fuel polishing

[catalinajack]

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?

Get a head from Seaboard Marine.

 

[twistedtree]

Another vote for a Carbonator pump.

View attachment 135213

Ted

How noisy are those pumps? The Oberdorfer pumps are really noisy.

 

[backinblue]

We had a persistent issue of fuel tanks not balancing, tried replacing filters and other items to no success. Finally had someone suggest we have the fuel polished. Bingo problem solved.

Could you explain a little more how fuel polishing makes a difference in balancing tanks?

 

[angus99]

I’ve posted this before. Our Lehmans return very little fuel so they make a minimal contribution to fuel filtering. I put this system in after two experiences with clogged Racors shutting down one of the engines—the second time from a bad load of fuel after the tanks had been mucked out. We use our 250-gallon centerline aft tank as a day tank. It takes 30 mins or less in the morning to transfer enough fuel from the 325-gallon saddle tanks for a day’s run plus a safety margin.

I pull from alternate saddle tanks each day to help keep the boat in trim. The transfer system pulls from fittings at the extreme bottom of the tanks—not dip tubes—so any moveable solids low in the tanks should be sucked out. (The original copper supply lines from the saddle tanks are still connected, but only the aft tank supply line is used to feed the supply manifold. None of these lines are shown in the illustration.)

I don’t polish for the sake of polishing, but each time fuel moves to or from anywhere, it’s passing through the Fleetguard. If the boat’s going to sit up for awhile, I shift any remaining fuel in the aft tank back to the saddle tanks. Sounds like a lot, but it’s drop-dead easy and just SOP on Stella. Works for us.

 

[rslifkin]

Could you explain a little more how fuel polishing makes a difference in balancing tanks?

If they're balancing by gravity through a small crossover line, it doesn't take much junk to prevent fuel from flowing.

 

[backinblue]

If they're balancing by gravity through a small crossover line, it doesn't take much junk to prevent fuel from flowing.

So if that's true, you are saying that fuel polishing unclogged a fuel line? I guess that is possible. Sounds like that crossover line should be replaced too. I'm guessing they were thereby only pulling fuel from 1 tank? Seems like that would be a pretty urgent issue.

 

[rslifkin]

So if that's true, you are saying that fuel polishing unclogged a fuel line? I guess that is possible. Sounds like that crossover line should be replaced too. I'm guessing they were thereby only pulling fuel from 1 tank? Seems like that would be a pretty urgent issue.

It sounded to me like there was junk in one of the tanks that was blocking the crossover line or the port in the tank it connects to. Once the tanks were free of debris, then the problem wouldn't keep returning after clearing the line.

 

[backinblue]

Point taken. I was assuming it was plumbed like my boat which is not necessarilly true. I have saddle tanks with a crossover line. In the center of that line is a tee that feeds the engine so the fuel draws from the center of the crossover line and the tanks constantly rebalance.