fuel consumption

[sailaway]

I have an 1986 M25 engine that runs good but the fuel consumption has increased too 3/4 a gal per hour was 1/2 do I need new injections. Don't understand whats happening Charlie

[KWKloeber]

fouled bottom/prop?

[Stu Jackson]

Charlie, before you get too worried, wait.

I had exactly that same consumption issue on our trip up the coast this month.  I have always tried to fill without spilling.  What this did for our last three fills, all in the course of a single week since we're really truckin' and having to be on the move to take advantage of the good weather when it happens, was that I was actually underfilling.

For those who know me, I dislike fuel gauges and haven't had a working one for 17 years.  I track fuel consumption on the spreadsheet I made and one fill jumped it up from 0.5 gph to 1.309 and had me floored.

The very next fill up, I made SURE that it was full without spilling and all of a sudden the consumption is back where it should be, even though we ran for 7 hours at 2800 rpm to make the Columbia River bar before it changed to ebb.

My recommendation is to do another fill before you panic, especially if everything appearts to be running properly.

Good luck.