I have an O'Day 272 LE that does not have a fuel gauge. I carry a small tank to top off, but I would like to burn up the old diesel fuel and start fresh. Will I run into a problem if I run the tank dry. Will it be hard to start?
Judging Fuel Level Without A Gauge
- Thread starter gjaffess
- Start date
- Status
Assuming it's a diesel and you get air in the high pressure side, you will need to bleed the injectors. Given the fact the pick-up tube is always a bit off the bottom of the tank, it isn't worth trying to empty the tank as you can't do it completely anyway.
You can simply remove the primary filter and, with the fuel pump, pump the contents to a container which will avoid the bleeding task.
You can simply remove the primary filter and, with the fuel pump, pump the contents to a container which will avoid the bleeding task.
Is there a way to remove the fill hose and take a stick or wood ruler and stick the tank?.....I had the same problem when I bought my boat and had no idea how much fuel the engine would use but after the first trip and a full tank of fuel I figured out the consumption and never used the stick again, its still on board just in case
If you get the tank down to a 1/4 or less then adding fresh fuel to that should be a dilution that really wont matter
If you get the tank down to a 1/4 or less then adding fresh fuel to that should be a dilution that really wont matter
It depends on the type of engine. My 272 has a Westerbeke 10-2. It has a self bleed system. I also use a TEMPO fuel tank/pump. I fish the long tube down the Diesel Filler Cap making sure that it reaches the bottom of the tank. Then pump, pump, pump. Very easy. I then pour the diesel fuel from the 272 tank into my diesel car. I also have a Groco fuel filter, and two filters on the engine, All renewed every year. If your tank is like mine, you can't remove in from its location.
- Status