advise on make/model fuel transfer pump

[rosamaldon]

We have just re-installed the main fuel tank after alterations , cleaning and pressure testing. The next job is to fit a day tank which requires a transfer pump to lift the diesel from the main tank in the bilges to the day tank . We've looked at manual and electric but could do with some help deciding which is most reliable , pro's con's etc. The plan is to put a filter between the main and the day tank to supplement the normal engine filters , should this be between the main tank and the transfer pump or between the transfer pump and the day tank ? Does it make any difference ? ie: should we suck through the pump or blow ??
Thanks.

 

[pvb]

Jabsco...

Jabsco have a good range and a good reputation. Something like their Junior Gear Puppy pump should be OK for just filling a day tank, and it comes complete with an inlet strainer. I wouldn't bother fitting an additional filter - your normal primary filter should be sufficient.

What's your rationale for a day tank anyway? If your main tank is clean, and you're careful about fuel management, there should be no need for a day tank. And it's an extra system to go wrong!

 

[Anonymous]

Presumably you are arranging the system so that all your fuel comes via the day tank so it must be reliable. I would go for a diaphragm pump rather than an impeller-driven one, as they tend to be more reliable. I would also put a manual diaphragm pump in just in case. I would put an automatic level switch on the tank to keep it topped up; maybe a pneumatic bilge pump actuator (Jabsco do them). You'd want an overflow back into the tank just in case the pump jams on.

I would put the pump on the outlet of the filter because a minor air leak won't cause any problem (any foam will settle in the day tank) whereas a leaky filter will make a mess in the bilge.

Finally, I would put a low-fuel alarm on the day tank to give good warning of low fuel - you don't want to have to bleed the engine and don't forget that water can condense in the day tank so you ought to have a water separator downstream of that.

Alternatively, you could just use a stirrup pump like they used to years ago /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[tugboat]

I have a Whale Gusher Titan to transfer diesel from keel tanks to service tank. Filter is on the discharge side of the pump and the system works well though the awkward position of the pump makes it fairly hard work. If you decide on a manual pump make sure you specify NITRILE diaphragm and valves. The ordinary neoprene jobbies are only meant for water.

 

[castlevar]

Hi
I have fitted a fuel transfer pump to my boat I have 4 tanks 1000 ltrs each and a 200 ltr day tank .
The first pump i fitted was johnston impeller type worked quite well for 3 years but suffered when i was transfering large quanties of fuel .
I have now fitted a brass gear pump from exalto very good .
I have fitted a seperator filter on suction side of pump and a duplex filters on discharge of tank.
I have two alarms one a high level the other to indicate low level.
I have also fitted to the pump discharge an oil meter usefull to check fuel usage .
I have sized the pump to match the filters exalto phone number00441332340501

 

[rosamaldon]

Re: Jabsco...

Understand where you're coming from but the main tank is down in the bilge and the engine is up on the bridge deck (catfisher) so we have a lift of around 5 feet . During the delivery trip from Southampton to Tollesbury we had to seek the services of the RNLI to get home when the crap of centuries blocked the filter , and the spare and the next one. We would just feel safer with a tank we can see , with a level that is immediately visible , that we can drain and clean without dismantling the floors and deck in the port hull. Even though we've had three inspection/cleaning hatches added to the main tank we would still feel happier with a day tank as well. Thanks.

 

[pvb]

Been there...

I've experienced the joys of blocked fuel filters (although without the fun of an RNLI tow!). But now my tank's clean, I certainly wouldn't dream of adding a day tank, with all the attendant complications - not to mention the expense. What I do have is a dual primary filter arrangement, with valves so that either or both can be in circuit. And I have added a vacuum gauge so that I can see the steady build-up of suction which results from a filter starting to get blocked. One positive benefit of the vacuum gauge is that I don't now change the primary filter until it starts to increase the vacuum. Whereas I used to change the filter every 50 hours (and even more frequently until I sorted out the fuel contamination), the current filter has been in use for 200 hours and is still fine.

You might "feel safer" with a day tank, but if your main tank is now clean, you're really not going to gain anything, and indeed will expose yourself to the risk of something else going wrong in a more complex system. And the "belt & braces" approach never ends - should you have a second engine, for example?

 

[catmandoo]

Hi I have got a cat fisher too . how did you remove the fuel tank .Did it involve major carpentry ? I presume it is like mine - mild steel with 2 SS bafles and return connections and filling connection at stern . Do you have a drain in your sump ? I assume you fitted extra manholes to access spases in middle and stern section

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Been there...

I agree; a really effective filter with centrifugal separator, e.g. Separ 2000, with a vacuum gague across it has to be the way to go. If any tank is so suspect that it is not trusted even with such a filter then you shouldn't be putting fuel into it.

But in defence of day tanks, if you have a fair sized quantity of guaranteed fuel that is fed by gravity - i.e. without any further need of low pressure pumping - then you remove the possibility of engine failure due to ingress of air or low pressure fuel pump failure. The high pressure pump can still fail, though.

 

[catmandoo]

.

I too had a prolem with dirty fuel on my Catfisher . I have just cleaned out my tank manually (draw off third ) and have come to the conclusion that the problem of engine faltering due to dirty fuel can be eradicated by good housekeeping .
1 periodically check your fuel tank sump by drawing off via the dip stick connection . You will only need to pull off a litr to see if you have a problem starting .
2 Add Soltron or Fuel set as a preventative and a precaution .

3 When filling pass fuel through filter funnel with gauze to trap any foreign particles

In my case regardless of the condition of the filter I got particles drawn up the suction pipe ie the one that dips into the sump which partially blocked it . Did not affect the filter as it was like someone putting his finger over the end . It happened after rough conditions when sludge got stirred up in the sump. Filter water separator bowl was absolutely clear as was filter. A day tank might give you some days grace but you would have to fit flow / level alarms etc - getting complicated . In my case change of engine revs by a few hundred was the signal which would not have been picked up by your proposed day tank setup.


If I had the time I would fit a top draw off dipping into the sump with a ball valve so that I could sample even with an over full tank
. Some Fisher people have fitted a recirculation fuel polishing system with an inline filter which runs whenever additional pump switched on even in port . Pictures on the FOG web site
/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif