Fuel use

[Beachcomber]

Why would one engine use 2 times the fuel as the other?
It appears that in four days running the river the starboard has used twice the fuel as the port. The port tank supplies the genset. 1973 43 DC with 8V53’s

 

[Jaxfishgyd]

NEVER had that happen on mine...
Have the feed/return fuel valves been changed ?
Sounds like the starboard return is going into the port tank....

 

[Tinker]

Fuel cooler leaking?

 

[TROUBLE]

I aslo have 8-53n's in a 1972 43dcmy. how do you know you are using more fuel with one engine over the other. both my aft tanks are valved together. I do notice when i run the genny a lot the port tank is lower. do you have flow scans

Art
TROUBLE

 

[Beachcomber]

The tanks are valved to go to their respective engine, the crossover is not open. After 3 days running, the starboard held twice as many gallons as the port. The genset pulls from the port only.
I don't think I have fuel coolers?

 

[Boatsb]

You have fuel coolers on the starboard side of the engine above the EX manifold and it has seawater from the pomp going through it.

 

[Fanfare]

If your fuel cooler is leaking you will probably see diesel in your exhaust water on that side at idle. Have a look. There are not a whole lot of places fuel can go if it is not being burned.

A radiator shop can probably rebuild yours if that is the case. I decided to do both when one of mine started leaking as both engines had the same hours.

 

[rsmith]

The tanks are valved to go to their respective engine, the crossover is not open. After 3 days running, the starboard held twice as many gallons as the port. The genset pulls from the port only.
I don't think I have fuel coolers?

Were they completly full? Back in the day when we pumped until raw fuel poured out the vent we knew the tanks were full. But now when everyone gets spazdick when a little dribble comes out the vent who knows if the tank is realy full.

 

[TROUBLE]

I dont think i have fuel coolers either

Art

 

[MikeP]

I thought all DD two strokes had fuel coolers...

THe fuel cooler - at least the one on our 8V71 TIs- is just a tube within in a tube; it does not look like an HE or intercooler. It's maybe 18" long and tHe outside dia is maybe 3 inches (just guessing on dimensions, I'm not on the boat) and there is a smaller tube inside that the fuel passes through.

I agree that if it's leaking that much fuel via the cooler, you should easily see the sheen in the water.

Also agree re filling the tanks. Ours haven't been "full" in 5 years due to worrying about spillage.

 

[sgharford]

Bet you do have fuel coolers, I think the main purpose of them on twin bed 43dcs is to keep your bed from being a bit too toasty. I would just get new ones if shot, they are not that expensive.

 

[Nonchalant1]

Check the crossover valve, may be passing some fuel. Also, each engine pulls from it own tank, but could the fuel return lines both be going into the port tank? DDs use fuel to cool the injectors and they return a lot of fuel to the tanks.