Electric Bleed Pump

[Snotter]

I want to install an electric fuel pump between the fuel tank and my Racor turbine filter. The pump would be turned on only for the purpose of bleeding the fuel system on a Cummins 4B3.3 which is not installed at this time. (The Cummins has an electric fuel pump.) The pump, when turned off, should not hinder fuel flow for either the Cummins or my genset. Also, I don’t want the pump to atomize (sp) any water in the fuel so that the Racor turbine will be ineffective at removing water. Would it be safe, and effective, to install my old, regulated walbro electric fuel pump for the purpose of bleeding fuel? (The walbro pump was used for year as a replacement fuel pump on my old Perkins 4-154 which is being replaced with the Cummins.) I used to have an un-regulated, electric fuel pump installed for the purpose of bleeding. The un-regulated pump was bought from auto-parts for 55$. However, I have since removed the unregulated pump. My questions: would the regulated, low-pressure walbro pump be as effective at bleeding as an unregulated high-pressure pump? Would the walbro result in too much fuel resistance (I know the auto-parts type pump would not because it worked fine until I removed it)? Would one pump atomize the water in the fuel more than another?

I would like to use the walbro because it is a quality pump and I already have it; however, I wouldn’t mind spending 60$ if the auto-parts pump would be better at bleeding the fuel system. Any sailors out there have an opinion you would care to share?

PS: I don’t want to rely on the Cummins’ fuel pump for bleeding since it is located between the primary and secondary filters (the genset T’s off from the racor).

 

[Bill Roosa]

How often are you bleeding the fuel system???????
I'd not install a pump just for that purpose since you only bleed the system when you service the injector pump or injectors (almost never). I'd recommend you think about taking a course in engine mechanics so you don't have these issue.
for instance, when you change the rancor fuel filter you do not have to bleed the system if you do it correctly. done it several times and never had a problem. The trick is understanding how air enters the system and not doing those things.
I would also think that the pump head would cause a lot of restriction in a non pressurized line and could result in fuel starvation.

 

[Snotter]

How often are you bleeding the fuel system???????
I'd not install a pump just for that purpose since you only bleed the system when you service the injector pump or injectors (almost never). I'd recommend you think about taking a course in engine mechanics so you don't have these issue.
for instance, when you change the rancor fuel filter you do not have to bleed the system if you do it correctly. done it several times and never had a problem. The trick is understanding how air enters the system and not doing those things.
I would also think that the pump head would cause a lot of restriction in a non pressurized line and could result in fuel starvation.

This spring I went for a sail and motored out of the harbor. While in the straights at the mouth of the harbor the motor died. There were some real nasty rocks on the lee shore. I only had a little time to react. I discovered that while climbing through the engine room, I inadvertently hit a petcock valve and shut off my fuel supply. I had to bleed the system to get the engine to run. I was unable to do so quickly. I wound up having to let out the genny to sail off the lee shore and dropped the anchor. It took me a half hour to get the engine to start. If I had the bleed pump installed, it would have been trivial to flip the switch and bleed the system through the injector return lines--no nuts to crack and no fuel in the bilge. The old perkins 4-154 always was trivial to bleed when I did have the autoparts pump installed in past years.

I mentioned in the OP that I use to have an auto-parts pump installed for the purpose of bleeding. The reason it got removed is because my mechanical lift pump crapped out one day on a vacation cruise in a remote location. I thought my vacation came to an end and I even called boat-US for a tow back to my home port. It dawned on my that I could use the bleed pump after by-passing the mechanical lift pump. It took me less than 30 minutes to do so. I was able to finish my vacation cruise with no further issues. When I got back to home-port, I re-plumbed the pump to be between the primary and secondary filters and continued using it for another couple of years. I finally replaced the auto-parts pump with a walbro regulated pump because the relative high-pressure of the un-regulated, auto-parts pump caused too many little fuel leaks. I through the original auto-parts pump away at that time.

IMHO, an electric bleed pump is too good of an idea not have--especially in boats with largish engines. I absolutely do not want to rely on having to pump that little lever on a mechanical litf pump every time I bleed the system. Only single-handed sailors can appreciate that statement. The time and expense it would take to instal a remote start switch would be more than installing a bleed pump.

Now that the engine room is devoid of an engine, I've been doing much remodelling of the engine room to make it more old-man-with-back-fusion friendly. I won't be hitting any more petcocks while climbing over the propolsion engine to service the genset and water batteries. Heck, the new Cummins and transmission will be almost 4 inches shorter than the Perkins and Hurth gear. It will be a breeze working on the machinery.

 

[WayneH]

My electric fuel pump is located between the primary and secondary filters. The electric pump was installed by the previous owner when the lift pump failed. I installed a racor filter between the water separator and the fuel pump. Turn on the key which turns on the pump. Wait five minutes and start the engine. Done.

If your Cummins has an electric fuel pump already, you shouldn't need another pump.

Just my opinion and worth everything you paid for it.

 

[sailaway78]

different set up

I have an electric pump on my S37. I have it mounted at the tank, and use it only for bleeding or any other things that may arise. I have a couple of T's and shut off ball valves mounted, so when the pump is off, it can be and is, totally by passed. Has been on the boat for going on 4 years, and wouldn't even consider any other kind of set up.