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13-10-2011, 04:34
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Newport News VA
Boat: Egg Harbor sedan cruiser 1970
Posts: 958
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How Far Off the Tank Bottom Is a Fuel Pickup Tube ?
just curious
also do any tanks use a floating pickup?
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13-10-2011, 06:13
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#2
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Now on the Dark Side: Stink Potter.
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Palm Coast, Florida
Boat: Sea Hunt 234 Ultra
Posts: 3,927
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Re: how far off the tank bottom is a fuel pickup tube?
My pick-up tube is a few inches above the bottom of the tank and gives me 10 gallons of un-usable fuel so as to avoid picking up sludge and dirt settling in the bottom.
Works great, last a long time.
__________________
Life is sexually transmitted
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13-10-2011, 06:21
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#3
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Registered User

Join Date: May 2008
Location: We're technically refugees from our home in Yemen now living in Lebenon
Boat: 1978 CT48
Posts: 5,963
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Re: how far off the tank bottom is a fuel pickup tube?
Mines about an inch.
As far as a floating pick-up goes, I've not heard of this...seems like the possibility of picking up air may be greater, also since the return fuel is quite warm and I suppose stays nearer the top, the fuel going to the engine may be warmer, I'm not sure how much effect it would have on the engines performance.
Also there is the flexible bit to be concerned with.
__________________
James
S/V Arctic Lady
I love my boat, I can't afford not to!
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13-10-2011, 07:02
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: East Tennessee
Boat: 1989 50 ft Roberts
Posts: 859
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Re: how far off the tank bottom is a fuel pickup tube?
I'm building the fuel polisher to draw out of the very bottom of the tanks, the engine pick up about an inch above that.
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13-10-2011, 07:24
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Southampton UK
Boat: Jaguar 22 mono called Arfur.
Posts: 1,220
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Re: How Far Off the Tank Bottom Is a Fuel Pickup Tube ?
I'm all for a separate recirc system with it's own filter and de-watering set. Hand or electric pump for use at the start of the new season. There are lots of stories here about duff fuel, contamination from long storage and so on. Much nicer to know things are all well with your fuel.
For most sail boats the motor is the back up for the wind failing, it's not good for the back up to fail too.
Nothing wrong with having two pickups, use the upper one normally, the lower one as a reserve tank, knowing it may not be clean fuel.
__________________
Ex Prout 31 Sailor, Now it's a 22ft Jaguar called 'Arfur' here in sunny Southampton, UK.
A few places left in Quayside Marina and Kemps Marina.
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13-10-2011, 14:08
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#6
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Eternal Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: North of Baltimore
Boat: Ericson 27 & 18' Herrmann Catboat
Posts: 3,798
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Re: How Far Off the Tank Bottom Is a Fuel Pickup Tube ?
On Tugs and Large Yachts I have had High and Low Pickups.
Would not be too difficult to engineer one for a small boat.
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13-10-2011, 14:17
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: between the devil and the deep blue sea
Boat: a sailing boat
Posts: 20,412
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Re: How Far Off the Tank Bottom Is a Fuel Pickup Tube ?
About 1/2' in our 10 gallon tank. The pick-up line has a mesh filter over it.
It has a reverse mushroom design.
b.
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13-10-2011, 18:31
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#8
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: St Petersburg, FL
Boat: 18' Banno USA Old World
Posts: 78
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Re: How Far Off the Tank Bottom Is a Fuel Pickup Tube ?
Pick ups vary, some metal some plastic, some with screens some without, some have square ends some have scarfed cut ends, some go to a fraction of an inch some inches away from the bottom.
__________________
Absolute,
"Suckin Sludge & Havin a Gas"
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13-10-2011, 19:51
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,104
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Re: How Far Off the Tank Bottom Is a Fuel Pickup Tube ?
Got two pictures of the fuel pickup tube inside the former diesel tank on board my boat in this blog post:
THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: IN THE TANK: Part One, Scene of the grime!
Looks to be about a half inch off the bottom. Tip is cut at an angle too.
__________________
Capt. Mike
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13-10-2011, 20:01
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Brisbane Australia [until the boats launched]
Boat: 50ft powercat, light,long and low powered
Posts: 4,409
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Re: How Far Off the Tank Bottom Is a Fuel Pickup Tube ?
I've done mine 1/4 inch off bottom of the main storage tanks, but that gets pumped up and run through a scrubber on its way to the day tanks before gravity feeding back to the engines.
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14-10-2011, 01:52
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,315
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Re: How Far Off the Tank Bottom Is a Fuel Pickup Tube ?
Now should the pick up come from the top or the bottom of the tank?
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14-10-2011, 03:33
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#12
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Registered User

