"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
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?

--
Roger Long



I've only had this happen once while offshore... in the Med actually. It was
finally traced to bad fuel. The symptoms were that it would not run
consistently, would sputter and die, and even eventually failed to start
(fortunately we were in port on Sardinia at that time). I repeatedly told
the skipper to change the filter, but he insisted that couldn't be the
problem, since he changed the filter before leaving Malta (a week before).
(FYI, he had several spares aboard.) He finally killed the starting battery
from trying to get it started, then switching to the house battery almost
killed that one. In the process, he bled and rebled the fuel line. Finally,
he found a diesel mechanic to come take a look, costing god-knows how much.
The mechanic changed the filter, rebled the line, and it started on the
first attempt. I didn't say a friggin word. Happened twice more before we
got to Mallorca, and the skipper changed the filters himself, with no help
from any of the crew. We just went on deck to avoid the fumes.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com