I have so much water in my diesel tank that my 3 cylinder 30 hp yamnar just does not want to start anymore . I have added products in the tank but then the filters are clogged and the engines stalls after 5 to 10 minutes . This week end I by-passed the water/ separator and the external electric pump and have connected the tank directly to the engine's pump . It runs fine !Just a bit of white smoke but not much . Motored in the harbor for 2 hours without any problem I plan to burn all the diesel left in tank ( about 10 hours ) and then refill I am afraid that this operation could damage the engine , at least the injectors Did anyone try this solution before and what kind of problem should I be concerned about ??? Thanks to all
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If you bypassed the water/sediment filter
and it worked ok, I have to ask if you have replaced the filter or filters? I cleaned the fuel tank on my ODay a few years ago by removing it and having it washed out and dried at an engine shop. You could siphon all the fuel out and add fresh which would be less drastic than what I did. If the fuel lines are old, you may want to replace them as well. Good luck tom
and it worked ok, I have to ask if you have replaced the filter or filters? I cleaned the fuel tank on my ODay a few years ago by removing it and having it washed out and dried at an engine shop. You could siphon all the fuel out and add fresh which would be less drastic than what I did. If the fuel lines are old, you may want to replace them as well. Good luck tom
Not a good idea...
You really need to drain the tank and put in clean diesel. It sounds like you bypassed your filters and are now running the watery diesel straight through your engine? You'll make a mechanic very happy with that! The filters are there for a reason, you should use them... It's not really hard to drain the tank and either polish the fuel or dispose of it. What you're doing now could damage the injectors at the very least... P.S. Trying to save $15 worth of diesel isn't worth it!
You really need to drain the tank and put in clean diesel. It sounds like you bypassed your filters and are now running the watery diesel straight through your engine? You'll make a mechanic very happy with that! The filters are there for a reason, you should use them... It's not really hard to drain the tank and either polish the fuel or dispose of it. What you're doing now could damage the injectors at the very least... P.S. Trying to save $15 worth of diesel isn't worth it!
Fuel Stuff
Lionel You also have to consider if the filter in the fuel pump is all clogged up. If you check the C30 and/or C34 websites, you'll find that there is a fine mesh filter in the base of the electric fuel pump. Catalina, in many boats, piped the fuel to the pump first and then the fuel filter. That's backwards. Could be that part of your problem in keeping the engine running, if you've already changed the racor filter, is that the fuel pump filter is all gummed up. Turn off the fuel from the tank, drain out the racor, take the bottom of the fuel pump off (use a wrench on the bolt head on the bottom of the pump), and clean out that filter. You can run the engine with the existing piping once that's clean (i.e., tnk, pump, filter), but you should revise the piping to go from the tank to the racor and then to the electric fuel pump. Redoing the piping isn't too hard. I ended up having to use an extra length of hose with a double male barb fitting. Just sketch out the before and after piping (hose) runs and you'll find you just have to switch the hoses from the racor to the pump. Don't keep running fuel around the the racor or you'll gum up your secondary filter on the engine. When you're all done, change out both filters. You'll never have to worry about the fuel pump filter again. I also assume that you've already removed the mesh at the end of the fuel supply line inside the tank. Stu
Lionel You also have to consider if the filter in the fuel pump is all clogged up. If you check the C30 and/or C34 websites, you'll find that there is a fine mesh filter in the base of the electric fuel pump. Catalina, in many boats, piped the fuel to the pump first and then the fuel filter. That's backwards. Could be that part of your problem in keeping the engine running, if you've already changed the racor filter, is that the fuel pump filter is all gummed up. Turn off the fuel from the tank, drain out the racor, take the bottom of the fuel pump off (use a wrench on the bolt head on the bottom of the pump), and clean out that filter. You can run the engine with the existing piping once that's clean (i.e., tnk, pump, filter), but you should revise the piping to go from the tank to the racor and then to the electric fuel pump. Redoing the piping isn't too hard. I ended up having to use an extra length of hose with a double male barb fitting. Just sketch out the before and after piping (hose) runs and you'll find you just have to switch the hoses from the racor to the pump. Don't keep running fuel around the the racor or you'll gum up your secondary filter on the engine. When you're all done, change out both filters. You'll never have to worry about the fuel pump filter again. I also assume that you've already removed the mesh at the end of the fuel supply line inside the tank. Stu
Water in fuel
Yes, water can damage your injectors. Check the archives for "You don't need a Racor" for my method of fuel tank cleaning. 30 minutes of preventive maintenance, once a year will cure 99.9% of water and crud problems.
