Fuel Polishing System

[Johnny Cruiser]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Many Moodys, including mine, have the fuel filler mounted high in the doghouse bulkhead, behind a door. I always thought that flush-mounted in-deck fuel fillers were madness. I'm not actually comfortable even with the fresh water filler mounted that way.

Agree wholeheartedly! Also felt same way! Never could understand the logic in it.

This is what currently exists on our new steel ketch.

Diesel Generator Fuel Cleaning, Polishing, Filtration, Fuel Contamination & Generator Maintenance

Prev owner also added 3 separate daytanks in front of the 2 gensets and the emergency generator. Main tanks all feed into the bulk tank shown in diagram. Main tanks have dual Racor Marine Turbine Fuel/Water separtor dual elements with vacuum gauges installed on each that auto changeover to the other element and send alarm to the wheeelhouse.
(He also installed same parallel filters manifold setup with auto changeover / alarm / vacuum/pressure gages on ALL water intakes which all worked during survey 3 weeks ago) Prev owner had lost his prev boat during storm and total engine/elec failure so could not depoy tender crane and had to go into the sea to get into the survival raft which clearly etched a lasting impression into him. Even left 5/6 years worth of replacement filters on board. Had thought sinkings like that were very rare but now with Yogi am not so sure.

John & Carol

[AllezCat]

Is there much point running the polishing thru the regular fuel pick up line?
Isn't most of the junk lower in the tank, and therefore out of the range. Perhaps rising up during rough weather.
I received a quote from one guy - in excess of $500 - he intended to stick his suction line thru the deck fill to get it into the very bottom of the tank...

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by AllezCat

Is there much point running the polishing thru the regular fuel pick up line?. . .

I would agree that most of the "junk" settles to the very bottom of the tank, and most engine supply outlets are a bit above the bottom of the tank to allow room for "junk" to accumulate below. But if you have an installed fuel polishing system then running it for awhile after you finish a passage might help keep the level of the "junk" below the pick-up.

Most all of the fuel tanks I have dealt with have inspection plates or some sort of removable cover on the top of the tank. For serious fuel polishing removing that plate and working a long probe around the accessible areas of the bottom of the tank is about as good as can be done.

Considering that my diesel fuel fill hose snakes 15 feet before getting to a 90° elbow fitting at the top of the tank - anything flexible enough to allow it to follow the hose would probably not be rigid enough to get to the bottom of the tank from that elbow which is at the top of the tank.