fuel polishing

[Greg QS]

look up fuel filtration the seaboard way. Sbmar.com

 

[lipets]

Great read

 

[O C Diver]

If I did tee off to a return line. I will need a valve so the return fuel goes not go back to the engine or genset? Yes?

No. The return lines are full of fuel the lift pumps and injector pumps all have check valves in the form of inlet or discharge valves. No fuel can return to the engine or generator in that plumbing configuration.

Likewise, no fuel from the engine or generator can return through the polishing system as the fuel polisher pump is equipped similarly.

If you use a Racor 1,000, 900, or 500 filter separator, they also have check valves built in.

Ted

 

[Itwasntme]

I made my own with a sheet of plywood to fit inside a 5-gallon bucket, a Holley diesel fuel pump from Autozone, a leftover small Racor filter I had laying around, and some clear PVC tubing. I mounted everything to the plywood and the bucket is to catch any spills. You don't need a high-flow filter. It is cheap insurance and although it will not get the crud on the bottom or the walls of the fuel tank unless it is agitated, it can be handy to have.

 

[mvweebles]

I made my own with a sheet of plywood to fit inside a 5-gallon bucket, a Holley diesel fuel pump from Autozone, a leftover small Racor filter I had laying around, and some clear PVC tubing. I mounted everything to the plywood and the bucket is to catch any spills. You don't need a high-flow filter. It is cheap insurance and although it will not get the crud on the bottom or the walls of the fuel tank unless it is agitated, it can be handy to have.

There is merit in this approach as you can use a higher flow 120VAC pump.

Here's a decent system for under $350:

22gpm agriculture pump from Northern Tools ($286)
25gpm Goldenrod Diesel Filter w/Water Trap media ($52)

Another $50 for 1-inch hose and barbed nipples and you're set. If your tank-fill neck allows use of a wand instead of hose, so much the better. You still won't get it as clean as a professional cleaning with open tanks, but it's as good as you'll get without opening the tanks.

Peter

 

[lipets]

From Sbmar article above

Our preference for a proven Primary or Bulk Separator fuel filter?? In 95% of our work, the Fleetguard “spin-on” FF5013 is the ticket as it offers a 20 mic BETA rating, a flow rate of 100 GPH clean ½” Hg pressure drop, has a built-in water drain, has no “plastic” bowls to leak or discolor, and has proven itself to do the job.

For super high capacity, we use the Fleetguard FS 1218 – About a 250 GPH flow rate, has a “crud capacity” of about 7 times that of a Racor 1000, and has all the best needed features for use as a high capacity Primary bulk separator.

Maybe add this before the racor

It's just a $20 filter

 

[O C Diver]

From Sbmar article above

Our preference for a proven Primary or Bulk Separator fuel filter?? In 95% of our work, the Fleetguard “spin-on” FF5013 is the ticket as it offers a 20 mic BETA rating, a flow rate of 100 GPH clean ½” Hg pressure drop, has a built-in water drain, has no “plastic” bowls to leak or discolor, and has proven itself to do the job.

For super high capacity, we use the Fleetguard FS 1218 – About a 250 GPH flow rate, has a “crud capacity” of about 7 times that of a Racor 1000, and has all the best needed features for use as a high capacity Primary bulk separator.

Maybe add this before the racor

It's just a $20 filter

With all do respect to Sbmar, I want my polisher filter separator to have a transparent bowl. If you have water in the tank, I want to be able to see it to drain it. If water is the only contaminant, why keep changing the filter instead of just draining the bowl?

Ted

 

[rslifkin]

With all do respect to Sbmar, I want my polisher filter separator to have a transparent bowl. If you have water in the tank, I want to be able to see it to drain it. If water is the only contaminant, why keep changing the filter instead of just draining the bowl?

Ted

If the filter has a drain, I'd put a valve on it instead of a plug. Then even without a clear bowl you can check for water by opening the drain and seeing whether you get water or fuel out.

 

[lipets]

OC
the 5513 and the 1218 have water drains?

 

[Dwk]

The photo is the filter from a fuel cleaning I had done last year. This was the first filter in the cleaning process .Filters were changed until the vacuum gauge showed no restriction and clean filters. I was noticing alittle crud in my Racors but wasn’t having problems with the engine running, just being proactive. Glad I did,Racors filters have remained clean.The folks from shorelinefuelandmarine.com did the service 240 678 3605(no affiliation) but a pleased customer.

 

[O C Diver]

OC
the 5513 and the 1218 have water drains?

I don't know if they have drains, but I need the bowl of the Racor to see if I have any water to drain.

Ted

 

[Delfin]

Is it needed when I have a racor primary and a fine filter on the engine?

Or how would I know the tanks needed it.

The DIY I see online are are simply a Racor and pump recirc fuel?

I believe your boat has 600 hp and 372 gallons of diesel, so odds are fuel polishing is kind of pointless for you. For blue water boats with major tankage going long distances off shore, or refueling in suspect third world locations, it's a must have.


Delfin has 2400 gallons of fuel in seven tanks, and we only burn around 3 gph, so we have a system that moves 180 gph. Can't imagine not having one.

