Message 7 of 7
Posted by member Clive ffitch on Thursday 28 January 2021

Thanks Richard, I'm definitely preferring changing to the setup as yours, with primer bulb between engine and filter. As for filter, thanks Peter, I am now leaning towards keeping the quicksilver standard filter with no glass/plastic bowl below, which seems more in line with the BSS, should Adele ever need to conform to it, and somehow seems less prone to leak or damage?

I get my filter changed usually every season with the service. Does anyone have a feeling for how much if any water is ever collected by the (no glass bowl) filters?

Thanks!
Clive

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Message 5 of 7
Posted by member Peter Cox on Sunday 17 January 2021

Clive
The Boat Safety Scheme has a policy on glass filter bowls; Even if you don't have to comply with the BSS, you or a prospective buyer of your boat might be in the future. An extract from their website is:

"Fuel filters can be prone to the heat from a fire and impact damage. Failure of a fuel filter can lead to additional fuel being added to any fire. You must only use appropriate fire resistant and impact resistant fuel filters designed for marine use. Clear bowl, glass or plastic filters meeting these criteria are acceptable, as long as they are designed for use with the fuel-type. Alternatively, fuel filters marked with ISO 10088 are also acceptable. [2.16]"

Peter

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Message 3 of 7
Posted by member Keith Lathwell on Sunday 17 January 2021

Hi Clive,
if your original fuel system has proved to be reliable I would suggest leaving it as it is. I would then replicate the system for the second tank. This would give you two separate fuel systems. You of course will have the minor inconvenience of changing over supplies at the engine "quick connect"
Rgds Keith

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Message 1 of 7
Posted by member Clive ffitch on Saturday 9 January 2021

Hi everyone,

I have a conundrum. We have two 30L fuel tanks on Adele with a Mariner 75HP 4-stroke engine, and the fuel line setup has always been "fueltank-primerbulb-fuelfilter-engine" with the need to manually disconnect and reconnect fuel tanks when swapping tanks (see "Present Set-up" in the diagram). This sequence is as it was when we bought Adele, and is indeed as recommended by a good number of sources.

Having already decided to install a manual fuel tank switchover valve to avoid the annoying and somewhat less safe swapping of fuel connections when one tank gets low or empty, I have decided to also review the position of the fuel primer bulb. Having not really questioned it before, it does take a while to prime the engine if left a while between runs, and the primer bulb never really seems to get suitably hard as you would expect, despite swapping for a new one. I can only assume partly due to the presence of the large filter unit upstream, possible air in it, the overall length of the fuel line, and very possibly the orientation of the primer bulb being horizontal. I am therefore of a mind to move the primer bulb closer to the engine, and ideally vertical, such that the setup will then be "fueltank-fuelfilter-primerbulb-engine" (see "Proposed Set-up" in the diagram, complete with switchover valve installed). This sequence is also as recommended by a good number of other sources!

I am thinking that having the primer bulb closet to the engine is the more sensible, thus making the whole priming operation far more immediate and robust, and also because the primer bulb would pull fuel through the filter, rather than trying to push fuel through it.

What does everyone else think?

Thank you in advance for your much appreciated deliberations!
Clive

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