Gas smell in Rod Locker Fix

[Wheels]

Long story short, it's fixed and here's the Readers Digest version.
You'll need a can of Great Stuff expanding foam (available at Lowes), a can of 3M General Trim Adhesive (Oreilly's), a Stanley Surform http://www.stanleytools.com/de...haver
A good filet knife to trim off excessive foam and about an afternoon.
Remove the rod holder in the passenger side locker and then peel back the carpet in each rod locker to expose the back of the rod locker close out (this photo shows the after shot of the foam shaved down and ready to go back together)


On the passenger side, makes sure you stow the light wires out of the way or they'll get trapped in the foam (like mine did). Start off at the bottom and slowly work you way up building a foam wall in the gap between the close out and outboard side wall. Dont press the foam spray nozzle to hard, kinda feather it out of the can slowly while working your way up. Dont worry about any foam that may get on the carpet and dont try to clean it up until after it cures. When it is cured it will lift right up. Let the foam cure over night and dont worry about how much it expands.
Once the foam has cured, take a good sharp knife and start cutting away the excess working your way back to the close out panel. Dont take too much off.
Once you get it close enough to the close out panel, use the Surform to work it the rest of the way until it is just about even with the close out panel. Also any foam that may be in the carpet, use the Surform to break it loose.
Here's a shot of the back side of the passenger rod locker with the passenger rod butt holder removed


And a shot of the work in progress working the foam down with the Surform


I used a shop vac to clean up all the loose foam in each locker and then shot the close out panel and new foam with the 3M General Trim Adhesive and stuck the carpet back in place.
One other thing I did was place a set of T&H Marine (P/N FD-2) drain covers after using a 2.5" hole saw to cut the opening to provide a vent for the fumes forward of the factory vents. They were like $3 or $4 at the local dealer
http://www.thmarine.com/product.cfm?PRID=63
Drivers side


Passenger side


I installed these because the factory vents do not provide adequate ventalation as installed. The carpet blocks any path that the fumes may have (this photo is of the vent area with the seat plane and vent removed, the carpet goes down and under the tank about 6 to 8 inches)

[cotherman]

If it's not under warranty (or if dealer wont do anything about it) pull it apart, pressurize the system and check for leaks.

[rudapa]

Too bad Triton can't address it since it makes everyone so happy. How many years should a problem go on - there are other makes that use the plastic tank and have next to no issues. Maybe a change in the venting process would help.

[rudapa]

My TR196 would smell up everything and everyone I know with one has to leave their rod lockers open. Seems pretty consistent on these boards as a problem. I'm not aware of this being a common problem with modern Rangers. Bass Cat doesn't have the problem. Phoenix uses an aluminum tank so no problem. Didn't EPA mandate a fix for all boats in the past year? The boats that try to vent through the cap with a plastic tank have the problem. If you get any gas or additives in the vent line then you'll have trouble pumping. If it is fighting you - blow it out with a straw and you should be able to pump easier.

[Mark Weare]

For me this simple idea of installing vents worked great, no more gas fumes in my front locker. Btw, I put 4 in with 2 in the seat base and 2 by the foot area of each console, I also cut the carpet completely out of the factory floor vent openings.

Like Rudapa said, fluid in the vent hose will act as a restrictor and cause slow filling. You can also raise that side of the boat by driving on a block, or jacking it up or etc, the fluid will run out of the vent hose and everything should be fine.

[MarkNY]

For me this simple idea of installing vents worked great, no more gas fumes in my front locker. Btw, I put 4 in with 2 in the seat base and 2 by the foot area of each console, I also cut the carpet completely out of the factory floor vent openings.

Like Rudapa said, fluid in the vent hose will act as a restrictor and cause slow filling. You can also raise that side of the boat by driving on a block, or jacking it up or etc, the fluid will run out of the vent hose and everything should be fine.

There's a lot of truth to that. If I pull up to a pump that is not on level ground and the filler is on the low side it will not take gas at all! I think its a problem with a sagging vent line and the design of the Perko gas filler. As someone else stated that other boat manufacturers who vent the tank to a bulkhead fitting don't have this problem. For instance, if you take a plastic gas jug and close off the vent cap and leave it in the hot weather, it will build up pressure and swell up which I think starts the permeation process. Same thing with the gas tanks in these boats, plain and simple they have to breath. Triton has always had a gas tank venting problem. The topics of "won't take gas" and "gas smell" have been beaten to death in here since I can remember.

