1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Fixing Fuel Supply Manifold Leaks

I really hoped when I built and installed the fuel supply manifold in November 2022 that it would be a ‘one ‘n done’ deal. I’ve used plenty of pipe fittings without problems over the years, so I was confident in my abilities. What I didn’t foresee was the poor quality of the threads cut in some of the 304 stainless Tees, street elbows, and hex nipples I bought on ebay to make the manifold. They were all made in China. I used a highly recommended thread sealant (Gasoila Soft Set), but I ultimately ended up with five joints that leaked. Oddly enough, none of the joints for the stainless valves (also made in China, bought on ebay) leaked.

As much as I dreaded taking the manifold back home and re-doing it, there really wasn’t any other option.

Back on the bench

I only disassembled the joints that failed. Instead of using Gasoila, I picked up a tube of Loctite 567, which several pipe fitting professionals said is the only thing that works consistently on stainless fittings. After putting it all back together, I decided I didn’t like some of my earlier supply and return line tubing work and needed to re-do it.

Not my proudest moment…

As I described when I made the fuel return lines, the engine room floorboard support angle is very close to where I installed the Swagelok bulkhead tubing fittings. The best spot for the fuel return manifold was also very close to the same longitudinal aluminum angle piece. So I looped the tubing under the angle with two 90° bends, followed by another 90° bend to align it with the bulkhead fitting.

Each 90° bend adds the equivalent friction of ~15′ worth of straight tubing. So that one 9″ return line tube had the equivalent of 45′ of friction. Plus, I kinked the tube a bit in a couple of spots, which only added more internal friction. What can I say? I’m just a weekend warrior and that was my first attempt at a solution to a tough problem in tight quarters.

After staring at that tube for a while, I figured there was a way to make the connection with a single 90° and another 45° bend.

That’s a lot more elegant

That’s much cleaner

The huge hole in the bulkhead was for HVAC ducting the previous owner had installed. In retrospect, I probably should have welded a plate in there, though it’s not mission critical…just unsightly.

I next re-installed the manifold and filters

I used the fuel primer bulb to pull fuel from the tanks and fill the system, then closed all the valves and strategically placed absorbent pads.

Everybody keep your fingers crossed!

Hopefully, they’ll still be pristine white tomorrow when I go back to the boat for the survey. White diaper means no fuel leaks. Presuming the boat passes the survey, I need to get my insurance company to authorize the splash. If they do, I’m going to want a place to sleep aboard while I’m getting it ready for the trip to the marina closest to my home.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: The Missus’s Custom V-berth Mattress