Fuel Polishing

[Freestyle]

I think I bought some bad fuel a month ago. I have since bought two more clean tanks. But my generator still isn't happy and is shutting down regularly with clogged Racors and clogged fuel lines. I am not sure why the main on the same tank has not had any issues.

Since generators only shut down on hot nights when I need air conditioning, I need a better solution than changing filters and blowing out lines in the middle of the night.

Has anyone installed a fuel polisher? I need a starting point to figure out if that will solve the problem.

Thanks

Bruce

Freestyle
1986 63 CPMY
Tampa

 

[yachtbrokerguy]

I see lots of boats with fuel polishing sysytems built in, simply a transfer pump running from one tank to another through a Racor filter. This can help a lot but it will only clean particles suspended in the fuel when used at the dock. Running these pumps when underway while fuel is sloshing in the tank and dislodging stuff on the sides of the tank will make it more effective.
Since you are in Tampa there is a good chance the might be a fuel tank cleaning service available to you. They will come to the boat and pump fuel from one tank to another at much higher pressure than a transfer pump and stir up stuff on the bottom to get trapped in their filters. The problem is with these great Hatteras fiberglass keel fuel tanks there is limited access to get a wand inside the tank to spray the baffles and sides.
The cost of a service call would make a dent in installing a polisher, but loosing air conditioning is rough in Florida.

 

[OBXTucker]

The previous owner installed a Gulf Coaster polishing system on my boat and it has continued to perform flawlessly for the past 2 years. My tanks stay full and, truth be told, I don't burn a lot of fuel (1,000 gallons a year or less). This means I've normally got what many view as "stale" fuel on-board.

I turn on the Gulf Coast system about once every month and let it run for most of a day. The filter is actually a full roll of Bounty Paper Towels (how's that for cheap filter changes?!).

Not once in the past 2 years have my mains or gensets hiccup'd because of fuel. I know this comment has doomed me and my next trip I'll clog a Racor because of this.....

I have no affiliation with GC, but can highly recommend their products!
http://www.gulfcoastfilters.com/model_f1.htm

PS: I'd also like to add that GC stopped recommending the Bounty Paper Towels several years ago. While I don't know why (they have always worked fine for me), one can only assume that GC realized they were missing a significant revenue stream. Kind of like selling razors, but not blades! I have no plans to begin using their filters (rumor has it that they are just paper towels with cheese cloth over them).

 

[Seabrooke]

I think I bought some bad fuel a month ago. I have since bought two more clean tanks. But my generator still isn't happy and is shutting down regularly with clogged Racors and clogged fuel lines. I am not sure why the main on the same tank has not had any issues.

Since generators only shut down on hot nights when I need air conditioning, I need a better solution than changing filters and blowing out lines in the middle of the night.

Has anyone installed a fuel polisher? I need a starting point to figure out if that will solve the problem.

Thanks

Bruce

Freestyle
1986 63 CPMY
Tampa

G'day Freestyle,

I haven't installed a system but found this link to what looks like a very well designed system that a boat owner designed and had made.

Pretty good layout and readily available spares.

Worth a look I think.

http://sundowner.thebilge.com/fuelsystem.htm

 

[Tim Powell]

I had the same issue on my 45c, Found out that the main filters were one micron rating and the generator was higher, Changed the generator filter to be the same as engine and priblem went away. Just a thought Tim

 

[GJH]

I'd be more apt to pay to have the fuel cleaned and buy fuel from high turnover suppliers in the future. I could see perhaps installing a fuel polishing system if I was visiting very exotic places. But as YB guy said, the tank itself is hard to clean, not that big an issue since the problem is new. Given the high fuel return rate of Detroits and the availability of clean fuel on the eastern seaboard, a fuel polishing system isn't even on The List for me, which is saying something, given my interest in any number of gadgets and enhancements.

But the fact that just your genset is being bothered raises the issue if you have a fuel line that has gone bad for whatever reason. Just happened to me on my Whaler.

Also, did you change out the secondary filter on the genset engine?

 

[Freestyle]

An update.

My mechanic is thinking this is not entirely a fuel problem or maybe not a fuel problem at all. The generator runs for a while and then shuts down. If you let it sit long enough it will start back up. So he is thinking of changing the oil and raw water sensors.

It's worth a try but I am not sure it will do the trick. The thing sort of lugs and sputters before shutting down which makes me think it is fuel. I have had bad sensors on other generators and they seem to just cut right out without much of a fight.

Bruce
Freestyle
1986 63 CPMY
Tampa

 

[saltshaker]

An update.

My mechanic is thinking this is not entirely a fuel problem or maybe not a fuel problem at all. The generator runs for a while and then shuts down. If you let it sit long enough it will start back up. So he is thinking of changing the oil and raw water sensors.

It's worth a try but I am not sure it will do the trick. The thing sort of lugs and sputters before shutting down which makes me think it is fuel. I have had bad sensors on other generators and they seem to just cut right out without much of a fight.

Bruce
Freestyle
1986 63 CPMY
Tampa

It does sound like a fuel issue. You should be able to trip out the sensors to see if it stays running. Are you getting air in the system? I'd check the fuel pump too.

 

[JLR]

An update.

My mechanic is thinking this is not entirely a fuel problem or maybe not a fuel problem at all. The generator runs for a while and then shuts down. If you let it sit long enough it will start back up. So he is thinking of changing the oil and raw water sensors.

It's worth a try but I am not sure it will do the trick. The thing sort of lugs and sputters before shutting down which makes me think it is fuel. I have had bad sensors on other generators and they seem to just cut right out without much of a fight.

Bruce
Freestyle
1986 63 CPMY
Tampa

Bruce - went through the same thing this year with one of my gensets. It turned out that the silver ball in the Racor had gotten gummed up some how and was shutting down the fuel flow through the Racor. It was not a Racor filter issue but rather a Racor ball issue. May be worth a check.