Best way to transfer fuel from Jerry Jugs to fuel tank?

[Chuck Hawley]

Ideally, and I know this adds complexity, you'd want to pre-filter the fuel before entering the tank, and ideally with a small quality filter that removes water. A small pump that forces fuel through the filter would solve a lot of fuel issues in the future. I used a little Water Puppy-style 12V pump on a large race boat that had a very small day tank, and it was relatively painless. Take a barbed nipped with you so you can create a closed loop out of the fuel lines when not in use to prevent spills.

Chuck

[adlib2]

Originally Posted by Journeyman

Looking for the best way to fill the main diesel fuel tank from Jerry Jugs at sea.
When we start a siphon it usually breaks towards the bottom of the jug leaving up to a gallon at the bottom. There is not enough room surrounding the fill port to pour the remainder into the tank.

Little hand pumps require constant pumping resulting in a long fuel transfer time way slower than the speed of a siphon.

Anyone know of a fast drill motor attachment pump that handles diesel?

Any other ideas?

Thanks!

What's wrong with just tipping it in using a funnel filter? Been doing it for years with no adverse effects.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Journeyman

Looking for the best way to fill the main diesel fuel tank from Jerry Jugs at sea.
When we start a siphon it usually breaks towards the bottom of the jug leaving up to a gallon at the bottom. There is not enough room surrounding the fill port to pour the remainder into the tank.

Little hand pumps require constant pumping resulting in a long fuel transfer time way slower than the speed of a siphon.

Anyone know of a fast drill motor attachment pump that handles diesel?

Any other ideas?

Thanks!

I feel sure you can rig a siphon with a pipe, copper tube, solid link, to the jerry can bottom, jury rigged through spare cap. Even if you a heeled you should get close to the bottom. The pickup is going to be the problem no matter what you do. A pump will only lose prime without the right pickup in the tank. A small electric fuel pump. from NAPA may make the transfer faster than a siphon. Rig a 12V plug close to your tank fill.

[zeehag]

ok realistically speaking here from a btdt point of view, ever tip a 6 gallon jug in a heavy chop (over 1 meter, short period) or a 15 ft sea, 12 sec??
i gathered not.
i have.

you will not be lifting any heavyassed jug at 10-15 degrees heel much less bouncing and slamming in your adventure.
neither will you feasably entertain the idea of filtering it.
sorry.
doubled tee shirt on hose is filter. just do it. limit your time on deck in the fun stuff.
this is reason the dogs invented racor water and dirt filtration systems and intrinsic fuel polishing systems.
so... raise yer cold one and think about us out HERE in 2 meter seas and jerry jugs, winds anywhere from flat none to 20 kts.
no. we do not lift nor filter pretank. not feasable.
gom in a severe front. fun stuff. try it sometime. i did in 37 seidelmann sloop. broke 3 toes.
was fun, but no prissy fueling style. oh yeah. usa diesel is just as dirty as is mexican diesel.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Minggat

This can be way more simple than you think.

Zero pumps involved. And no shaker valve.

The problem is in how you see starting the siphon process. But since you are transferring part with the siphon valve and then you loose the siphon, start with why you loose the siphon.

Do you have something rigid attached to the hose to keep the hose from curling up and off of the bottom?

Even if you do, the shaker valve is likely working against you.

So if you remove the shaker valve, you're worried about how to start the siphon without sucking on the line.

None of that. Don't even go there.

You need 2 hoses. One about as long as you can stand it. The other about 8 inches long.

The lone one has a piece of pvc pipe that it will fit inside of the hold it rigid. Make it long enough to go to the bottom of your jerry jug and have enough outside so it can't go all of the way in. This is your control handle.

Put the long hose with it's pipe in the jerry jug. Put the other end as deep into the fill neck as works for you.

Put the short hose into the Jerry jug. Do NOT put it in so deep that it is submerged in the fuel.

With only your hand you should now be able to make enough of a seal around both hoses to facilitate getting a siphon started by blowing into the short hose. This will create enough pressure in the can to drive the fuel up and out of the long hose.

Siphon started.

If you're trying to start a siphon from a can that is not full, it of course takes more lung volume. But not so much.

I have done this on the high seas. I have also seen this done with 55 gallon drums. So it should work with your your Jerry cans.

Hope that helps.

Yeah, that's way easier than a shaker valve.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Yeah, that's way easier than a shaker valve.

And don't you love the taste of fuel. Not great for your lungs either.

[tomsayres]

Ditto bikesherpa. Amazon.com: Sierra Tools Battery-Operated Liquid Transfer Pump, Model# JB5684: Home Improvement

Also my buddy uses one like it for his airplane. He gave me his old one- which is how I found out about them. And of course, you can use rechargeable batteries in them as well.

