Fuel Polisher

[Sailorman97]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

Acording to Nigel Calder:
"90% of diesel engine problems result from contaminated fuel.”

For long distance cruising boats that often have to fill up from questionable sources, diesel bug problems are common in my experience. With the advent of common rail engines and the push to incorporate biofuel into diesel these issues are only going to become worse.



Wouldn’t it have been better to be running a polishing system with a pickup at the bottom of the tank to remove the water before it reached this level? On an Atlantic crossing some of this will be emulsified in the fuel and risks damaging the injectors.

However, this shows that that there are many steps needed to deliver clean (and water free ) fuel to the engine. This large amount of water suggests the seal on the diesel filler cap was leaking (although this not the only possibility). On many boat the diesel fill is located on deck, in one of the wettest parts of the boat. It relies on single ”O" ring to keep water out. This is a crazy design in my view.

Polishing is not the only step that helps provide clean fuel, or even the most important. It does not mean other steps such as picking the best quality fuel available, sampling and filtering it before it enters the tank, using a biocyde etc can be neglected.

I would say that 90% of diesel engine problems are abuse of some kind. Usually running them too lightly so they end up glazing the cylinders. Hang around any 300 boat marina for a decade and you will see a few engine replacements every other year.

I think that Calder is right on bigger ocean going boat that run into problems on route.


It would be very helpful to have a tank you can get a a fuel sample in before actually filling the boat. Perhaps a 5 gallon tank with a site gauge connected to the bottom and to the side top so that any water will settle to the bottom and go into the site glass. The question is where to put this tank. Even a 50 ft boat seems to be short on usable space in the right places.


I was recently down visiting my farmer relatives who have at least 6 large diesel tractors and a huge combine. They used to put in algaecide, boosters and products to add lubricity. They say they don't any more. Consider it a waste of money.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by Sailorman97

It would be very helpful to have a tank you can get a a fuel sample in before actually filling the boat. Perhaps a 5 gallon tank with a site gauge connected to the bottom and to the side top so that any water will settle to the bottom and go into the site glass. The question is where to put this tank. Even a 50 ft boat seems to be short on usable space in the right places.

We always take a sample in a clear glass jar before filling up the tank. We also use a filtering funnel, but if the fuel supply is bad it is better not put it into the tank in the first place, providing an alternative and better fuel source is available.

We have rejected a few fill ups following the sampling process, mostly due to water, but occasionally due to rust particles, so it does have some practical value. The only downside is you do have to pick a time when the fuel dock is not busy. Unfortunately, even just using the filter slows the filling process.

[Sailorman97]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

We always take a sample in a clear glass jar before filling up the tank. We also use a filtering funnel, but if the fuel supply is bad it is better not put it into the tank in the first place, providing an alternative and better fuel source is available.

We have rejected a few fill ups following the sampling process, mostly due to water, but occasionally due to rust particles, so it does have some practical value. The only downside is you do have to pick a time when the fuel dock is not busy. Unfortunately, even just using the filter slows the filling process.

I was thinking more of a pre-tank in the lazarette. One with valves to allow you to stop fuel from going into the big tanks and a drain valve to get the bad fuel out. Might be over thinking it.

All of the filters I have seen seem to retain a large quantity of fuel in them which you then have to get rid of. I am thinking of the Mr Funnel type. there is not way to tell if the stuff remaining is all fuel or fuel and water.

Certainly too much to just throw out. Needs to be disposed of properly.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by Sailorman97

All of the filters I have seen seem to retain a large quantity of fuel in them which you then have to get rid of. I am thinking of the Mr Funnel type. there is not way to tell if the stuff remaining is all fuel or fuel and water.

Certainly too much to just throw out. Needs to be disposed of properly.

If you put it in a glass jar you can tell if there is any water in the fuel. We usually keep the residue and burn it in our Reflex diesel heater.

[deblen]

This unit is being installed on some N.S. comm. fishing vessels lately.
I have no personal experience of & no connection to the unit.
FYI only.


https://www.facebook.com/groups/4720...82149536933514

[deblen]

Rocky Tank

[noelex 77]

I am always interested in solutions adopted by commercial boat operators.

However, the Rocky tank does not seem to be anything different, or better than a normal Racor filter. If anything, the water blocking mechanism incorporated into the filter of the Racor should work better.

The only limitation of the Racor is that its water capacity is quite limited. I suspect this is why the Rocky tank is used in the commercial world. For much less cost and complication than the Rocky tank, installing a larger Racor filter accomplishes the same goal, as well as providing a larger filter area, reducing the chance of rapid blockages if a diesel bug problem is encountered.

This is the approach we took, fitting Racor 900 filters instead of the more traditional Racor 500 series for our 75 hp engine. If you have the room, this is a worthwhile improvement.

[Mickeyrouse]

Totally absent from this thread is any mention of fuel conditioner. A couple years ago I got a lot of water in my fuel tank. ( don’t ask, too embarrassing). In the process of getting the water out I noticed a lot of jelly-like material in the filter. Numerous suggestions to have the tank cut open, steam-cleaned, fumigated, etc. etc., blah, blah. Instead, I discarded what fuel was in the tank and added a bottle of Ward’s diesel fuel conditioner to the 48 gal tank. The jello totally disappeared. I have since run about 500 gals. through the tank and the filters show no sign of it.

[Captain Graham]

When I bought my Watkins 29 I thinking about how to best clean out the fuel and tank.

I decided to do the following.
Install a new racor external filter in a location where it is very easy to change the filter.
With the fuel tank less then 1/2 full I motored sailed out on Lake Erie just after a weather front has passed.
The waves acted like a washing machine for the fuel in the tank.
But after 2-3 hour the lake was calm.
With the engine running it was acting like a fuel polishing system
I changed out the filter while underway and the filter was a little dirty but not bad.
So I feel my fuel system is OK.

FYI
Even if during this test the engine had died I was still sailing and was in no danger at any time.

[RaymondR]

On my previous biat, which had the fuel tank in the keel, I used a Finsbury pump with a piece of 1/2" copper water pipe and a nut and nylon olive to extend to the bottom of the tank and pump out a litre or two to check for water and gunk.