Fuel Management

[Breezy Kay]

I recently purchased a 50' convertible with the DDEC 12v92 Covington conversion. What a speed boat. Filled her up when I got her and have now fished enough to need to switch tanks. According to the drawings there is a fuel manifold on the forward ending room bulkhead to control fuel flows to the tanks and returns. But alas, no fual manifold to be found. There is a fuel transfer pump but no manifold. Anyone know where they might have put it or the proper method for controlling fuel flow. Any advise is appreciated.

If this is very complicated, does anyone have any experience with converting the fuel system over to electrically controlled valves so fuel tank switching can be accomplished from the helm?

[Breezy Kay]

Wow, 51 views and no ideas yet!

[Canuck Dennis]

You now have an excellent opportunity to learn where all the pipes, wires, hoses etc etc go to in your boat, take a few days and start exploring, you will learn amazing things... congrats...

[bigbill]

any chance the previous owner removed the valve setup, and ran the engines off of one tank, and transfered fuel from the other tanks via pump to the tank that the engines run off of? you might try to contact the previous owner if possible and see what they have to say. good luck

[Breezy Kay]

I actually thought the same thing but with the transfer pump on we overflow fuel overboard. This makes me think I'm running on the mostly empty tank and the smaller tank is the full one and the transfer pump is pumping to the full tank.

We have been exploring and servicing every system on the boat since we got it. This is one of the last mysteries. I'm going tomorrow and chase the fuel lines from the tanks to try and figure it all out. Just thought someone might have already been through it and could save some steps. But your absolutely right every mystery has been a learning experience. Also I'm finding out the drawings from hatteras are not much help as many things are different now. Btw the boat is a 1997 so not extremely old. Still trying to figure out why the master head has two accumulators in the vacumn system for the head. Oh well time to do my best Sherlock Holmes imitation.

Thanks

[Breezy Kay]

The main problem is with those big engines the engine room is very cramped and I'm not a small guy, so crawling around outboard of the motors is a no go for me. I might get in there but someone would have to bring me food and water cause I'd never get out...

[saltshaker]

The main problem is with those big engines the engine room is very cramped and I'm not a small guy, so crawling around outboard of the motors is a no go for me. I might get in there but someone would have to bring me food and water cause I'd never get out...
They usually are on the forward bulkhead in the ER, on top of the tank or on a board in front of the forward tank. Did you open the inspection hatch on top of the forward fuel tank? If they're not there I bet someone relocated them or removed them and installed the transfer pump. As you mentioned, that's a very tight ER with 12V92. I wouldn't want to wiggle between two hot engines when you need to switch supply tanks. Check to see if you can locate a manifold for the transfer pump. The fuel lines should be running along the inboard engine stringers so it shouldn't be too bad. FYI I hear Thunderbird is sold. Did you ever take a run at it?

[Breezy Kay]

Jack,

The fuel lines are there on the stringers. I took off the board, no manifold. Gonna investigate further tomorrow.

I didn't hear that. No, I looked her over but just couldn't get past the whitewashed interior. And couldn't see any reasonably inexpensive way to change it. If the running gear is good in that boat someone will get a good buy but it's been sitting a long, long time. One blown 16/92 and no more good buy. Most of the other stuff could be repaired or replaced without too much pain but those engines just scared me. I looked at a 97 60 footer up in ft pierce after that and wanted it real bad but couldn't put it together. We were just too far apart. So I decided to keep Breezy Cay and make her like i want her. New teak cockpit and covering boards and new livewell. still going thru all the systems, seems one of the po's cut a few corners. So we're having to sort it all out. But well get there. Just make another list. Lol

Dale

[saltshaker]

Jack,

The fuel lines are there on the stringers. I took off the board, no manifold. Gonna investigate further tomorrow.

I didn't hear that. No, I looked her over but just couldn't get past the whitewashed interior. And couldn't see any reasonably inexpensive way to change it. If the running gear is good in that boat someone will get a good buy but it's been sitting a long, long time. One blown 16/92 and no more good buy. Most of the other stuff could be repaired or replaced without too much pain but those engines just scared me. I looked at a 97 60 footer up in ft pierce after that and wanted it real bad but couldn't put it together. We were just too far apart. So I decided to keep Breezy Cay and make her like i want her. New teak cockpit and covering boards and new livewell. still going thru all the systems, seems one of the po's cut a few corners. So we're having to sort it all out. But well get there. Just make another list. Lol

Dale
A late 90's early '00's with Cats is on my short list of future boats.

[Breezy Kay]

I don't know if this one is sold yet, she's listed on yacht broker. 1997, 60'c, 3412e's. Very nice boat. Full tower, teak cockpit. Oh no I'm drooling again. $505,000.00 I think. Bet he'd take 475. But I needed to trade and we couldn't make a deal. Owner needs cash for a real estate deal. Go get her, she's a beaut.

[Breezy Kay]

And Jack that engine room compared to mine!!!!!

[saltshaker]

I don't know if this one is sold yet, she's listed on yacht broker. 1997, 60'c, 3412e's. Very nice boat. Full tower, teak cockpit. Oh no I'm drooling again. $505,000.00 I think. Bet he'd take 475. But I needed to trade and we couldn't make a deal. Owner needs cash for a real estate deal. Go get her, she's a beaut.
Not unless he wants my 65C. One big boat is more than enough for me. I'm a big fan of the 60C and her predecessor the 54C. I was looking for a 54C when my 65 came along.

[Breezy Kay]

Well Gentlemen, we got it figured out. Bigbil was right, both motors are fed and return to the rear tank. The forward tank has a transfer pump to move the fuel to the rear tank via the return lines from the motors. The reason we were pumping fuel overboard was the valve to the front tank was open, which allowed return fuel from the engines to flow back through the transfer pump into the forward tank which was full at the time. So with nowhere else to go, out the overflow it went.

So today we opened the forward tank valve, turned on the transfer pump and moved the 200 gallons of fuel to the rear tank. Then closed the valve off. I'm sure it's plumbed the way it is so you can use the return fuel from the engines to move fuel forward to balance the boat should you want to. We moved the fuel to keep it from going stale in the forward tank.

What a learning experience. Like I said before, every time we get into one of the systems on the boat we learn something new. Just hope I still have the storage in the ole brain to remember what I've learned.

[jim rosenthal]

Time to start making a notebook... but you probably did that already...I should, too. If I kick off without writing all this down, someone's going to have to figure it all out. My boat is a lot smaller and simpler, though.

[Breezy Kay]

Time to start making a notebook... but you probably did that already...I should, too. If I kick off without writing all this down, someone's going to have to figure it all out. My boat is a lot smaller and simpler, though.

Jim,

I'm keeping my son up on all the fixes and methods. Actually he does most of the work and I supervise. Don't know what I'd do without him. Guess hell probably get the boat if I expire...