[Scott Berg]

We have a 180 gph polisher using an Oberdorfer Gearhead pump and a Racor 1000... it is valved to either pump fuel from a tank to a 1/2" hose going out (to share) or pump in via a 1/2" hose though the Racor; we can bunker from a 55gal drum or a bunch of jerry cans and don't have to take them out of the dinghy (just pass down the 'goesinta' hose. If a neighbor needs fuel we have them pull alongside and use the 'goesouta' hose. It's been a great system... Pump uses a 12v motor; looks like this: Gear pump model N993.

[oregoncycle]

I purchased a 12v fuel pump from Northern Supply, added a filter to create a fuel polisher. With this pump I can transfer filtered fuel from jerry cans stored on deck but more importantly if needed able to refuel while cans are still in the dingy.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by zeehag

ok realistically speaking here from a btdt point of view, ever tip a 6 gallon jug in a heavy chop (over 1 meter, short period) or a 15 ft sea, 12 sec??
i gathered not.
i have.

you will not be lifting any heavyassed jug at 10-15 degrees heel much less bouncing and slamming in your adventure.
neither will you feasably entertain the idea of filtering it.
sorry.
doubled tee shirt on hose is filter. just do it. limit your time on deck in the fun stuff.
this is reason the dogs invented racor water and dirt filtration systems and intrinsic fuel polishing systems.
so... raise yer cold one and think about us out HERE in 2 meter seas and jerry jugs, winds anywhere from flat none to 20 kts.
no. we do not lift nor filter pretank. not feasable.
gom in a severe front. fun stuff. try it sometime. i did in 37 seidelmann sloop. broke 3 toes.
was fun, but no prissy fueling style. oh yeah. usa diesel is just as dirty as is mexican diesel.

I'm getting the feeling you are right. My back, for one, is way to old to like the idea of hanging around holding several jugs in a row (is there ever just one--or is it more like 4-8?), trying to stay over a hole.

As for anything being "much" easier" than either the Mexican or shaker methods... that is impossible, since they are dead easy. And you can go through a filter if you want. Just set the jug on something. Done it.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Uhhh... simply use the can spout and pour it in? Faster, less exposure of the fill cap being open.

Depends on where your tank,filler cap and spare fuel storage are.

My tank and filler are under the seat at the rear of the cockpit.
I can secure half a dozen or more 20l cans to lines between the davit uprights just behind the seat
It's not easy to manouver a 20l container over the cap without some spillage. But it is dead easy to use a jiggler syphon straight into the filler cap without untying the jugs.

[onavegador]

On my boat, a 10m catamaran with 2 18HP engines. I use since years a cheap plastic transfer pump I bought in Vanuatu. I made the discharge hose about one foot longer so I can put the discharge hose really down into the deck filler. After squeezing the pump ball four or five times the pump is full and the Diesel Fuel go its way by syphon. No spilling at all and only about two minutes to empty a 5 Gallon. When the Jerry Jug is short to be empty I only tilt the Jug a little and so nearly all fuel is in the tank. I controlled that several times and found out that it always less than a cup.
Fair winds
James

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Chuck Hawley

Ideally, and I know this adds complexity, you'd want to pre-filter the fuel before entering the tank, and ideally with a small quality filter that removes water. A small pump that forces fuel through the filter would solve a lot of fuel issues in the future. I used a little Water Puppy-style 12V pump on a large race boat that had a very small day tank, and it was relatively painless. Take a barbed nipped with you so you can create a closed loop out of the fuel lines when not in use to prevent spills.

Chuck

I have a Baja Filter aboard too. It requires an extra hand, but I have run shaker siphon to Baja Filter for suspect fuel. Ive thought about having a bit of tubing welded onto the Baja filter to hold the shaker hose, then it could be done single handed.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Uhhh... simply use the can spout and pour it in? Faster, less exposure of the fill cap being open.

Nothing wrong with that either. A little trick Ive done for years, for Jerry Jugs with a flexible pour spout, is to attach the spout, close the jug vent, finger over spout end, tip the jug over and insert spout into fill, remove finger, very little fuel flows, then open vent a crack (a screw on vent is best for this), you can then regulate the flow using the vent. Have done this in up to 20' seas without spilling a drop. When jug is near empty just tip it up and pour in the rest (or not, if there is gunk in the bottom).

One thing to watch is to make sure the pour spout is securely seated, leaking can be an annoyance if not, but I have had them come comepletely detached when a little too much unfair pressure got applied, big mess.

Regarless of method, I always keep some fuel pads and a spray bottle of bleach solution handy to clean up any drips before they stain gel coat.

[belizesailor]

Another simple trick for starting a siphon, learned from beer brewing, but works for any liquid. Insert hose into jug, ease it way into the jug so that it fills with fuel and air escapes, put finger firmly over end of tube and remove slowly. Tube is now filled with fuel. Lower end to fill, remove finger...presto...instant siphon start. No addition stuff required.