Electric fuel pump for a diesel
 

In a thread a couple weeks ago, I talked about failure of my fuel pump
on my 28' sailboat. It is a Yanmar 2gm that has a mechanical pump that
I backed up with an electric pump to make bleeding the system easier.
I am replacing the mechanical pump but I also need to replace the
electric one. The electric one was from JC Whitney and I do not recall
the brand. However, i do remember that it was not specifically listed
as being for diesel. It is a simple diaphragm pump driven by a
selenoid. I am wondering if the diesel could have eaten away the
diaphragm. Can anyone suggest a good electric fuel pump fpr this
application? JC whitney no longer has it available and I do not trust
it anyway. However, the original owner had it installed when he bought
the boat so I assume it was supposed to be good. When it finally
failed 4 years ago after nearly 16 years, I simply bought an identical
one. Any ideas?

Electric fuel pump for a diesel
 

The diaphrams do go. My Yanmar was laid up with fuel in it for six years by
the PO and the diaphram in the electric fuel pump had disolved to about the
consistency of tar. It was just a sticky lump inside the pump. The fuel
had turned to jelly and I suspect it was the critters living in it rather
than the fuel itself that ate up the rubber.

Frogwatch wrote:
In a thread a couple weeks ago, I talked about failure of my fuel pump
on my 28' sailboat. It is a Yanmar 2gm that has a mechanical pump
that I backed up with an electric pump to make bleeding the system
easier. I am replacing the mechanical pump but I also need to replace
the electric one. The electric one was from JC Whitney and I do not
recall the brand. However, i do remember that it was not
specifically listed as being for diesel. It is a simple diaphragm
pump driven by a selenoid. I am wondering if the diesel could have
eaten away the diaphragm. Can anyone suggest a good electric fuel
pump fpr this application? JC whitney no longer has it available and
I do not trust it anyway. However, the original owner had it
installed when he bought the boat so I assume it was supposed to be
good. When it finally failed 4 years ago after nearly 16 years, I
simply bought an identical one. Any ideas?

--
-- Roger Long

Electric fuel pump for a diesel
 

At the risk of being corrected, I think that diesel fuel is a lot
gentler on fuel systems than gas. I've not personally encountered a
"diesel" electric fuel pump.

Frogwatch wrote:
In a thread a couple weeks ago, I talked about failure of my fuel pump
on my 28' sailboat. It is a Yanmar 2gm that has a mechanical pump that
I backed up with an electric pump to make bleeding the system easier.
I am replacing the mechanical pump but I also need to replace the
electric one. The electric one was from JC Whitney and I do not recall
the brand. However, i do remember that it was not specifically listed
as being for diesel. It is a simple diaphragm pump driven by a
selenoid. I am wondering if the diesel could have eaten away the
diaphragm. Can anyone suggest a good electric fuel pump fpr this
application? JC whitney no longer has it available and I do not trust
it anyway. However, the original owner had it installed when he bought
the boat so I assume it was supposed to be good. When it finally
failed 4 years ago after nearly 16 years, I simply bought an identical
one. Any ideas?

Electric fuel pump for a diesel
 

jamesgangnc wrote:
At the risk of being corrected, I think that diesel fuel is a lot
gentler on fuel systems than gas. I've not personally encountered a
"diesel" electric fuel pump.

Frogwatch wrote:
In a thread a couple weeks ago, I talked about failure of my fuel pump
on my 28' sailboat. It is a Yanmar 2gm that has a mechanical pump that
I backed up with an electric pump to make bleeding the system easier.
I am replacing the mechanical pump but I also need to replace the
electric one. The electric one was from JC Whitney and I do not recall
the brand. However, i do remember that it was not specifically listed
as being for diesel. It is a simple diaphragm pump driven by a
selenoid. I am wondering if the diesel could have eaten away the
diaphragm. Can anyone suggest a good electric fuel pump fpr this
application? JC whitney no longer has it available and I do not trust
it anyway. However, the original owner had it installed when he bought
the boat so I assume it was supposed to be good. When it finally
failed 4 years ago after nearly 16 years, I simply bought an identical
one. Any ideas?

According to the original owner, the Yannie fuel pumps are not too
reliable so he got the electric back-up. I cannot verify this about
the Yaniie pumps because I have used the electric for so long. The
electric does allow for very easy bleeding of the engine. I can also
tell if the system needs bleeding by listening to the electric pump.
If it runs for more than a few seconds when I turn the key, system
needs bleeding.. Right now, it runs continuously and pumps no fuel
when I crack the bleeder screws. When it did this 4 years ago, I took
it apart and found a split diaphragm so I replaced the pump.

Electric fuel pump for a diesel
 

I went to my local auto parts store and said that I wanted a 12volt diesel
fuel pump. They said that they had them for trucks. Worked great.

