However, I didn't read what was done to the carb.  It wouldn't take much to run good fuel through the carb to flush the water though.  That would also apply to the blown lines/drained tank.  Once done and good fuel added, that whole system would now be void of water. 

Are you using ethanol gas?  Do you purchase from a brand name or a generic quick mart?  What kind of filter are you using and where is it in line?  What kind of fuel pump did they swap in for your mechanical?  Where do you park your jeep?  Does it have a top?

FWIW, I've demonstrated that with enough STP gas treatment and HEET added to crappy gas, the jeep will run.  But that also doesn't fix the problem.  I'm next door in AL and its humid.  It's rained what seems to be way more than normal recently and if your tank isn't sealed properly it could collect water.  If there's no top on the jeep, any hole or seal (sending unit) could allow water in.  If you park outside, people think it's funny to pour just about anything into a tank.  Ethanol draws more moisture than non-ethanol.  A low tank draws more moisture than a full tank.

What works better is:  Ensuring all the lines are in good condition and properly attached, with no leaks.  The tank, pump (and filter if added) and carb are all sealed from the outside and are checked for correct operation.  Parking out of the elements if available.

Finally, if you had contaminates in your fuel other than water, i.e. gunk, rust, crud, etc.  There may be some blockage in your carb.  Could that be partly why your mechanics wanted to swap out pumps?  When you drained the tank, what came out?

Concerning the dealer, I took my '95 XJ to the local dealer for service and they told me nothing over 20 years.  Okay.  Fine.  No more sales from that dealer.  I'd suggest calling first.

There are still some smart mechanics around that can work on these old systems - but just not as many.  They may be hiding right close by.  Have you tried a google search for, "Vintage Auto Service?"

[SteveKfl]

Rus pretty well covered the check points and potential sources, so I thought I would add one more desperate area to check for water... crankcase engine oil.  Three replacement "pumps and gauges" suggests either "guess work" or something is ruining them possibly (it wasn't said WHY they replaced 3 each).  Gauge doesn't have anything to do with fuel/water flow, unless rain water is getting in the gauge ruining it maybe. 
 
I agree, dealership is not much help unless there happens to be a "Willys enthusiast" working there.  Today's "computer readers" don't have many "logical trouble shooting skills" AND HIGH HOURLY RATES too.  Good Luck!
 
PS, if you see the tanker truck filling the station supply, DO NOT FILL UP then.  Come back the next day after "water in their tank" settles to the bottom again, after being stirred up from the truck.  For the reasons mentioned by Rus, all tanks have "some water" in them, and I know that from working in gas stations and "measuring the water level" before every "fill from the truck".  When it reaches a significant level, the station has to suck the water out.

[trijjicon]

I mentioned the fuel gauge only because they never read correctly. Were only accurate at fill up and it would show full. From then on, they all would stick at 3/4 full and never move again. I then started carrying gas cans as backup. But the Jeep would sit at some mechanics shop for weeks and weeks. I'd tell them to at least crank it up or drive it around alil and add the gas in the cans to it. Apparently that didn't happen or perhaps it did but was too late. The Jeep has a top but sits outside. The carb was taken apart and rebuilt. I do use 89% gas from Enmark usually. I try to watch for the refueling trucks.  The in-line filter is very close to the incoming side of the fuel pump. Fuel pumps were purchased at different Auto Part Stores as were the fuel gauges. When the gas tank was drained it had water in it but no sand, dirt, rust. The fuel filter had water in it also. All excellent suggestions btw. I thank and will pass this on to the mechanic who has it now. Thnx guys.

[Mark W.]

If the tanker is delivering E-10 there is no water in the bottom of the tank as the Ethanol in the mix will combine with the water and carry it out. Same for water in a fuel tank. Now if the fuel has been sitting around then anything from rust to liner material from the gas can can be in the fuel and this will plug up internal passages in the carb. My suggestion is to rebuild your carb.

[Mytwojeeps2020]

trijjicon,

When the Jeep was stalling, was it smoking?

If you have an oil bath filter, have you inspected it for water?

[trijjicon]

Not sure what an oil bath filter is but I am taking it back to the mechanic I usually use. I'll find out what an oil bath filter is from him. The Jeep was not smoking and I picked it up Thursday from the mechanic who had it. He had never seen a carb like the one on mine and didn't want to make matters worse. This coming weekend, he wants to find out what happened. It ran good for him b4 the water in tank problem. He'll rebuild the carb and we should be good to go. Thank you all.    Randy

[Mytwojeeps2020]

An oil bath air filter may look like this…

[trijjicon]

I'll take a look under the hood and see if I do. Thnx

[trijjicon]

trijjicon,

When the Jeep was stalling, was it smoking?

If you have an oil bath filter, have you inspected it for water?

I took a look at my oil bath air filter. I loosened that wing nut and metal strap. The bottom fell off b4 I expected. I can feel a mesh screen on the bottom but don't know how to get the filter out. How u do that?

[Rus Curtis]

That's really as far as you go for servicing the oil bath breather.  Clean out the pan and fill motor oil up to the line and reattach.

https://cj3b.info/Tech/AirCleaner.html

For a deep clean, you can remove the entire assembly from the firewall and use cleaner to slosh around where the mesh is - then dry it real good.  The mesh isn't designed to be removed. 

[Mytwojeeps2020]

When the pan fell off the filter, could you tell if there was gas mixed in with the oil?

The reason I’m asking is to ascertain if gas has gotten into your crankcase, and is being forced up the oil filler tube and into your air filter (and then from there, possibly into your carb)

[trijjicon]

That's a very astute observation. There is no water in the oil but there r a lot of particles in it. All kinds of stuff floating around in there and some settled on the bottom. Does that mean I should do a deep clean? Ur link mentions using kerosene to clean the filter. But kerosene is flammable also, right? Still safe to use? I can get a quart of kerosene at Walmart, yes?

[Rus Curtis]

If we're now on the breather, then it sounds to me like it's working as designed.  It may not have been serviced as it should have been but it's working.  The longer it goes between cleanings could affect how well the engine breathes.

Using your Service Manual, B-23 will guide you through it.  I have recently started using Kerosene. It is fuel so yes, it is flammable.  Depending on what I'm cleaning, I'll use different products.  I once made the mistake of using parts cleaner to clean the mesh inside the breather.  The top part showed some new rust shortly after.  I would suggest not using a de-greaser as that may be too harsh. 

Regularly cleaning will help you keep out any water that has collected before it starts rusting tiny pin holes in the bucket bottom.  This oil, IMHO, doesn't need to be expensive or fancy.  Just engine oil.

https://cj3b.info/Tech/AirCleaner.html