[rudapa]

My point is that the simple vent fix should be adopted by Triton.

[dirt651]

I had this same problem in my 2000 Tr-21 and now my 2006 21X. I have tried all of the remedies mentioned and my boat still wreaks of gas. My question is why doesn't Triton step up to the plate and fix this. I am now reading that the newer plastic tanks have a double liner in them to prevent the permeation. We own $50,000 rigs and should not have to deal with adding vents, finding leaks, testing tanks, etc. Is Triton waiting for someone's boat to blow up or worse before they do anything? If it means taking the boat apart and adding a new tank so be it. Please fix us Triton.

[cotherman]

We own $50,000 rigs and should not have to deal with adding vents, finding leaks, testing tanks, etc.

[dirt651]

SO......is anyone from Triton going to comment or resolve this problem? Probably not.

[billproxs]

nope

[evanhoose]

I finally did my rod lockers according to this guide over the weekend. Only took me 6 years of not being able to use my rod lockers before I finally read this and did it. I spray foam filled as shown and then used swimming pool noodles (tube foam float) to fill in the top sides of the locker. I cut out the carpet from the floor vents and then took out my speakers (radio hasn't worked for years) and just put the covers back over the wholes to act as vents. Nothing like a 4" vent on each side. Finally I cleaned the carpets in the rod lockers. It has only been a couple days, but no gas smell in the lockers. Lets hope it lasts. Has anyone that has done this long ago had good lasting results? I would love to be able to put rods back in my lockers again.

[JordanC]

My Tr186 has black vents installed below each seat and I still get a gas smell in my lockers. Im not sure if they are OEM or not but they arent doing the trick. Does anyone else have these vents on there boat and what else should i be doing at this point?

[rudapa]

The 1st post in this thread walks you through the fix.

[Triton+Mike]

This problem goes back as far as 1999.I have an 04 TR186 same problem, called Triton and the response was,all boats with plastic tanks do this even Rangers.I did the foam and the vents,it helped but it has never gone away.

[gregcarstens]

If your smell is worse when you fill up, it might be a kinked fill hose. I have a 2002 205 walleye boat that I had the same gas smell in the boat. Same story from Triton permeation from the gas tank. I even sent it back to the factory and all they told me was permeation from the plastic tank. After 9 years of putting up with this smell, I decided to get to the bottom of it. What I found was the fill hose was too long and when they put the top half down on the boat it kinked the fill hose. When filling the boat with gas it would litterally run down the outside of the hose, must have had a pin hole in it. I replaced the fill hose myself and never had the smell again, even with that plastic tank. Actually lucky the boat never blew up. By the way it is not fun to replace that hose in a walleye boat, hopefully if that is the cause you bass boat guys have an easier replacement.

[JordanC]

I was wondering if it came like that from Triton or not as the black vents looks OEM. The vents are centered in front of each seat. Its a shame that those dont work and that I have to go through the hassle of spray foaming my rod locker. I didnt see anyone else speak of having those vents and the pictures in the first post showed vents that are covered by carpet which mine aren't. Should I try removing my seats to see if those notches are there or not or just go gung ho with the foam?

[evanhoose]

I followed this step by step and even put two additional vents (two under the seat and two in the sides) and I still can't get rid of the gas smell. No way I can ever use my rod lockers again in my '04 Triton.

[Stoner]

I followed this step by step and even put two additional vents (two under the seat and two in the sides) and I still can't get rid of the gas smell. No way I can ever use my rod lockers again in my '04 Triton.

What is it with the 04's I have same problem in my 196. The fill hose could be the issue but man how would you ever replace it? I've just dealt with it over the years taking a few small steps to curtail the odor but nothing has eliminated it.

[evanhoose]

My fill hose was installed incorrectly when I got it, but my local dealer replaced it right away. The hose was too long and installed with a big loop. It made the gas shoot right back out at me and the boat. Gas got all over my carpet and the carpet had to be replaced also because it came up. This all in the first week or so after I got it. The boat since has been awesome except for the gas smell that started about 3-4 years later and now is so bad that the rod lockers are not able to be used.

Anyone else know what more can be done? The vents I put in the side are 4" round. I took out the speakers for my radio and put vent covers over the holes. If that hole isn't big enough no others will be.