Ansley Sawyer
SV Pacem

Electric fuel pump for a diesel
 

Ansley W. Sawyer wrote:
I went to my local auto parts store and said that I wanted a 12volt
diesel fuel pump. They said that they had them for trucks. Worked
great.

As long as you keep salt water off of it, it's hard to imagine that the pump
would have any way of knowing it was in a boat instead of a truck. Come to
think of it, being inside the engine room of a boat is probably easier duty
than being under the hood of a semi-truck. Those engines hang out in the
weather and road salt even more than boat engines usually do.

-- Roger Long

Electric fuel pump for a diesel
 

On 4 Dec 2006 12:38:06 -0800, "Frogwatch"
wrote:

In a thread a couple weeks ago, I talked about failure of my fuel pump
on my 28' sailboat. It is a Yanmar 2gm that has a mechanical pump that
I backed up with an electric pump to make bleeding the system easier.
I am replacing the mechanical pump but I also need to replace the
electric one. The electric one was from JC Whitney and I do not recall
the brand. However, i do remember that it was not specifically listed
as being for diesel. It is a simple diaphragm pump driven by a
selenoid. I am wondering if the diesel could have eaten away the
diaphragm. Can anyone suggest a good electric fuel pump fpr this
application? JC whitney no longer has it available and I do not trust
it anyway. However, the original owner had it installed when he bought
the boat so I assume it was supposed to be good. When it finally
failed 4 years ago after nearly 16 years, I simply bought an identical
one. Any ideas?

Walbro 6802 - rated for continuous operation. I have three of them
on my boat - 2 for priming, 1 for fuel polishing. You can probably
get one for less than $100 if you shop around.

http://www.go2marine.com/product.do?...1&WT.mc_id=gb1

Electric fuel pump for a diesel
 

Wayne. B wrote:
On 4 Dec 2006 12:38:06 -0800, "Frogwatch"
wrote:

In a thread a couple weeks ago, I talked about failure of my fuel pump
on my 28' sailboat. It is a Yanmar 2gm that has a mechanical pump that
I backed up with an electric pump to make bleeding the system easier.
I am replacing the mechanical pump but I also need to replace the
electric one. The electric one was from JC Whitney and I do not recall
the brand. However, i do remember that it was not specifically listed
as being for diesel. It is a simple diaphragm pump driven by a
selenoid. I am wondering if the diesel could have eaten away the
diaphragm. Can anyone suggest a good electric fuel pump fpr this
application? JC whitney no longer has it available and I do not trust
it anyway. However, the original owner had it installed when he bought
the boat so I assume it was supposed to be good. When it finally
failed 4 years ago after nearly 16 years, I simply bought an identical
one. Any ideas?

Walbro 6802 - rated for continuous operation. I have three of them
on my boat - 2 for priming, 1 for fuel polishing. You can probably
get one for less than $100 if you shop around.

http://www.go2marine.com/product.do?...1&WT.mc_id=gb1

Wayne:

Thank you.

Electric fuel pump for a diesel
 

On Mon, 04 Dec 2006 12:38:06 -0800, Frogwatch wrote:

In a thread a couple weeks ago, I talked about failure of my fuel pump
on my 28' sailboat. It is a Yanmar 2gm that has a mechanical pump that
I backed up with an electric pump to make bleeding the system easier.
I am replacing the mechanical pump but I also need to replace the
electric one. The electric one was from JC Whitney and I do not recall
the brand. However, i do remember that it was not specifically listed
as being for diesel. It is a simple diaphragm pump driven by a
selenoid. I am wondering if the diesel could have eaten away the
diaphragm. Can anyone suggest a good electric fuel pump fpr this
application? JC whitney no longer has it available and I do not trust
it anyway. However, the original owner had it installed when he bought
the boat so I assume it was supposed to be good. When it finally
failed 4 years ago after nearly 16 years, I simply bought an identical
one. Any ideas?

A better solution is a small day tank mounted high, for a gravity-fed
system. Then you don't have to rely on the electric pump for the engine
to run.

You can use an electric pump, or even a hand pump, to transfer
fuel from the main tank to the day tank. A 28' sailboat needs only a
small day tank -- 5 gallons is plenty.

Matt O.

Electric fuel pump for a diesel
 

Frogwatch wrote:

It is a Yanmar 2gm that has a mechanical pump that
I backed up with an electric pump to make bleeding the system easier.
I am replacing the mechanical pump but I also need to replace the
electric one.

NAPA has one specifically for diesel vehicles that has been used for
several years by a guy on another list.

Lew

Electric fuel pump for a diesel
 

"Ansley W. Sawyer" wrote in
:

I went to my local auto parts store and said that I wanted a 12volt
diesel fuel pump. They said that they had them for trucks. Worked
great.


Hee hee....I have this vision of an electric fuel pump made for an 8V92
monster blowing apart a little 2GM Yanmar....

