Has anybody out there in never-never land used a do-it-yourself fuel polishing kit? I've been reading about them and wonder if they are worth the money. Part of me say's to give it a try. The other part say's you only get what you pay for so have it done professionally. I'd like to hear what others have to say about this stuff. I treat my fuel with a biocide but after hearing a horrer story from a friend I'm thinking that a good tank/fuel polishing would be a good thing since it hasn't been done in at least the four years I've owned this boat.
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Bob La Salle
Not exactly, but...
I was having problems last year and earlier this year with water in my fuel and clogged fuel filters. I have a 1985 Hunter 31 with a Yanmar 2GM20F engine. I bought a $25 hand pump at Boaters World. A friend helped me pump out about 5 gallons of fuel from the bottom of my fuel tank (18 gallon capacity). That's where the water and algae end up. I pulled out a lot of water and globs of algae. Since then, no problems. Filters are clean, no water in the separator. I treat the fuel with conditioner and biocide. Maybe this will work for you.
I was having problems last year and earlier this year with water in my fuel and clogged fuel filters. I have a 1985 Hunter 31 with a Yanmar 2GM20F engine. I bought a $25 hand pump at Boaters World. A friend helped me pump out about 5 gallons of fuel from the bottom of my fuel tank (18 gallon capacity). That's where the water and algae end up. I pulled out a lot of water and globs of algae. Since then, no problems. Filters are clean, no water in the separator. I treat the fuel with conditioner and biocide. Maybe this will work for you.
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Jack Tyler
Such a system can be cheap and effective...
Hello, Steven... Bob's approach beats what most owners do, or rather 'don't do'. But I found a number of boats using a system such as you describe in the Caribbean, where fuel arrives at the end of a questionable supply chain and is stored in sometimes questionable circumstances. I'm going to adapt the dual Recor filtering system I have, including an in-line simple/cheap electric fuel pump I previously installed to aid in bleeding my engine's fuel system, to do just what you describe. This will only require me to add a 'T' valve, directing the fuel exiting the on-service filter to return, via a second 'T', to the return line to the tank. I don't think this is a total 'fix' as it doesn't immediately guarantee you'll be pulling out that mixture of debris, water, etc. that Bob got to with his targeted approach. But not all the algae and dirt contained in fuel is at the tank's bottom, and the stuff that is there doesn't always remain there. Algae exists thru-out the tank, attached to the walls and baffles, and is placed in suspension as the tank empties and the boat finds itself in active sea conditions. Suspended water & dirt also exists in the fuel sometimes being taken onboard the boat (and certainly within the U.S., not just outside it). That's when the cleaning ('polishing') system you ask about comes into its own. Immediately after refueling or following a rough passage and with the tank level down a bit both seem to me to be ideal times to switch on the fuel pump, throw the valve, and circulate the fuel thru the filtering system. Even a small pump, drawing less than an amp, will push a gallon a minute. Cycling 50 or 100 or 150 gallons of recirculating fuel thru a 2 micron Racor filter can do a lot of cleaning for the cost of a few amp/hrs and a single Racor filter element. Folks who were using this in the Caribbean swore by it, and never suffered from the problems of fuel contamination. One cavaet: if the standpipe they installed in your fuel tank has a screened cover - a common practice until the 90's - none of this will prevent that pipe from eventually clogging up with debris. This happened to our tank, over time and, with no access to that standpipe without pulling the tank, I ultimately had to use the dink's foot pump to blow out the standpipe's blockage after much plumbing work over a hot but fuel starved engine. It wasn't a great way to spend a rough day in the Mono Passage off Puerto Rico; I think a polishing system will help me avoid this a second time. Jack jack_patricia@yahoo.com
Hello, Steven... Bob's approach beats what most owners do, or rather 'don't do'. But I found a number of boats using a system such as you describe in the Caribbean, where fuel arrives at the end of a questionable supply chain and is stored in sometimes questionable circumstances. I'm going to adapt the dual Recor filtering system I have, including an in-line simple/cheap electric fuel pump I previously installed to aid in bleeding my engine's fuel system, to do just what you describe. This will only require me to add a 'T' valve, directing the fuel exiting the on-service filter to return, via a second 'T', to the return line to the tank. I don't think this is a total 'fix' as it doesn't immediately guarantee you'll be pulling out that mixture of debris, water, etc. that Bob got to with his targeted approach. But not all the algae and dirt contained in fuel is at the tank's bottom, and the stuff that is there doesn't always remain there. Algae exists thru-out the tank, attached to the walls and baffles, and is placed in suspension as the tank empties and the boat finds itself in active sea conditions. Suspended water & dirt also exists in the fuel sometimes being taken onboard the boat (and certainly within the U.S., not just outside it). That's when the cleaning ('polishing') system you ask about comes into its own. Immediately after refueling or following a rough passage and with the tank level down a bit both seem to me to be ideal times to switch on the fuel pump, throw the valve, and circulate the fuel thru the filtering system. Even a small pump, drawing less than an amp, will push a gallon a minute. Cycling 50 or 100 or 150 gallons of recirculating fuel thru a 2 micron Racor filter can do a lot of cleaning for the cost of a few amp/hrs and a single Racor filter element. Folks who were using this in the Caribbean swore by it, and never suffered from the problems of fuel contamination. One cavaet: if the standpipe they installed in your fuel tank has a screened cover - a common practice until the 90's - none of this will prevent that pipe from eventually clogging up with debris. This happened to our tank, over time and, with no access to that standpipe without pulling the tank, I ultimately had to use the dink's foot pump to blow out the standpipe's blockage after much plumbing work over a hot but fuel starved engine. It wasn't a great way to spend a rough day in the Mono Passage off Puerto Rico; I think a polishing system will help me avoid this a second time. Jack jack_patricia@yahoo.com
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Miles
I had mine professionaly polished but...