 

[lipets]

Kinda agree, thinking about adding a primary spin off like a FF5013 or a FS2018 then use a 10 mic in the racor which with be the second filter to the engine a 2 micron.

That way having a sequential step (3) down in particle size.

 

[Delfin]

Kinda agree, thinking about adding a primary spin off like a FF5013 or a FS2018 then use a 10 mic in the racor which with be the second filter to the engine a 2 micron.

That way having a sequential step (3) down in particle size.

That's my approach - polish or transfer with 30 mic, transfer to the day tank at 10 mic, then through 2 micron before the fuel hits the OEM filter.

 

[bkcorwin]

I do the same thing for the same reasons as you. 2600 gallons of diesel, burn like 5-6 gph at cruise, can transfer 3 GPM around through a racor 1000.

That's my approach - polish or transfer with 30 mic, transfer to the day tank at 10 mic, then through 2 micron before the fuel hits the OEM filter.

 

[Delfin]

I do the same thing for the same reasons as you. 2600 gallons of diesel, burn like 5-6 gph at cruise, can transfer 3 GPM around through a racor 1000.

I'm using a 1/3 HP ac motor spinning a carbonator pump to get my flow through the same filter body. Especially useful when a tank gets low and we're sloshing around in rough water. The agitation stirs up any gunk, so that's usually when I do most of my polishing.

 

[bkcorwin]

I'm using a 1/3 HP ac motor spinning a carbonator pump to get my flow through the same filter body. Especially useful when a tank gets low and we're sloshing around in rough water. The agitation stirs up any gunk, so that's usually when I do most of my polishing.

We have a 12vdc motor driving an oberdorfer pump. I really like the system. With everything working we never run directly from any tank but the day tank (though we could). This means any fuel that gets to the day tank has been ran through the transfer filter. So everything in the tank has at-least gone through a 30micron and water separation.

 

[Delfin]

We have a 12vdc motor driving an oberdorfer pump. I really like the system. With everything working we never run directly from any tank but the day tank (though we could). This means any fuel that gets to the day tank has been ran through the transfer filter. So everything in the tank has at-least gone through a 30micron and water separation.

I found the DC motors didn't last running for eight hours during polishing. If you do get to a replacement decision, check out carbonator pumps spun with an ac motor. They last longer than you will.

 

[Deckape]

Careful when cleaning the tank walls and stirring up the fuel . When mine was done The amount of jetting the inside of the tank ,cause several scabs of rust/tar/gunk to break off . This exposed the thin walls and I got pinhole leaks . Just cycling the fuel with a little jetting would be my choice today .

 

[fgarriso]

We use Gulf Coast Fuel Polishing System with a 180 gph high volume pump.

 

[O C Diver]

I found the DC motors didn't last running for eight hours during polishing. If you do get to a replacement decision, check out carbonator pumps spun with an ac motor. They last longer than you will.

Another vote for a Carbonator pump.



Ted

 

[lipets]

I'm adding a FF5013 or a FS2018, I don't see specs on the head size needed in order to buy the correct one?

 

[Lostsailor13]

I use gulf coast F1

 

[koliver]

When repairing a leaky tank, I had a hole cut in the side, cleaned the tank, fixed the leak, filled it. I have used it a full season and changed the filters. My bowl was getting a little gunk in it, that I attribute to not being able to remove all of the sludge that I had scraped off the walls and floor, which then got sucked into hte intake. After changing the filter, no further gunk, so it wasn't a large amount.

The tank had never been cleaned before, the fuel has never been polished. The tank has over 6000 hrs engine use on it, so a fair roughly 1200 gallons of fuel have been through it since 1980. After 42 years, there wasn't a trace of water, algae of anything other than Asphaltine, of which there was a layer maybe 1/8" thick on teh bottom, tapering to 0 a few inches up.

In that same time, fuel has changed from unlimited sulphur, to 15ppm sulphur. To achieve that reduction, filtering at the refineries has also taken out all the crud that used to accomplny the higher sulphur content.

(www.epa.gov/diesel-fuel-standards/diesel-fuel-standards-and-rulemakings)

This has changed the requirement for polishing.

In the 90s, I was caught out with plugged filters once, and adopted a twice a year regimen for my primaries, once a year for secondaries.
Now, when I check my log book and find that it has been too long, I change them. A couple of changes ago I noted the primaries had gone 4 years and the secondaries 10, both without plugging. All due to the clean fuel mandated by EPA in the US and of course adopted in Canada. If your supplier is out of the US or Canada, check the local regulations.

 

[bkcorwin]

I use gulf coast F1

A lot of the gulf coast F1 filters just use rolls of paper towels for their filter. Even some of the "filters" you buy for them are just paper towel rolls wrapped in a mesh.

People I know have reported issues with cellulose particles shedding off these filters and have seen expensive issues caused by these. Usually caught in downstream filters but apparently people have seen issues.
.
I replaced mine because of these concerns.

 

[KnotYet]

A lot of the gulf coast F1 filters just use rolls of paper towels for their filter. Even some of the "filters" you buy for them are just paper towel rolls wrapped in a mesh.

