Updating my Fuel and polishing system

[samoorelex]

I'm upgrading the fuel system on my sailboat.
The aux is powered by a Westerbeke 55A.
It's a '97 and I have had some fuel restriction issues.
I have a couple of racors, a 12V fuel pump and the switches. I need to get a couple of manifolds and new 1/4" tubing.
My questions are these:
The pump has 1/2" fittings - the rest of the fuel system is 1/4" - the pump is rated to pull 3.5 gal/minute. Will I harm the system if I replumb with 1/4"?
Do I have the vacuum gauge in the correct place?
I'd appreciate any other comments.
See attached JPEG for the schematic.
Thanks!

[shimari]

Just a thought - perhaps use your primary filter as the polisher as well? You don't need an extra filter then.

If you stick with the current plan, I believe the polisher pump needs to be on the return side of the polisher filter. The vacuum gauge is on the correct side. A number of people will put them on the top of their Racor filter.There are retrofit kits for doing so.

[noelex 77]

A few comments.
Ideally:

1. The fuel polish pickup should be at the very bottom of the tank, unlike the engine pick up.
2. The fuel polish pump should be on the discharge side.
3. The fuel polish pump should have a vacuum gauge. It will start to clog long before the primary engine filter. The gauge provides an early warning of fuel problems. Early detection of fuel problems is one of the advantages of a polish system.
4. If you do not have a dual primary filter system, a simple hose with a shut off valve from the polish system to the engine is worth fitting. This will allow the engine to run from the polishing filter it will also serve to fill and quickly prime the primary engine filter with clean fuel when changing filters.
5. There is no 20 micron filter for Racor 500. You can use a 30, 10, or 2 micron (I prefer the 10). For the polish filter you have the same choice. I use a 2 micron.

The fuel polish system will still work and be a significant help in ensuring clean fuel, as you have drawn the system, but the above modifications will help if they can be implemented.

[Lepke]

If you're using a Racor or similar as a primary, that filter should be able to run the engine and a polishing stream. In that case the polishing pump goes after the Racor.

In my primary Racor I use a 2 micron without issues, but my tanks and fuel are clean and remain clean. I use a fuel conditioner. I haven't had a fuel problem in 60 years.

[Baby tug]

Originally Posted by samoorelex

I'm upgrading the fuel system on my sailboat.
The aux is powered by a Westerbeke 55A.
It's a '97 and I have had some fuel restriction issues.
I have a couple of racors, a 12V fuel pump and the switches. I need to get a couple of manifolds and new 1/4" tubing.
My questions are these:
The pump has 1/2" fittings - the rest of the fuel system is 1/4" - the pump is rated to pull 3.5 gal/minute. Will I harm the system if I replumb with 1/4"?
Do I have the vacuum gauge in the correct place?
I'd appreciate any other comments.
See attached JPEG for the schematic.
Thanks!

This is a pet peeve of mine you do not need a fuel polishing system you accomplish Nothing with that adding more places to get a air leak or maybe you would call it a Vacuum leak , you need one filter a 2 Micron filter that is also a water separator , a standard spin on 2 Micron fuel water separator filter i used fleet guard filters on my semi trucks for 12 years bought fuel in a lot of out-of-the-way places questionable quality , average day I would burn 125 gallons , I can give you more details if you would like save yourself all the headaches one solid line from the fuel tank to the fuel filter nothing else no electric fuel pump no Manifold etc. etc. I know you all won’t agree with me but I assure you you can take that to the bank

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by Baby tug

I know you all won’t agree with me but I assure you you can take that to the bank

Fuel polish systems are certainly a help in maintaining clean fuel.

Your success so far in avoiding fuel problems without a polish system does not alter that view. Your high fuel turnover is helpful, and this is not typical or practical for most sailing boats. It also seems your conclusion is based on experience with semi trucks. Road vehicles generally suffer much less fuel issues for a variety of reasons.

Your only objection seems to be that a polish system risks an air leak into the primary fuel system. While this is a possibility in the proposed set up, the better polishing systems have a seperate pick up at the bottom of the tank and the polishing system is completely independent of the engines fuel system. There is no chance of an air leak in the polishing system effecting the main engine in most polishing set ups.

[Snore]

Add a tee and 2 valves to the line leaving the polishing filter. The new hose should meet a tee and 2 valves for the engine supply.

