Eberspacher fuel connection from primary filter

[portvasgo]

I was hoping someone might be able to give me advice. I have been in touch with my local Eberspacher dealer and they simply give stock answers, which do not really address the problem.

I have had my boat for two years; it came with an Eberspcaher heater - D1LC. The fuel supply has always been connected to an outlet from a Lucas water separator - see photograph, although it shows the line disconnected. I have replaced the water separator with a CAV type primary fuel filter. I thought the head of this new filter was the same as the old Lucas water separator but it turns out the Lucas was not a metric sized connection, the new filter is! I have been able to get new hose connectors for the engine fuel lines from the supplier of the filter, but the problem is the narrow Eberspacher connection. Its current connection is via a hollow screw connection that the metal line feeds through into the supply. What I am thinking of doing (as suggested by the suppliers of the new filter) is taking off the metal fuel feed to the heater, replacing it with longer hose and connecting that to the filter with a simple hose type connector. On contacting my local Eberspacher dealer I simply get told that I should connect the fuel supply directly to the tank – but the heater has worked for many years with its connection coming from the head of the water separator and I really would prefer not to have to start drilling extra holes in the tank for an independent supply to the heater – I also don’t understand why there should be a problem as I never have the engine and heater on at the same time. What I would like to know please is whether I can take off the metal part of the feed line and replace with 5mm hose for connection to the new filter. Can anyone help out there? As usual, I am grateful for your time and knowledge. If you need more information let me know, oh and keep it simple please, I’m a novice : ) Thanks.

 

[vyv_cox]

Connect it to the filter. I understand that the standard advice is based on truck experience, where the far greater fuel flow can cause the supply to the Eberspacher to be arrested, or even sucked back. My Eber has been connected downstream of the filter via a 'T' for years, without problems. The question has come up before and plenty of owners of smaller engines have connected to the filter, without any trouble.

 

[portvasgo]

can I do away with the metal tube

Thanks for the info, so is it ok dispensing with the current metal tube connection shown in the photo, and connecting to the filter by the appropriate diameter rubber fuel hose with a simple hose connector? I can't see what the difference would be personally, but then I'm not very experienced and don't know if the metal tube connection is in someway crucial.

 

[vyv_cox]

Thanks for the info, so is it ok dispensing with the current metal tube connection shown in the photo, and connecting to the filter by the appropriate diameter rubber fuel hose with a simple hose connector? I can't see what the difference would be personally, but then I'm not very experienced and don't know if the metal tube connection is in someway crucial.

I can't see any reason why not, if I'm understanding it correctly. Here's a photo of mine: the Eberspacher connection is the 'T' just visible at the top of the photo. At the time it was easier for me to use this method than to pipe it directly to the filter but if I had been in UK that's what I would have done.

 

[pvb]

Vyv, that is all just too clean!

 

[vyv_cox]

Vyv, that is all just too clean!

Taken just after I finished the Aquadrive installation. Not quite so clean now but not too bad.

 

[Dave_Seager]

The Ebespacher installation instructions say that you should only use small-bore tubing, metal or plastic. Where this is joined by hoses, which will have a larger bore, then the tubing should meet inside the hose to avoid trapping air. If you use any significant length of the larger hose then you may have problems priming the fuel line to the heater. The fuel line is aso supposed to slope upwards from the tank to the heater to assist in clearing air. It is worth downloading the details from www.espar,com.

 

[savageseadog]

Lots of people pipe up (Ha Ha) about it being wrong to connect to the primary fuel filter, I don't see any problem myself, in fact it's a good idea. Only comment I would make is that I would suggest fitting a stop cock of some kind so that the heater can be maintained or shut off.

 

[portvasgo]

thanks for all the replies. i will connect back to the primary filter using the hosing, small diameter, and will try and keep it to a minimum.

As I said, thanks for the expertise - there's so much of it on this forum!

 

[scottie]

As I understand there is potential for the heater to draw fuel back from the engine if the draw off is from the filter head.

It is a problem that do occur so the correct advice is dont do it

Fitting a separate draw off is correct way to do it.

 

[vyv_cox]

As I understand there is potential for the heater to draw fuel back from the engine if the draw off is from the filter head.

It is a problem that do occur so the correct advice is dont do it

Fitting a separate draw off is correct way to do it.

Which is almost what I said in post #2. In fact I believe it's the other way around: a large engine may starve the flow to the heater, or probably the worst case, draw air back through it. The flow to an Eberspacher is minute by comparison with the flow to an engine and starvation is highly unlikely.

Although it may happen in a large truck engine the likelihood is extremely low in a small yacht engine. Loads of us have their heaters connected in this way without problems.