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Old 09-16-2014, 01:42 PM   #85
dannc
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City: NC
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,350
Quote:
Originally Posted by kulas44 View Post
I've not heard of anyone "killing" an engine due to being over filtered, or even starved for fuel. You just dont starve a diesel engine to death. If that were the case plugged filters would have killed most older engines by now, hasnt happend. On the issue of stopping both engines on a twin engined boat, if that happens its just poor engineering on the owners part. Why would anyone have a backup plan with a common achilles heel. You certainly dont have just one start battery, even if it would work 99% of the time. Its simple to design 2 stand alone fuel systems into a twin (or even single for that matter) engine boat.
I had not either. I could have seen myself doing what the owner in question had done.

When I was looking at the filter system you mentioned I found this,
Baldwin Filters | Tech Tips

Quote:
It is important to use the correct fuel filters in every application. Use of fuel filters that are not designed for the specific application may cause the engine to run poorly or may damage sensitive fuel system components.

Use of a fuel filter that is more efficient at removing contaminant than what is specified by the original equipment (OE) manufacturer may lead to premature plugging, thus shortening service life. Plugged filters may also cause the flow of fuel to be restricted as it passes through the filter media.
I think the owner used 10 micron Racors instead of 30 microns specified by the engine company. 10 microns are specified for the on engine filters so the owner figured it would be good to use 10 microns to filter the fuel going to the engines. I could see myself thinking the same way.

How do you have two engines running without using the same fuel and fuel filter system? In the case I just mentioned, even if one had two day tanks, do any boats have two day tanks, the owner would have installed the wrong filters on both systems resulting in two dead engines.

In a situation like Dauntless experienced, if the water contamination got bad enough the engine(s) would have had problems. I dont' see how twins are more reliable than singles when fuel quality is the most likely problem for a diesel.

The only way to minimize fuel quality issues is to have completely separate fuel tank systems supplying each engine and having enough fuel storage that allows you to fill up one tank system but not the other at a fuel stop. I don't see how that is possible when one is making a passage that is going to consume most of the fuel on board. In a trip across the Atlantic, many boats would have to/want to fill/top off at Bermuda and/or the Azores.

The common failure point on a motorized boat is the fuel. Course sail boats can have sails fail, the wind fail, and bad fuel.

Later,
Dan
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