Fuel tank feed/return setup - curiosity

[MikeP]

In reading another thread I suddenly became curious about this:

On boats with two tanks and fuel manifolds, how do most folks set the levers? In normal use I don't move them and have one engine set to feed/return from one tank and the other engine to feed/return from the other tank.

Is that what most folks do?

 

[Bill Allen]

You could if one chose use the manifolds to level the boat or in the event of a racor problem run both engines off one tank. But that said except to change elements i never touch the valves. With the amount of fuel D.D. pump you could create a problem rather quickly. Bill

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Agree! Disturb the valves and the OLD HARD Oring packing will suck air and cause an FM. You may need to snug it down for a RE-START! ws

label says "ALWAYS RETURN FUEL TO SAME TANK" on each tank valve

 

[saltshaker]

I have a center tank plus port and starboard tanks aft. I use the valves all the time to switch between tanks. I like to empty the forward tank first and then run off the aft tanks. I have used the valves to transfer fuel from the forward tank aft and vise versa. I find you can transfer about 100 gallons in 15 mins with both engines at idle. If you do this make sure you match your supply with the return before you start to run again or you'll pump fuel out the vent.

 

[rsmith]

Agree! Disturb the valves and the OLD HARD Oring packing will suck air and cause an FM. You may need to snug it down for a RE-START! ws

label says "ALWAYS RETURN FUEL TO SAME TANK" on each tank valve

I have 3 tanks and am always switching tanks I did have to replace the 3 way selectors because they developed suction leaks. Used to run the boat back and forth from Cape May Nj to Fla. Mostly outside so I needed to switch tanks on a routine basis. Same thing when we go to the Bahamas. One trip heading north we went St Augustine to Charleston. got fuel at McCllenville SC. The fuel was cheap there so I filled all tanks. Now I had a friend with me that had a 38hatt Every morning he would get up at 3am and get the coffee going check the engines and such. When I told him I preferred to check the engine room my self he got this sad puppy look and looked like he was going to cry. We spent the night at the fuel dock and in the morning same deal I get up and find him in the engine room.I had checked the engines the night before so I didnt want to set a bad mood for the day and let it go. About 2 hours up the intercostal the port engine quits. Now I had the port on the aft 250 gal and the stb on the mid 350 gal so it couldnt be fuel. So I flip the coffee table over rip the center hatch open and jump in the hole. Look around and the first thing I see is the Port engine supply on the aft and its return on the mid. Guess where all the fuel went. I just about choked the crap out of him. The mood for the rest of the trip was bad. Moral of the story is trust but verify.

In his defence if you look at bills pics it would be easy for someone to confuse which end of the return handles is pointing where.

 

[dastahl]

My little 42 LRC has 4 tanks. I use the valves often. Mostly I run off the two 185 gallon side tanks (about 100 hours). When they get low I run one engine at a time off the center keel tank 275g and return it to the side tank on that engine. Then I run the other engine off the center keel tank until I transfer enough to its side tank. I never run both engines off one tank cause they both could quit for a variety of unlikely reasons. I have used fuel out of the fourth aft keel tank (145g) to fill up the side tanks, but generally I use this fuel for the generator only. I use a kitchen timer to remind me when I'm transfering fuel cause one time I forgot and almost ran the tank over. My 4-53 move about 90 gallons an hour.
I have never had any problem with the valves leaking but have heard other LRCer that have.
Your milage may vary. We filled up in Norfolk this spring on the way up from FL and I scored some pretty cheap fuel in the Solomonds Island MD over the summer and topped off the side tanks. That was about 50 hours ago so I'm aiming at Coinjock this fall to top off on the way down to the Bahamas.
Skooch
42 LRC 1980

 

[rsmith]

My little 42 LRC has 4 tanks. I use the valves often. Mostly I run off the two 185 gallon side tanks (about 100 hours). When they get low I run one engine at a time off the center keel tank 275g and return it to the side tank on that engine. Then I run the other engine off the center keel tank until I transfer enough to its side tank. I never run both engines off one tank cause they both could quit for a variety of unlikely reasons. I have used fuel out of the fourth aft keel tank (145g) to fill up the side tanks, but generally I use this fuel for the generator only. I use a kitchen timer to remind me when I'm transfering fuel cause one time I forgot and almost ran the tank over. My 4-53 move about 90 gallons an hour.
I have never had any problem with the valves leaking but have heard other LRCer that have.
Your milage may vary. We filled up in Norfolk this spring on the way up from FL and I scored some pretty cheap fuel in the Solomonds Island MD over the summer and topped off the side tanks. That was about 50 hours ago so I'm aiming at Coinjock this fall to top off on the way down to the Bahamas.
Skooch
42 LRC 1980

Coinjock is always a deal. Walter Cronkite was friends of the people who owned it. Saw him there once with his sailboat. The guy was a super snob.
I always look for where the shrimpers fill up that usualy the cheapest fuel. My boat would burn 24-2800 gal cape may to West Palm so I needed to hunt out the best deal.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Wow, almost 800 gallon capacity on a 42 footer. That is outstanding. My 53 only holds 700 and she burns much more than those 453's do.

 

[TopHattandTails]

I've been hunting a suction leak for the past few years. It only happens at rest. So when i'm done running for the day, I turned the stbd supply off. Then I replaced the racor and all was set for a few months. All of a sudden- its back. But- this time it dawned on me. When the stbd supply is in the off position, no leak. So I switched the tanks around and still no leaks. I assume that the stbd supply has a worn valve or gasket in the aft tank selector, since that leaks. Winter project to tighten or rebuild that single manifold selector...

 

[jim rosenthal]

My 36C has some of these. I've never touched them. (for one thing, they are now behind the genset and not easy to get to). My boat is set up for each engine to draw and return to its own tank. I figure if it works, I'll refrain from fixing it...I know of at least one 53 Hatteras MY that got stuck in Annapolis harbor with engines that wouldn't run because someone fooled with the fuel distribution valves. (not one of our members, by the way)

 

[saltshaker]

My 36C has some of these. I've never touched them. (for one thing, they are now behind the genset and not easy to get to). My boat is set up for each engine to draw and return to its own tank. I figure if it works, I'll refrain from fixing it...I know of at least one 53 Hatteras MY that got stuck in Annapolis harbor with engines that wouldn't run because someone fooled with the fuel distribution valves. (not one of our members, by the way)

Just like everything else on the boat, if you don't use them or service them, you'll end up with a problem when you go to use them. Some boats, like yours, don't need them. I need to use mine all the time since I have 3 tanks.

 

[Pascal]

on a 53MY or those with two tanks, the best set up is when each engine pulls and return from its own tank, one on fwd, one on aft. since the genset pulls from the fwd tank which is a little larger it works out pretty well.

Coinjock has decent fuel prices, Atlantic Yacht Basin at Great Bridge is also pretty good but usually Portsmouth Boating Center or Tidewater are a little better. The boat i run holds 1400USG so even jsut 10c a gallon makes a difference and pays for the night dockage! always worth a few phone calls to check, especially when prices are on the move, you need to find teh place which has jsut gotten a delivery or one which has yet to receive one depending on where prices go.

further south, Osprey Marina in So Myrtle beach has usually the best prices. Jarrett Bay or Mc Clealanville are good alternatives as well but usually higher than Osprey

Swan Point Marina at New River also has good prices, and Paul is a HOF member...

further noth, miss chris or Utsch in Cape may are usually competitive, as well as Pt Judith marina in RI.