Sorry. I couldn't help it...(c;

Electric fuel pump for a diesel
 

On Tue, 05 Dec 2006 01:43:48 GMT, Lew Hodgett
wrote:

Frogwatch wrote:

It is a Yanmar 2gm that has a mechanical pump that
I backed up with an electric pump to make bleeding the system easier.
I am replacing the mechanical pump but I also need to replace the
electric one.

NAPA has one specifically for diesel vehicles that has been used for
several years by a guy on another list.

That is the Carter 4070 fuel pump. It's an OK pump and is standard on
my Kohler diesel generator but the Walbro is a more rugged unit in my
opinion.

http://www.racetep.com/webfuelspark.html#webfuel

Electric fuel pump for a diesel
 

In article ,
Matt O'Toole wrote:

A 28' sailboat needs only a small day tank -- 5 gallons is plenty.

That may be too big. Our main tank is 12 gallons and except for
passage-making, that's good for a season. Motoring hard, it's 3-days'
worth, 4 at low cruise.

We have a 13 year-old Yanmar 2GM with 1200 hours on it and haven't had a
pump problem, but have a squeeze bulb and proper fittings if we need to
do serious priming. In a pinch, we can rig it to limp home.

BTW, some people haven't noticed: The Yanmar primer draws on the
upstroke, not the downstroke. Lift that lever high. Never have needed
that squeeze bulb.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Electric fuel pump for a diesel
 

On Tue, 05 Dec 2006 03:52:04 +0000, Jere Lull wrote:

In article ,
Matt O'Toole wrote:

A 28' sailboat needs only a small day tank -- 5 gallons is plenty.

That may be too big. Our main tank is 12 gallons and except for
passage-making, that's good for a season. Motoring hard, it's 3-days'
worth, 4 at low cruise.

All the more reason to do it! All you need is a container big enough to
hold what you'd use in one day. After cruising on a couple of boats with
gravity feed day tanks, I'm convinced it's the only way to go.

Another advantage is you can filter/polish the fuel as it's being
transferred.

Matt O.

Electric fuel pump for a diesel
 

Make sure that the electric pump has seals and diaphragm made of EPDM
(EthylenePropylenDiamineMonomer) instead of the 'old' standard Neoprene
or Buna. EPDM is more stable and chemically compatible with diesel
fuel.

What usually breaks the mechanical lift pump diaphragm is ..... too
small of a filter set that is upstream - apply LARGER surface area
filters (easy to do if you are using 'spin-on' Racors. Less
differential pressure across the filters will allow the pump to work
'less hard'. If you are running 2uM Racors,, switch back to 10uM
Racors (and at the engine 'guard' filter) and the 'pressure
differential' will be reduced by a factor of approx. 5.




In article . com,
Frogwatch wrote:

In a thread a couple weeks ago, I talked about failure of my fuel pump
on my 28' sailboat. It is a Yanmar 2gm that has a mechanical pump that
I backed up with an electric pump to make bleeding the system easier.
I am replacing the mechanical pump but I also need to replace the
electric one. The electric one was from JC Whitney and I do not recall
the brand. However, i do remember that it was not specifically listed
as being for diesel. It is a simple diaphragm pump driven by a
selenoid. I am wondering if the diesel could have eaten away the
diaphragm. Can anyone suggest a good electric fuel pump fpr this
application? JC whitney no longer has it available and I do not trust
it anyway. However, the original owner had it installed when he bought
the boat so I assume it was supposed to be good. When it finally
failed 4 years ago after nearly 16 years, I simply bought an identical
one. Any ideas?

Electric fuel pump for a diesel
 

In article ,
Matt O'Toole wrote:

On Tue, 05 Dec 2006 03:52:04 +0000, Jere Lull wrote:

In article ,
Matt O'Toole wrote:

A 28' sailboat needs only a small day tank -- 5 gallons is plenty.

That may be too big. Our main tank is 12 gallons and except for
passage-making, that's good for a season. Motoring hard, it's
3-days' worth, 4 at low cruise.

All the more reason to do it! All you need is a container big enough
to hold what you'd use in one day. After cruising on a couple of
boats with gravity feed day tanks, I'm convinced it's the only way to
go.

Another advantage is you can filter/polish the fuel as it's being
transferred.

Matt O.

Since we might use a quarter gallon some weekends, usually less,
polishing would be a waste for us. Our "big" fuel draws are usually at
the beginning and end of the season, when we're on our vacations and
push to get somewhere.

Even then, we get about 20 nm per gallon at 5-5.5 knots. A modern engine
in a small boat is quite a bit different than you're used to. We draw a
quarter gallon an hour.

The only meaningful defense for us is the 10 micron Racor and the
engine's 2 micron that has yet to show dirt. (and keeping the tank
fairly full to starve the algae.)

But you may have pointed out a reason our fuel pump's been trouble-free:
The whole tank is above the primary pump, so the lift pump has little to
do.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/