Steven Shelikoff wrote:

The pump already comes with a strainer. But it's a royal PITA to
replace and really only gets out the largest of crud. For a "strainer"
to be effective, it's just another filtration stage and we're back to
sucking fuel through a filter rather than pushing it through.

Install a "basket strainer" before the pump suction. It is a
coarse screen that will not normally decrease the suction
head but will keep small animals, rags, and rust flakes out
of the suction filter and/or pump. They are very easy and
quick to clean.

A normal system on boats other than tiny sailboats uses, in
order of flow; a coarse strainer, a set of Racors or
equivalent, the service pump, then whatever filtration is
mounted on and/or supplied or recommended by the engine
manufacturer. Those upstream filters are normally canned
type and operate under service pump pressure.

If the system is supposed to serve as a polishing system as
well I would provide for a bypass system to direct fuel from
the service pump to a set of larger and finer filters which
are plumbed back to the source tank.

I am getting a bit curious at why there is so much
controversy in such a common and ordinary installation? The
purpose of any of these systems, I repeat, is not to
conserve or extend filter life. It is to clean the fuel as
effectively as possible.

Rick