Desperate for Diesel Fuel Transfer Pump Recommendations

[DieselTrawlerGuy]

Hello to all,
I've just built and installed a Fuel Polisher and Transfer System on my 1978 Cheoy Lee 46 LRC. Unfortunately the 12volt electric fuel pump that I purchased off Amazon does not perform anywhere near what was advertised and further it's so damn noisey it will dround out the noise of the Ford Lehmans in the engine room i.e. you can't stand to hear it run even when I'm upstairs in the main salon. So I need a 12 volt fuel pump that's capable of 100 to 200 gallons per hour and one that doesn't wake up everyone else in the harbor yet alone on my own boat. I'm open for ideas. Hoping not to spend too much and I'd like one that can run continuous for at least a full day or two since my boat carries just over 1500 gallons of fuel in 4 tanks. Thanks in advance for any help and if you could provide links to a pump that would be even better. Thanks again.

 

[ksanders]

Use a Rotary Vane pump.
Groco makes a decent one, but it's not inexpensive.

I think i paid in the $380 range if memory serves correctly.

 

[tiltrider1]

My transfer pump is nothing more than an old Chevy electric fuel pump hooked up to a 12v battery. It’s not very fast but it did transfer 500 gallons one afternoon.

Amazon.com

 

[DieselTrawlerGuy]

Use a Rotary Vane pump.
Groco makes a decent one, but it's not inexpensive.

I think i paid in the $380 range if memory serves correctly.

Is it fairly quiet and any idea how many gph it flows?

 

[MVCalypso]

2 cents worth:
What I've commonly seen used (and what I used when designing my filter/transfer system) is a Walbro FR series pump.
The current models are here:

Walbro Marine, Industrial Reciprocating Fuel Pumps - FR Fuel Pump Series

Walbro Marine, Industrial Reciprocating Fuel Pumps - FR Fuel Pump Series designed to be more efficient by requiring less current while providing a better flow, and with higher quality bellows that are built to last longer. The Reciprocating FR Fuel Pump series replaces the 2000 series and...

walbrofuelpumps.com

Continuous duty rating with a life of 5k-10k hours. The flow rates are mid 50's GPH. Approx $250-$300 internet pricing.

BTW, 100-200 GPH seems like a lot to me. For example, a Racror 900 is rated at 90 GPH. If you're really aiming for 100-200 GPH, have you checked the max flow rate of whatever you're using to do the filtering? Also consider the plumbing sizing, will it handle (allow) 200 GPH flows?

 

[ksanders]

Don't remember the GPH but it's pretty quiet. I have trouble hearing it run.

 

[O C Diver]

My preference would be a plunger style pump as what's found on many generators. They are a sealed unit that uses an intermittent magnetic coil to move the plunger (piston) and a spring to return it. They are very reliable with a long life.

Most won't have the volume you desire, but are easily paralleled to increase the volume.

One manufacturer I have installed on a couple of boat fuel polishing systems:

Electric Fuel Pumps | Motor Components, LLC

Motor Components, LLC is your destination for ordering electronic fuel pumps. We’re located in Elmira, NY, and ship nationwide. Order today!

facet-purolator.com

Ted

 

[fractalphreak]

We have a Marco UP3-R Gear pump. We bought it for transferring fuel originally during some tank work when we first bought NWD. It worked well for that purpose; its a gear pump like the ones mentioned above. The one we bought has a on-off-on switch for reversing direction. After the tank work, we repurposed it for oil changes. We are very happy with the pump and its quality, so might be another potential source for you.

Marco makes both gear pumps and vane pumps for diesel transfer. marco-pumps dot shop is their website for those products.

 

[stevemitchell]

I've used the Marco gear pumps on several boats, and as a portable setup, and they work great, but they are expensive.

My current boat has 1100 gallon capacity in 4 tanks, and I move it around a lot to provide polished fuel as well as keeping the boat balanced and trimmed. It includes a nice polishing system with a Jabsco industrial diaphragm pump model 31801.

The pump is relatively quiet and moves fuel at about 3 gallons per minute, close to its specification. It is an AC-powered pump, where the Marco, and others here, are DC. That's both a positive and a negative. I prefer longer running pumps to be AC-powered for longevity, which is the positive side. The negative side is that you have to use AC power, and if you want to do this at anchor/away from a dock, it has to be on inverter, which mine is.

 

[SIBERNUT]

Id check marketplace for a fuel transfer tank cheap. Like what goes in a pickup truck to fuel machinery.