Tank debris/fuel strainer

[llldks]

Last summer, on a 1972 53MY, in heavy seas my starboard 8V71 TI shut down due to debris obstructing the ball valve and turbine of a racor 1000. After having both tanks "cleaned" and replacing the o-rings on the fuel tank caps, i prophylactically inspected the turbine and ball valve and have found partially obstructing debris.

Would there be any problem adding a diesel truck fuel strainer between the fuel manifold and the racor intake? If necessary, I could drill larger holes in the strainer element. It would be easier to unscrew the fuel strainer and clear the element than get to the turbine and ball valve underway.

A dual filter manifold would be spatially difficult. My longest run is usually less than 4 hrs in Galveston Bay.

 

[bostonhatteras]

When my boat was new to me I had major fuel contamination issues with clogging of filters and reduced rpm or shut down, as you did. I was too cheap or untrusting of (pick one) polishing services to go that route so I came up with my own solution. I vacuumed the bottom of the tanks with a fuel transfer pump by using an iron 3/4” pipe about 3’ long with the outlet going into five gallon buckets. Went into tanks through the fuel gauge hole which was big enough to get at least 1/4 of tank bottom, and right next to pick up where it counts. I took out about 20 gallons from each tank the first year. That was by far the worst of it. Did the same process for a couple more years but never got as much water and contamination as that first year. I can’t imagine what type of gpm pump would be necessary to agitate the sediment on the bottom in a wide spread area but the ‘vacuum wand’ certainly picked up the contamination. I’ve never had fuel issues since and I don’t even have racors on the mains, the primary and secondary are DD filters. The pick ups on my tanks have sizable screen canisters so the line literally can’t pick up a o ring fragment of things like that. Don’t know the mesh size of the sceen but it would really only allow things the size of algae through. So the added filter you speak of may be entirely redundant. I use copious amounts of Biobor JF too.

 

[rsmith]

What he said.

 

[Pascal]

I would attack the problem at the source instead of adding a filter before the manifold.

When I had my 53 in the yard during the repower, I had someone pump what’s was left in the tanks and clean them. Unfortunately I didn’t the realize the boat was blocked bow high so with the aft tank access at the forward end of the tank all the crud and water remained at the back.

A few weeks later after having issues I used a piece of copper, along with a cheap pre filter and electric pump to suck the bottom of the aft tank. Pulled a few gallons of water and trash and solved the problem.

 

[Pls]

I had the same problem with the aft tank on my 50c. Repeated fuel tank cleanings, fuel polishing, and biocide use failed to solve it. I ended up installing Goldenrod filters with 80 mesh screens on the supply lines from the aft tank going to the fuel manifold. This has worked very well for me. No more clogged Racors in heavy seas and the Goldenrods are easy to clean when necessary. I also installed remote fuel vacuum gauges on the bridge so I can tell whether a problem is developing. This has also worked well.

 

[llldks]

I had thought about suctioning the tank but was concerned about how much would remain behind the baffles'

Based on the above, guess I will start with the suctioning solution as this doesn't involve splicing the fuel lines and potential leaks and move onto the added filter if I find anymore debris.

Thanks for the input, it helped.

 

[Captain Ralph]

This was after my aft tank was supposed cleaned and polished.
Yes, that is my fuel pick up from the aft tank.

 

[Captain Ralph]

When I sent the fuel and this snot to the labs; Water in the fuel.
To much diesel clean.

Send all of your samples to a lab and avoid guessing.

Ya wonder why I hate snake oils.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Diesel Kleen was not your problem. We've used it for years in all of our construction equipment. Water was your problem.

 

[skinners1]

The aft tank on our 61my hadn’t been used in 10 yrs according to the PO when we bought her(don’t know why). There was 3/4 tank of diesel sitting that I wasn’t willing to get rid of…. After much research and discussion with diesel mechanics I decided to give it a chance…. Built my own fuel polishing system which stores on bulk head. After about 4-5 hrs and several filter changes fuel was clean…. She hasn’t hiccuped from drinking from that tank…First pic was final design.

 

[rwaldrop13]

The aft tank on our 61my hadn’t been used in 10 yrs according to the PO when we bought her(don’t know why). There was 3/4 tank of diesel sitting that I wasn’t willing to get rid of…. After much research and discussion with diesel mechanics I decided to give it a chance…. Built my own fuel polishing system which stores on bulk head. After about 4-5 hrs and several filter changes fuel was clean…. She hasn’t hiccuped from drinking from that tank…First pic was final design.

That is elegant. Simple but elegant. Thanks for sharing.

 

[llldks]

I had the same problem with the aft tank on my 50c. Repeated fuel tank cleanings, fuel polishing, and biocide use failed to solve it. I ended up installing Goldenrod filters with 80 mesh screens on the supply lines from the aft tank going to the fuel manifold. This has worked very well for me. No more clogged Racors in heavy seas and the Goldenrods are easy to clean when necessary. I also installed remote fuel vacuum gauges on the bridge so I can tell whether a problem is developing. This has also worked well.

Do you have the model number of the Goldenrod filter and screen?

 

[Pls]

Goldenrod model 495. I can't recall the model number for the screen but I recall the manufacturers website has a lot of information about the different options .