Diesel pickup tube depth in tanks

Feb 10, 2004
3,930
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
I am asking this question primarily for the h40.5 model but Hunter may have had a common practice for all their boats that applies.
My OEM tank was manufactured by Ezell and it had both engine and generator supply and return connections as delivered. I added a generator and used the previously unused generator connections.
Somewhere I heard that the pickup tubes for the engine and generator were cut to different lengths. The generator pickup is higher in the tank than the engine pickup so that if the generator runs out of fuel the engine can still draw fuel to travel some limited distance to a fuel dock.
This makes sense to me.
But last summer I managed to run the generator out of fuel for the first time ever. I did run the engine for short periods of time for a couple days to make hot water and charge batteries while I was waiting out some nasty conditions at anchor.
Upon motoring to the fuel dock that was about 3/4 mile away, I ran completely out of fuel. I was towed to the dock and took on 33.5 gallons to full. The tank is a 40 gallon tank and I have verified this volume by dimensional measurements and calculations.
I should add that according to my engine and generator hours, the auxiliary ran for 20 hours (0.7 gph) and the generator ran 30 hours (0.4 gph). I should have only used about 26 gallons of fuel total, much less than the 33.5 I took on.
So I am wondering if the two pickups are really at different depths and what those depths actually are. It seems like I should be able to draw more fuel than just 33.5 gallons out of a 40 gallon tank, but maybe that pickup is not at all near the bottom.

So does anyone have actual measurements of the depth of the pickups? How much higher is the generator pickup than the engine pickup? I suppose I can pull out both of my pickups, but the access is under battery boxes and this job would take me a good half day. More if something goes wrong. (Like that hardly ever happens....)
Fuel Tank Sender.JPG
 
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Oct 22, 2014
21,088
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
When I modify my pickups the engine is 1/2 inch above the tank bottom. The heater pickup tube is 1 inch above the tank bottom. All designed to stay above the gunk and water on the bottom of the tank.
 
Feb 14, 2014
7,418
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
engine is 1/2 inch above the tank bottom
Generator roughly 1/2" higher.
_____
Everyone says there is logic to that difference and appears to be consistent thinking even in the powerboat world too.
When I got my boat [first generator for me], my Son-In-Law was telling me the same logic.
Hmmmmm?
Are we using our generators as back up a "low fuel indicator"?

Not trying to highjack the thread, but I ran out of fuel ONCE.:redface:
Not again for me!
I now view the generator dip tube as "back up" engine fuel line.
Jim...
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,731
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Our boat came equipped with a main engine, generator and later a diesel furnace. Each have separate draw tubes from a 70 gallon fuel tank. Never ran out of fuel and do not plan to. Do not know how far from the tank bottom any of the draw tubes, except the furnace, which I estimate at six inches.
 

Gunni

.
Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
Under power the boat squats, comes off it’s lines and the fuel ran to the other end of the tank.

In any case, yes both fuel pickups are above the bottom of the tank. In a similar scenario my gen set died but my engine started and ran. When I pulled the fuel pickups to confirm this they were both custom cut with a bevel cut. Auxiliary was 1” above bottom, gen set was ~2” above bottom. You will likely have to do the same to get a definitive answer.
 
Jun 15, 2012
695
BAVARIA C57 Greenport, NY
Perhaps you could just remove elbow at top of dip tube. Use a small wire to measure inside dip tube to measure length to bottom of dip tube. Dip tube probably has a filter at the bottom.
 
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Sep 11, 2011
392
Hunter 41AC Bayfield WI, Lake Superior
Why would any coastal cruiser run out of fuel??? I am sorry if this is harsh but I have seen many moron pilots run out of fuel when all they needed to do was stop at a closer airport. Landing on the expressway during rush hour is just nuts!
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,731
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Well, ;) I was making love to a beautiful woman who insisted that we needed the A/C operational, and that requires a gen-set. It was risky use of limited fuel, but at the time it seemed acceptable. Thanks for asking!
That sure opens up pandora's box, but not gonna go there, Gunni. :D
 