Yes, water can damage your injectors. Check the archives for "You don't need a Racor" for my method of fuel tank cleaning. 30 minutes of preventive maintenance, once a year will cure 99.9% of water and crud problems.
hard on the injectors
Lionel: I would have to agree with everyone. Bypassing the primary filter is not a good idea. It would be much easier to get a hose and suck out the water in the bottom of the tank (this is the least you should do). The best thing is to pump out all the fuel, clean the tank and start fresh including all new filters.
Lionel: I would have to agree with everyone. Bypassing the primary filter is not a good idea. It would be much easier to get a hose and suck out the water in the bottom of the tank (this is the least you should do). The best thing is to pump out all the fuel, clean the tank and start fresh including all new filters.
Stu!
Stu: I would agree that it would make sense from a stand point of preventing the pump screen from plugging up to put the pump on the other side of the filter, but isn't this why they want an electric fuel pump to begin with. They want to fill the filter and the line with the electric pump!
Stu: I would agree that it would make sense from a stand point of preventing the pump screen from plugging up to put the pump on the other side of the filter, but isn't this why they want an electric fuel pump to begin with. They want to fill the filter and the line with the electric pump!
bite the bullet - pump out the tank
into a couple of 5 gallon gas cans and fill with fresh fuel. (you could use one of those little drill driven pumps to completely empty the tank) DO NOT RISK YOUR INJECTORS, INJECTOR PUMP OR ENGINE FOR $10 WORTH OF FUEL!!!
into a couple of 5 gallon gas cans and fill with fresh fuel. (you could use one of those little drill driven pumps to completely empty the tank) DO NOT RISK YOUR INJECTORS, INJECTOR PUMP OR ENGINE FOR $10 WORTH OF FUEL!!!
OK OK I AGREE
Thanks for all your emails I got the message ! Will use external electric pump to pump out the tank and refill before reconnecting separator and run the engine with New filters and new hoses . Thanks to all !
Thanks for all your emails I got the message ! Will use external electric pump to pump out the tank and refill before reconnecting separator and run the engine with New filters and new hoses . Thanks to all !
Try some bio-diesel
Lionel: Being that you are going to refurbish your fuel system, think about trying some bio-diesel. I think that I heard you folks have some fueling stations in the Boston area. The stuff you purchase is 80-20 Bio-diesel (that is 20% soy). It will help clean out any part of your system that you do not replace. I must tell you that if I could run bio-diesel in my boat all the time I would do it. Be sure that you run the proper type of fuel lines when you replace them. Here is a link to a site that has some info on the use of bio-diesel in the marine environment. www.cytoculture.com
Lionel: Being that you are going to refurbish your fuel system, think about trying some bio-diesel. I think that I heard you folks have some fueling stations in the Boston area. The stuff you purchase is 80-20 Bio-diesel (that is 20% soy). It will help clean out any part of your system that you do not replace. I must tell you that if I could run bio-diesel in my boat all the time I would do it. Be sure that you run the proper type of fuel lines when you replace them. Here is a link to a site that has some info on the use of bio-diesel in the marine environment. www.cytoculture.com
Steve
You wrote: "but isn't this why they want an electric fuel pump to begin with. They want to fill the filter and the line with the electric pump!" Not true. Even Racor's literature says the filter goes first, then the pump. The filter can get filled either from siphon action from the tank or by the fuel pump sucking the fuel through. It works just as well. Most boats will work with their fuel tanks up to half full on the siphon alone (assuming the tank is a bit higher than the engine). Stu
You wrote: "but isn't this why they want an electric fuel pump to begin with. They want to fill the filter and the line with the electric pump!" Not true. Even Racor's literature says the filter goes first, then the pump. The filter can get filled either from siphon action from the tank or by the fuel pump sucking the fuel through. It works just as well. Most boats will work with their fuel tanks up to half full on the siphon alone (assuming the tank is a bit higher than the engine). Stu
Thanks Stu!
This is good info. I was considering a polishing system for my system. I'll keep this info on file.
This is good info. I was considering a polishing system for my system. I'll keep this info on file.
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