People I know have reported issues with cellulose particles shedding off these filters and have seen expensive issues caused by these. Usually caught in downstream filters but apparently people have seen issues.
.
I replaced mine because of these concerns.

My Gulf Coast unit used toilet paper rolls. They recommended using Scott
brand. I got the filter to salvage about 100 gal of dirty fuel and it did the job
quite well. I would run the polisher about once a week for 15 years and
never had a problem

 

[skipgundlach]

Jumping to the end, not reading all of them, but...

We put together a very simple polishing system

Two SS canisters with drain valves at the bottom so we could let out some fuel during filter swaps, suction small Walbro pump, system teed into supply/return lines (single fuel tank; would require some valving if you have more than one).

A wreck on our initial voyage 15 years ago, about halfway through a tankful, on a flat rock for 3 days in 8-10' surf, yielded approximately (based on wave period) 3-5000 impacts as she was shoved 120' back on what at low tide would be a literally dry flat rock.

That provided plenty of action to get all the grunge off the walls and bottom of the tank.

Running the filters during the entire tow to the yard where repairs were made to the outside, and for the sail (prop and shaft damaged, so no running not absolutely needed) back (on a staysail or spinnaker only, the main and jib having been damaged in the storm) to the other yard for interior retabbing and exterior painting resulted in a clean load of fuel. (changed filters on both haulouts)

After that, for our 15 years of operation has meant that 2 more filter changes were done, 'just because' and one racor (we have a dual system for easy changeover) by mistake (it was a fuel line connection letting in air).

Sale under way the prospect asks to see the fuel tank. Heh.

Opened bung, shone bright light down it, sees the bottom reflecting that light back up at him from a couple of feet down, and is flabbergasted.

Hooray fuel polisher.

About $500 material cost, including all new fuel lines, valves for the second Racor, and miscellaneous plumbing.

We ran it whenever the engine was running (ample amps) or sailing in rough conditions (taking advantage of scrubbing by sloshing). Best $500 we spent.

YMMV but if I were buying a trawler I'd do it again; cheap insurance and peace of mind. Never any water (sequential 30/10 micron, water settling in household-water-sized filter housing) or debris for the Racors to deal with. 3000 hours later, we NEVER changed the filter on the engine, though I had two spares...

 

[thataway]

I have seen a number of boats which were sitting unused and then taken directly to sea, such as from Seattle to San Francisco, where the debris in the bottom of the tank was mixed back into the fuel when the boat ran into significant seas. Easy, just change the filters. Then those filters become plugged, etc--eventually they run out of filters, or drain the batteries to the point where the engines will not start, and there is a call for a very expensive tow to the nearest port.

If the boat has not been run regularly, even with fuel treatment often there will be debris in the bottom of tanks. Those boats should have a good and thorough fuel polishing before leaving port.

We had a situation where it was necessary to transfer fuel out of one tank because of salt water intrusion into that tank via the vent. Very heavy seas, I was running the engine to keep water flow over the rudder and running down wind and sea, with only about 200 sq feet of sail, (out of 1200 feet of working sail area). Even though the tank vents came up along side the pilot house (not the normal in the upper part of the hull) the salt water got into the tank. The onboard polishing system allowed me to move the fuel from the contaminated tank to a "good tank" making sure that no salt water was transferred, then when empty open the manhole, and get into the tank to manually remove any debris left in the tank.

 

[Steve DAntonio]

I believe your boat has 600 hp and 372 gallons of diesel, so odds are fuel polishing is kind of pointless for you. For blue water boats with major tankage going long distances off shore, or refueling in suspect third world locations, it's a must have.


Delfin has 2400 gallons of fuel in seven tanks, and we only burn around 3 gph, so we have a system that moves 180 gph. Can't imagine not having one.

Well-said, you can never have too much filtration, however polishing is tough to justify on smaller systems that turn fuel over more often.

Keep in mind, there is fuel polishing and supplemental filtration. The former includes plumbing that ensures fuel is drawn from the bottom of one end of a tank and returned to the bottom of the other end of the tank (or to the bottom of a different tank). Supplemental filtration is simpler, cheaper and less effective. More details here https://stevedmarineconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/FuelPolishing_PBB112_opt.pdf

 

[catalinajack]

OC
the 5513 and the 1218 have water drains?

Here you go. Some models of Fleetguard filters do have drains. The FS1000 is10 microns, the FS 19513 is 20 microns. So, yes, one can drain a metal spin-on filter to check for water, quite easily and quite quickly.

https://www.sbmar.com/product/smx-double-double-multi-stage-fuel-filtration-kit/

This is a picture of my setup. Two gauges. I don't worry about bad fuel. The vacuum gauges tell me when to change filters. But, I run a pair of Lehman 120s and have clean tanks. How do I know? When I open the drain from the bottom sump, I get no water and no crud. I attribute this luck to the fact that the fuel feeds from the bottom, not through a dip tube. Thus, any water or crud or sediment gets sucked out and filtered out as the engines run, no build-up.