This would allow the polishing filter to feed the engine if the regular filter is fouled

[Rumrace]

Can’t wait to get rid of diesel , cast iron, and poor quality fuel. We don’t use fuel like truckers. We use it so slow flowers grow in it. We store it for months in freezing cold. You shouldn’t have to clean fuel. You shouldn’t have to add additives they should already be in the product.
Someone tell Yanmar to start shipping the new 3 cylinder hydrogen.

[Strait Shooter]

I agree with whoever said the pump has to be on other side of your filter. You'll want to draw fuel through the filter, not push it through.

The one part of the equation that I had the most trouble with on my system, was getting the right pump size for the right filter assembly. I also don't see a fuel tank size on your drawing and that along with the pump and filter assembly will determine how long it would take to do one complete cycle of polishing. The Racor 500's are not capable of all that much flow and you'll end up with long polishing times.

You could look at Racor 1,000's for the polishing side because they have the capabilities of handling a larger flow, which will get the polishing done faster, and also provide a good amount of flow inside the tank which helps keep the inside of the tank gunk free. I like to run my tanks through the polishing system at least three times. If I'm motoring, I'm polishing fuel as well. Chinese knock offs of the Racor 1,000's are probably fine (and way affordable) for the filter assembly, but I'd stick with OEM filters.

[Bowdrie]

We can come-up with several ways of plumbing a system that allows for both polishing/transfer/engine supply.
While some can work with better results than others, sometimes the amount of real estate available for mounting components and/or the routing of lines/hoses determine what we can do, (taking into consideration accessibility of service).
From your diagram I see that you are able to use a 2-micron as a secondary mounted on the engine.
That's a good filter, many of the stock engine mounted units don't go down that fine.
It's amazing how many OEM engine mounted secondary filters are in the 10>20 range where they don't do much when fed with a 2-micron primary.
In my own set-up the primary is a 2-micron Racor 500 that feeds a, (purportedly,) 1-micron secondary which is off-engine mounted.
The electric pump, (by using various valves,) can be used to prime the system or used to circulate fuel thru both primary and secondary for polishing, as well as transfer between tanks, (can also be used to operate the engine in case of lift-pump failure).
With everything operating properly the electric pump is bypassed/turned off.
If possible, (as a previous poster said,) being able to suck directly from the bottom for polishing purposes is a good idea.
Alternately, having a drain valve with a short length of hose that you can stick in a bucket and drain-off some fuel from time-to-time can also ensure that the tank remains pretty clean.
Obviously, tank mounting/accessibility/available fittings and connections largely determine what you can do.

[Lepke]

Originally Posted by Baby tug

I know you all won’t agree with me

Marine engines often sit months w/o a fuel change. Burning 125 gallons a day means your refiner added fuel additives are always fresh. Additives that kill organics, stabilize, increase combustion efficiency and other benefits dissipate over time.
I don't polish because I have Detroits and return about 70 gallons an hour to the day tank. If you don't have a marine engine that has a high rate of fuel returned, polishing helps keep the tank and fuel system clean.
I've gone 60 years with marine engines w/o a fuel problem. But 60 years ago the fuel was much better.

[Rumrace]

I recall Gas and Black Cat Cigarettes both being 37 cents. I recall taking off the head in my Triumph to install hardened seats cause they took the lead lubricant out damn them.
Then my 1992 535 BMW was safe but had I bought the 1993 540 v8 which just arrived the crap gas in North America would have washed off the nicklesilver barrel coating and written off the car at 120,000 kilometres. The 535 retired at 726,900klm
Gas got better for awhile then awful.
I gather diesel met the same “ let’s sell blocks on stock market and add corn”

I’ve had two diesels a Sea Ray with twin 395 and our new Jeanneau with 40 Yanmar.
Never heard of polishing fuel until I found this poor boat neglected for 2 years locked in probate. Fuel additives sure. I have an old cast iron Harley 883 motor need Sunoco or octane boost or it runs hot.
I had complex blowers and fuel injection system on twin hawks. Made sure fuel preservative got everywhere in the winter. My Dinghy motors were kept in a heated space.
Dude polished the fuel and cleaned the tank. He had fish tank filters in appearance one with ceramic tubes two Lubricant for Diesel engines have a much larger cleaning package in their lubricants than gas. I don’t understand why the fuel is so dirty and degraded so easy. Gas looses octane like a battery looses juice but it’s no disaster.

Electric drives and hydrogen development seem timely. Oil is going to leave a stain.