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Rick · 23-09-2009, 17:49

Please understand that there is no LAW which prevents us privately operated small vessel owners from installing an electric fuel pump wherever we desire.

ABYC does not make RULES they make recommendations which are not legally binding on anyone. Similarly Canadian standards of construction are not legally binding on us small vessel owners. To be sure an insurance company may require compliance with such recommendations or standards yet some exceptions may apply even then.

If a Racor (or any other brand that I have seen) will not take 10psi of positive pressure without leaking there is something wrong with it! The electric pumps that we use only put out 3-4 (maybe 6 at the highest) psi!

If an electric fuel pump fails due to dirt contamination it will STILL allow "pull-through" by the normally used engine fuel pump and will not cause failure of normally operation.
For decades many autos have almost integral electric fuel pumps built close to the fuel tanks many "hose-feet" away from the engine. They obviously do not adhere to the heretofore quoted standards for a reason. The safety issue is that those of us who use electric fuel pumps on our boats for purging or as a "get-home" option are using them manually and intermittently not as a design for continuous operation. Lets get real on this issue.

A good installation will be safe....make it so!

LtBrett · 23-09-2009, 18:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick

Please understand that there is no LAW which prevents us privately operated small vessel owners from installing an electric fuel pump wherever we desire.

Um...

US Code of Federal Regulations
§ 183.566 Fuel pumps: Placement.

top
Each fuel pump must be on the engine it serves or within 12 inches of the engine, unless it is a fuel pump used to transfer fuel between tanks.

http://www.uscgboating.org/regulatio...gulations.aspx

Brett

cal40john · 23-09-2009, 21:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by LtBrett

Um...

US Code of Federal Regulations
§ 183.566 Fuel pumps: Placement.

top
Each fuel pump must be on the engine it serves or within 12 inches of the engine, unless it is a fuel pump used to transfer fuel between tanks.

Deprecated Browser Error

Brett

183.5XX applies to gas engines.

John

§ 183.501 Applicability.

(a) This subpart applies to all boats that have gasoline engines, except outboard engines, for electrical generation, mechanical power, or propulsion.

Chief Engineer · 23-09-2009, 21:40

Racors are not to be pressurized....If they were, what would be the need of the vacuum gauge on some of them?
http://www.parker.com/literature/Rac...H_Turbines.pdf

cal40john · 23-09-2009, 21:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chief Engineer

Racors are not to be pressurized....If they were, what would be the need of the vacuum gauge on some of them?

The Racor catalog shows maximum pressures to be used with their filter systems. The turbine systems have a note that vacuum installations are recommended though. The spin on series just has a row that indicates which are compatible with pressure installations, which were all of the ones that I looked at.

http://www.parker.com/literature/Rac...st%202006).pdf

Even the link you gave shows pressure installations. Again the vacuum installs they show as being ideal for the turbine systems.

John

Chief Engineer · 24-09-2009, 05:42

always consult mfrs literature....saves a lot of headaches.....

I have built a couple of priming systems with an electric pump

Baasically it was an electric pump that was "te'ed" into the fuel supply line that could fill the filters. When not being used, the inlet and outlet valves were closed and the engine(s) ran of the normal lift pumps.

Captain Bill · 24-09-2009, 06:15

I agree with Mobetah, our Endeavourcat came with manual bulb pumps between the tanks and the racors. It is quite easy to control the fuel level in the racors after changing the element using a little hand pressure on the bulb. I can put the fuel level right on the spot so there's essentially no air in the system when I put the top on. I can't imagine trying to "bump" the switch on an electric pump to get the fuel at the right level. I'd probably end up with diesel all over the place. Sunlight is what kills these bulbs on outboards. Safely tucked down in my dark engine rooms these things look brand new after 7 years.

Rick · 24-09-2009, 14:08

US Code of Federal Regulations
§ 183.566 Fuel pumps: Placement does not apply to installed bleeding electric pumps because they do not "serve" the engine in operation.

The second point is that an electric pump will not rapidly flood over a fuel filter when bleeding it. Regardless, the best manner in which to install a diesel pump bleeding system is to provide a valve and "T" (into the fuel return line) after the last fuel filter to bleed the air out of all filters (which are closed to the air so that they cannot leak) whenever the bleed pump is activated.

I'm reporting that once one properly installs an electric fuel bleeding pump one will never resort to a bulb system again! It is just so convenient!

LtBrett · 24-09-2009, 19:58

I agree. If you go back to my original post, you'll see I noted a manually started pump used for bleeding would be fine.

Brett

**s/v Jedi** · 24-09-2009, 22:26

My ultimate fuel system is described (incl. diagram) here: s/v Jedi: A new fuel system for Jedi (English)

The trick is to install an additional filter for the electric pump (with an additional puck-up from the tank) and use that to pressurize the feed-manifold. You need to be able to take the pump out of the circuit.

The Racor 500's may be pressurized up to 15 psi but Racor does not recommend that for general service. A Walbro pump gives 7 psi max.

cheers,
Nick.

Nice N Easy · 29-09-2009, 14:40

I have an electric pump mounted at the fuel tank, with a toggle switch on the power supply. Simply turn it on when needed. Having it at the tank makes it easy to not only bleed the entire system, but I also use mine to circulate the fuel through a filter, as a sort of polishing system. Anyone who doesn't believe in electric fuel pumps, has never had to bleed a 3GM Yanmar thats really squeezed into an engine bay.