Join Date: May 2008
Location: We're technically refugees from our home in Yemen now living in Lebenon
Boat: 1978 CT48
Posts: 5,963
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Re: How Far Off the Tank Bottom Is a Fuel Pickup Tube ?
Absolutely from the top.
I dont think I've ever seen any original fuel tank on any quality boat with any fittings from the bottom....none.
__________________
James
S/V Arctic Lady
I love my boat, I can't afford not to!
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14-10-2011, 04:04
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#13
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Moderator

Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Solent, England
Boat: Moody 31
Posts: 17,304
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Re: How Far Off the Tank Bottom Is a Fuel Pickup Tube ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by James S
Absolutely from the top.
I dont think I've ever seen any original fuel tank on any quality boat with any fittings from the bottom....none.
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Agreed, although I have a sight gauge which runs externally from the bottom of the tank to the top. I have seen a boat which had a diesel tank leak over a winter, what a mess, to be avoided at all costs.
Pete
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14-10-2011, 04:15
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Avalon, NJ
Boat: Albin 40 double cabin Trawler
Posts: 1,886
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Re: How Far Off the Tank Bottom Is a Fuel Pickup Tube ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by James S
Absolutely from the top.
I dont think I've ever seen any original fuel tank on any quality boat with any fittings from the bottom....none.
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Don't know what you consider a quality boat but there are many out there ..both commercial and pleasure.
My Albin trawler and the Azimut motoryachts I used to captain have bottom feeds or sight guage fittings. MANY of thr commercial boats I have run also have bottom feeds.
ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with that setup. The bottom feed isn't EXACTLY on the bottom of mine and the tanks are 25 years old and no problems...the tank is going to rust out before the bottom feeds are an issue.
WHY is a bottom feed on a DEISEL tank and issue??? There's a lot of fittings between the tank and the engine injector pump. Not legal for gas...but diesel it seems to be just fine with an built in sight guage that is the only ACCURATE fuel gauge that I know of other than a stick.
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14-10-2011, 06:29
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#15
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Registered User

Join Date: May 2008
Location: We're technically refugees from our home in Yemen now living in Lebenon
Boat: 1978 CT48
Posts: 5,963
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Re: How Far Off the Tank Bottom Is a Fuel Pickup Tube ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by psneeld
Don't know what you consider a quality boat but there are many out there ..both commercial and pleasure.
My Albin trawler and the Azimut motoryachts I used to captain have bottom feeds or sight guage fittings. MANY of thr commercial boats I have run also have bottom feeds.
ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with that setup. The bottom feed isn't EXACTLY on the bottom of mine and the tanks are 25 years old and no problems...the tank is going to rust out before the bottom feeds are an issue.
WHY is a bottom feed on a DEISEL tank and issue??? There's a lot of fittings between the tank and the engine injector pump. Not legal for gas...but diesel it seems to be just fine with an built in sight guage that is the only ACCURATE fuel gauge that I know of other than a stick.
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I'm not saying they don't exist...just that I've not seen em.
__________________
James
S/V Arctic Lady
I love my boat, I can't afford not to!
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