eianm

.
Jul 7, 2010
517
Hunter 42 Sydney
I added inspection ports to my H42 tank early last year- the boat is a 1991 model with over 4000 hours on the clock.I was shocked at the amount of sludge in the bottom of the tank- it was about 3" deep across the entire bottom of the tank- both generator and engine pick ups were well below this sludge level- so just cant work out why I didn't have a problem. But back to pick up pipes- I didn't measure , but I do recall the distance from the bottom for the engine pick up was very small- so 1/2" sounds correct- the generator pick up was a little higher, so 1" sounds reasonable also.
I am so glad I fitted the inspection ports- although I am in Australia , I cant recommend the maker of my inspection ports highly enough- there is so much thought gone into his design- he has a pick up port also so testing for water or contamination is fast and easy - simply attach your oil sucker pump/tank to the test port and this pick up tube is only about 1/4" off the tank bottom - a really clever idea- https://www.cleandiesel.com.au/products-and-services
I will post pics of my ports in a few days as his website does not show the test pick up ports.
 
Oct 2, 2008
3,807
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
Was that in Gloscester last fall? Leaving nearly 6 gallons of fuel in a 40 gallon tank seems excessive. Why carry gallons you can’t use?
 
Feb 10, 2004
3,930
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
Was that in Gloscester last fall? Leaving nearly 6 gallons of fuel in a 40 gallon tank seems excessive. Why carry gallons you can’t use?
Yes, it happened in Gloucester last fall. I agree that having 6 gallons that are usable seems excessive. Nevertheless, I did take on 33.5 gallons after both the genset and aux ran out.
 
Feb 10, 2004
3,930
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
I added inspection ports to my H42 tank early last year- the boat is a 1991 model with over 4000 hours on the clock.I was shocked at the amount of sludge in the bottom of the tank- it was about 3" deep across the entire bottom of the tank- both generator and engine pick ups were well below this sludge level- so just cant work out why I didn't have a problem. But back to pick up pipes- I didn't measure , but I do recall the distance from the bottom for the engine pick up was very small- so 1/2" sounds correct- the generator pick up was a little higher, so 1" sounds reasonable also.
Thanks. 1/2" and 1" for the pickups sound like reasonable depths. But I guess the only way I can determine my pickup depths is to pull them and check. If you had the same model Hunter as me then I could reasonably assume mine are the same. It just occurred to me that if a production drawing is abailable for my tank it might have the dip tube lengths. I'll check.
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,903
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
Rich, I have an Ezell drawing of the tank but it does not show how far off the bottom of the tank the pickup tubes are placed. I'll email it to you. I had a new tank made by them with thicker aluminum after I had pin-hole leakes in it. The original was .09 in and the new tank I had made is .125 in. Now that you bring it up, I plan on calling Ezell this week to see how far they placed the pickup tubes above the bottom on my tank. Jamie at Ezell is very helpful.
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,903
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
Here is a drawing of the tank but it doesn't have the depth of the tubes on this view. Maybe there is another drawing with the info. It is possible that the 18 at the end of the line specifying the pick up tubes with S.O.V (shut off valve) means a length of 18 inches. That would put it about 3/4 off the bottom (.09 inches less than 3/4 inch) assuming the tank wall is 3/4 inch.
 

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Feb 10, 2004
3,930
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
Here is a drawing of the tank but it doesn't have the depth of the tubes on this view. Maybe there is another drawing with the info. It is possible that the 18 at the end of the line specifying the pick up tubes with S.O.V (shut off valve) means a length of 18 inches. That would put it about 3/4 off the bottom (.09 inches less than 3/4 inch) assuming the tank wall is 3/4 inch.
Thanks Dan. Looking at the pickup tube detail on the drawing, it looks like both the aux and gen pickups could be the same length if the "18" is in fact the length. That goes against all of the standard beliefs.
I would be very interested to learn any info that you receive from Ezell.
 
Jun 1, 2009
1,746
Hunter 49 toronto
Thanks Dan. Looking at the pickup tube detail on the drawing, it looks like both the aux and gen pickups could be the same length if the "18" is in fact the length. That goes against all of the standard beliefs.
I would be very interested to learn any info that you receive from Ezell.
Rich,
Just wondering where you mounted the genset, and what make?
I was looking to install a FP 4kw in my 40.5, but ended up with the 49 which had one installed