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#11
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Fuel filter clogging
Wilbur Hubbard wrote:
"Gordon" wrote in message ... My neighbor, the fuel polisher, will tell you that you won't know you have a developing problem until you hit some rough seas and stir up the crap in the bottom of your tank. Of course, then it's too late and at the worst time. Gordon Motor boat talk! If the seas are rough it means there's wind. If there's wind you use your sails and not your motor. I can always tell who the pretenders are by their knowing that rough seas cause diesel problems because there's a blender at work mixing all the crud at the bottom of the tank with the fuel. I've also noticed that diesel boat people have this motor = security blanket syndrome. You see them, even at anchor, when the wind pipes up on goes their motor. I think they have this idea they can motor forward to reduce the tension on the rode. But, boy oh boy, why not just get ground tackle you can depend on? Running the motor and taking it in and out of gear might be the worst thing you can do during a blow because the boat will then end up sideways to the wind and the pull on the anchor jerks sideways with extra force. I often wonder how many anchors get broken out that would have otherwise stayed put if only the diesel was kept turned off. This is but one example of deviant behavior engaged in by diesel boats. In general diesels make sailors incompetent. The best sailor in the world is a man who has no motor whatsoever on board. Wilbur Hubbard What auxiliaries do you have in your Swan 68 and Allied 32 footer? Just curious. --AG |
#12
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Fuel filter clogging
Roger Long brought forth on stone tablets:
In 38 years around boats with auxilliary engines, I've never actually experienced a clogged fuel filter so I'm curious what the first signs are, at least for slow build up as opposed to the fuel line suddenly sucking up a mess that's been kicking around in the bottom of the tank. I would expect that slowly developing problems would first show up at maximum RPM and fuel flow and that the engine would continue to run properly for a time at lower power. If I make it a practice to bring my engine up to full RPM at least once during every run, I should first see a failure to reach the usual number, perhaps accompanied by some smoke due to the injectors not getting enough fuel for the rack setting. Backing off to my usual cruising fuel flow, which is about 60% of WOT, should give me plenty of running time to get to a place where I can safely change the filter. Next year, I'll put in a vacuum gauge but, in the meantime, will this strategy work? On Eolian, a developing filter blockage doesn't manifest itself until the lift pump cannot deliver sufficient fuel to the injection pump. At that point, the injection pump begins to suck air from the return line, and the engine starts stumbling. Going into neutral and reducing the throttle helps a little, and may save a bleeding exercise. but not always. If I can get down below and switch filters in time, then the engine can ingest a little air and correct itself. If not, well time to get out the 10 mm wrench... Get the vacuum gage and install it where you can see it without having to pull up a floor panel. That's your best monitor of filter condition and impending problems. I don't think your planned strategy will work. But if you perform it at the dock, you may get to do the bleeding exercise at the dock instead of out in a seaway, while being carried by a strong current toward a shoal. bob s/v Eolian Seattle |
#13
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Fuel filter clogging
"RW Salnick" wrote On Eolian, a developing filter blockage doesn't manifest itself until the lift pump cannot deliver sufficient fuel to the injection pump. At that point, the injection pump begins to suck air from the return line, Good point for the general populous. I forgot that I was predicting the behavior of my system with the Yamaha peculiarity (at least on the QM series) of there being no return line to the tank. Return fuel is pumped back around to ahead of the injector pump so there is no way to suck air back into the system unless there is a leak in the piping. -- Roger Long |
#14
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Fuel filter clogging
On Mon, 13 Aug 2007 11:52:23 -0400, "Roger Long"
wrote: That's true and fairly well known but it's a different problem. Considering how promptly stuff started showing up in my filter bowl after I started puting in StarTron, I think it must be doing a pretty good job of moving the stuff into suspension and into the fuel intake. This is also a sailboat the routinely heels 15 - 20 degrees so the tank gets pretty well mixed. Thge slow build up from stuff moved into suspension is what I'm concerned about tracking. You can't do much about the sudden clogs except be ready to change filters in less than optimum conditions. A guy in Singapore who used four or five filters moving his new (to him) boat about ten miles from Raffels marina to the Republic of Singapore club spent several days washing out his tank and then added some stuff called "soltron". I think it is the same stuff except sold in the U.K. He got much the same effect, fine deposits in the filter bowl. It lasted for some time, as I remember. He had vacuum gages on his filters and said that the filters didn't seem to be clogging, just this "stuff" in the filter bowls. Bruce in Bangkok (brucepaigeATgmailDOTcom) |
#15
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Fuel filter clogging
On Mon, 13 Aug 2007 16:48:33 -0400, "Roger Long"
wrote: Good point for the general populous. I forgot that I was predicting the behavior of my system with the Yamaha peculiarity (at least on the QM series) of there being no return line to the tank. Return fuel is pumped back around to ahead of the injector pump so there is no way to suck air back into the system unless there is a leak in the piping. Just following up on your "heeling 20 degrees comment": Athough true, it is not nearly as vigorous as a day or two of bounding through some serious waves. That will dislodge a lot more tank sediment than normal heeling and tacking. |
#16
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Fuel filter clogging
On 2007-08-12 08:20:15 -0400, "Roger Long" said:
In 38 years around boats with auxilliary engines, I've never actually experienced a clogged fuel filter so I'm curious what the first signs are, at least for slow build up as opposed to the fuel line suddenly sucking up a mess that's been kicking around in the bottom of the tank. I would expect that slowly developing problems would first show up at maximum RPM and fuel flow and that the engine would continue to run properly for a time at lower power. If I make it a practice to bring my engine up to full RPM at least once during every run, I should first see a failure to reach the usual number, perhaps accompanied by some smoke due to the injectors not getting enough fuel for the rack setting. Backing off to my usual cruising fuel flow, which is about 60% of WOT, should give me plenty of running time to get to a place where I can safely change the filter. Next year, I'll put in a vacuum gauge but, in the meantime, will this strategy work? We had it happen once, just after we filled up the first time for the season, about July. Seems there was lots of junk on the tank sides and we were using the finest Racor filters. Engine started losing revs; got a few seconds if I advanced the throttle, but then it died. Changed the filter and cleaned out what I could, but the second clogged in a couple of minutes' full power. Not having a third filter (then) I brushed off the filter, cleaned the bowl, and tried at reduced throttle. We could pull maybe 2000 (out of 3600) but that was enough to limp along at 4-5 knots to a "must" rendezvous about 50 nm away. After those hours, we found out that we could pull full power, and the primary (on the engine) filter was still clear. We now carry a "coarse" filter as a third backup. Oh, and I'm sure you realize that a dirty prop can drop the revs significantly, so do your high-speed tests after you've powered for a bit after a week or two away. -- Jere Lull Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD Xan's new pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/ Our BVI pages: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/ |
#17
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Fuel filter clogging
That is consistent with what I'm seeing using StarTron (repackaged Soltron).
There is stuff that seems to be coating and sticking to the bottom of the sediment bowl but the fuel in the top of the bowl is clear and the engine runs fine at max RPM. I pulled the filter yesterday and it looks good. I know this doesn't mean much but there was no corresponding build up. I went to the Racor dealer yesterday to buy a vacuum gauge but they were out for the time being. -- Roger Long |
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