I think when the time comes again I'll just rig up a system like the other posts describe. The guy showed up with a big pump, two large racors, and input/output hose. He ran one hose into the fill line and then ran the other around inside the tank (took out the gauge sending unit to get access) for about 20 minutes. There was a fair amount of junk that got caught in the filters and I'd say it was worth the $250 he charged. But this isn't rocket science though and for that price you could build a little pump system and do your own whenever you want either using a seperate filter or your existing racor. Might be a fun project too!
I think when the time comes again I'll just rig up a system like the other posts describe. The guy showed up with a big pump, two large racors, and input/output hose. He ran one hose into the fill line and then ran the other around inside the tank (took out the gauge sending unit to get access) for about 20 minutes. There was a fair amount of junk that got caught in the filters and I'd say it was worth the $250 he charged. But this isn't rocket science though and for that price you could build a little pump system and do your own whenever you want either using a seperate filter or your existing racor. Might be a fun project too!
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Jim A
If you get a couple of other owners
to chip in. It can cost alot less. One Raycor dealer told me it would cost $125 plus filters for the weekend. Get 3 or 4 boats to share the cost it is not too bad!
to chip in. It can cost alot less. One Raycor dealer told me it would cost $125 plus filters for the weekend. Get 3 or 4 boats to share the cost it is not too bad!
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Ron
Interesting Ideas
I never heard of "fuel polishing" before reading this thread. Some good ideas were presented, and I think two of them could be combined into a "portable" system that others might share the cost/use of. Might be a good yacht club project. The idea of a manual pump to suck out the bottom debris/algea could be adapted to the features of the built-in approach. That is, mount a self priming electric fuel pump in line with (down stream from) a filter set (perhaps a 10 micron, followed by a 2 micron) on an external board. Run a long, fused power cord with a cigarette lighter plug (most boats have a cig lighter fixture these days). Finally, set up an "input" hose through the filler pipe to the bottom of the tank and an "output" hose back to upper part of the filler pipe. No costly mods to the innards of your boat (every valve & fitting is yet another potential failure point). The same system could also used to drain a tank or to transfer (filtered) fuel to another boat. Just put the "output" hose into a clean jerry can. --Ron s/v Lady Jane Marblehead, MA
I never heard of "fuel polishing" before reading this thread. Some good ideas were presented, and I think two of them could be combined into a "portable" system that others might share the cost/use of. Might be a good yacht club project. The idea of a manual pump to suck out the bottom debris/algea could be adapted to the features of the built-in approach. That is, mount a self priming electric fuel pump in line with (down stream from) a filter set (perhaps a 10 micron, followed by a 2 micron) on an external board. Run a long, fused power cord with a cigarette lighter plug (most boats have a cig lighter fixture these days). Finally, set up an "input" hose through the filler pipe to the bottom of the tank and an "output" hose back to upper part of the filler pipe. No costly mods to the innards of your boat (every valve & fitting is yet another potential failure point). The same system could also used to drain a tank or to transfer (filtered) fuel to another boat. Just put the "output" hose into a clean jerry can. --Ron s/v Lady Jane Marblehead, MA
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steven f.
yet another project on my list
I like the idea of a portable system that could be used by the neighborhood and no major modifacations needed on the boat. I'll have to add that one to my ever growing list. Let's see, I have a running topping lift, re-float the strut, new bottom job, halyard wrap preventor, new head, new non-skid paint on deck, cabin vent fan, rebuild swim ladder to make wife happy. Man, I'm gonna be busy, maybe I'll just go sailing for a week and think about all this a bit longer.
I like the idea of a portable system that could be used by the neighborhood and no major modifacations needed on the boat. I'll have to add that one to my ever growing list. Let's see, I have a running topping lift, re-float the strut, new bottom job, halyard wrap preventor, new head, new non-skid paint on deck, cabin vent fan, rebuild swim ladder to make wife happy. Man, I'm gonna be busy, maybe I'll just go sailing for a week and think about all this a bit longer.
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