Auxilliary fuel pumps for outboards

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Steve

I have a Coronado-25 (Sailing Lady)equipped with a 19 gallon inboard fuel tank with about 10 feet of fuel line to the Honda outboard in the well. I am finding that I have to pump like crazy the squeezable bulb that came with the engine/portable fuel tank... then I have to wait for a few minutes so that the fuel gets INTO the engine, before I pull the cord. Does anyone know of an auxilliary fuel pump (electric) that could go in line to pressure the line BEFORE I pull the cord? Also, would this fuel pump continue to have to be active during motor operation (beyond initially starting it)? Thanks for your responses. Steve
 
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larry w.

fuel pump

Steve; I think the hose/bulb might have an air leak somewhere or the check valve is not working. How old is it? The fittings tight and in good shape? Is the hose partially plugged? Get a new bulb and insert it in the line, see if that fixes the problem.Ten feet is a long run for fuel. Can you relocate the tank? Any time you add anything electric you add potential problems.
 
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Richard Wallace

An Electric Fuel Pump Will Help

A generic electric fuel pump ($50 at NAPA or any other auto parts store) will pump when turned on but will allow free flow of the fuel through it when it is turned off. I does not have to be turned on all the time. I use an electric fuel pump to charge the filters and the lines on my diesel. After I change the filters, I turn on the pump and let it run for an hour or so. It bleeds everything (the diesels have a return fuel line so it is pumping the fuel in a loop) but it would also work with an outboard. Once the line is full, you can turn off the electric pump and all will be fine.
 
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Gord

Larry is right,

it's likely a leak in the Bulb or Fuel Line. Perhaps you can borrow a known good one, and test for improvement. Also insure that there are no sharp bends or kinks in the fuel line. Richard is also correct, but you don't want to be pumping through a 'leaky' fuel line, so check that out first. If it turns out to be a matter of 'length', wherein there is too much pressure drop, then you could abandon the KISS principle and add the pump. Gord
 
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Gord

Larry is right,

it's likely a leak in the Bulb or Fuel Line. Perhaps you can borrow a known good one, and test for improvement. Also insure that there are no sharp bends or kinks in the fuel line. Richard is also correct, but you don't want to be pumping through a 'leaky' fuel line, so check that out first. If it turns out to be a matter of 'length', wherein there is too much pressure drop, then you could abandon the KISS principle and add the pump. Gord
 
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Ric

I have one

I put in a tempo 12 gal tank and electric pump. I manage a country club, so I got the pump from my mechanic. It is a Toro and delivers 1.5 lb of pressure. Cost about $35 and was easy to install. I do the same as Richard, turn her on, start the engine, get well away from the dock and then turn the pump off. Works great. Something else that is important with an internal tank is a blower. You need to exaust the air in the boat, near the tank, before turning anything else on. That way, if there was any fuel leak, and the vapors sink, the blower removes them before another electrical device creates a spark. In fact, I think the blower is required.
 
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mrbill

pressure regulator

If you left the pump on after priming, you will want a pressure regulator or the lawn mower pump, The automotive facet type pumps normally have 4-6 psi, which is probably way too much for a small ob. But I would check the hose and bulb first. is the tank lower than the engine?
 
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Steve

Laryy.. Thanks a lot

Larry Thanks a lot. I appreciate your interest and your help. Toro... as in Toro lawnmower, runs on 12V with 1.5 psi sounds about right. Legally, you have to have blowers if you have INBOARD engine, the way I understand it, not inboard fueltanks only. The boat DOES have a good vent system, with dual stern pipe vents (forgot the technical name) and another fuel tank vent direct to the deck. It also fills from the deck. I intend to check for leaks, etc. Nice to know you can turn the thing off once you get going. I am going to put a clear fuel fileter in line so I can see the the actual fuel flow before I do anything else. The manual pump DOES work, but it takes what seems like forever. And once the engine starts, there is no problem. The Toro sounds like a good idea and if nothing else improves the situation I will try it. Thanks again to everyone for their suggestions. Steve
 
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