Eberspacher Fuel Pick Up fitting

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haydude

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I am installing my heating system and I am facing a problem with the fuel line.

Initially I excluded fitting a separate fuel pick up to the tank because my plastic tank has no inspection hatch that could be used to get an hand through and hold any inside nut, washer or seal (I have never installed one, so I assume that there must be something inside ...)

My plan was to pick up the fuel from the Volvo Penta primary fuel filter. This filter has a secondary output (which is now blanked by a bolt). However I cannot find a suitable hose tail. I have ordered the original hose tail from the dealer, but it came with a 10mm nipple. From there I have to get down to at least 3mm. There isn't an adapter that drops that much, I can find only adapters from 10 to 6 and then from 6 to 3. So the line would look like the following:

Fuel filter --> 10mm nipple --> 10mm fuel hose --> 10mm to 6mm adapter --> 6mm fuel hose --> 6mm to 3mm adapter --> 3mm fuel hose --> fuel tap or non return valve --> 3mm fuel hose --> fuel filter -->> 3mm fuel hose --> fuel metering pump


I thought that such a cluttered arrangement would be a risk.

Is it possible to install a fuel pick up pipe to the tank without inside access and without causing risk for future leaks? How?

I hope you guys may help
 
Risk of leaks.

On mine the 3mm hose goes from the pump to the spacher. Hose to the pump is 6mm at least. Change the feed hose to the pump ???
 
haydude said:
Initially I excluded fitting a separate fuel pick up to the tank because my plastic tank has no inspection hatch that could be used to get an hand through and hold any inside nut, washer or seal (I have never installed one, so I assume that there must be something inside ...)
Click to expand...

You assumed wrongly - the Eberspacher fuel standpipe doesn't need inside access. You drill a 25mm hole in the top of the tank, and the standpipe slips in and is secured by a nut and rubber washer on top.

eberfuel.jpg
 
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haydude said:
Is it possible to install a fuel pick up pipe to the tank without inside access and without causing risk for future leaks? How?
Click to expand...

Yes. I fitted the standard Eber fuel pick-up tube to a polythene tank, full of diesel, back in 2000 without any major problem. The only issue was ensuring minimal swarf dropped into the tank. You use a normal hole cutter with a vacuum cleaner positioned as close as possible to the cut to pick up all the swarf. In 13 years motoring subsequently I never had a fuel problem.

I can't remember the exact hole size but it was around 1". The underside fitting for the pick up can then slide through the hole at an angle and the unit can be tightened up from above.

If the latest installation manual doesn't make it clear how to fit it I suggest you call your distributor, or try Kreuger (01425 619869) who were very helpful when I fitted mine.

Edit: Ah - just seen the post above which overlapped with mine. It gives a clear diagram of the stand-pipe fitting. Good luck.
 
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haydude said:
Thank you! This helped a lot. I will go for a standpipe.
Click to expand...


That is the correct way to do it as it maintains the recommended 2mm bore throughout the fuel line. However, stand pipes and plastic tanks, though not in all cases, can and do have issues with leaks down the line if they are not of heavy gauge and the standpipe (all the same for Eber, Webo etc) can not be mounted on a good clear flat area at the highest point. If you must go second best and tap from a filter it is ever so easy and I have done it on a number of appropriate occasions, an easily available brass reducing bush is screwed ito the filter and an inline compression fitting is screwd into that and then the cupro nickel pipe inserted into the other end of the compression fitting, simples but I stress the standpipe is first choice if it can be reliably installed, a non return fitted straight after the filter is a big help in such installs.
 
David2452 said:
an easily available brass reducing bush is screwed ito the filter and an inline compression fitting is screwd into that and then the cupro nickel pipe inserted into the other end of the compression fitting,
Click to expand...

Can you advise where such a small fitting can be obtained, please? I have the screwed connector into the filter, which comes with an 8 mm compression fitting, smallest I could find. How to reduce from 8 mm to 2mm(?) bore without soldering something up myself?
 
I fitted a standpipe of my own creation.
I used a 8mm brass bulkhead compression fitting.
This has a full flange on it.
I assembled it to a length of copper pipe, then threaded it outward through the top of the tank.
It only needed a 12mm hole IIRC and had a full neoprene washer on the the inside of the tank.
A large metal washer and some sealant on the outside of the tank together with the supplied back nut and it was leak free. I pressure tested it.
Being a threaded brass component, I was able to mount a 1/4 turn valve directly on it.

The only difficult bit was threading the piece of string which I used to pull it into place.

Probably no better than the bought standpipe, but I was using bits I had.
 
The bore is not the important dimension for this fitting, 1/8" 3/16" and 5mm O/D compression fittings are easily available from places like BES and I always carry a good selection with me to a job just in case, a straight coupler with one olive nut removed and screwd into the reducing bush gives you the ability to couple the cupro nickel or stainless 2mm ish bore tube directly to it or via a tap.
 
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Do not use the pre filter it is not recommended as it can cause problems in the engine fuel system
Why would you connect an electrical fuel pump to your fuel system and not expect it to draw from the system . Yes many will tell you it works but not every one all the the time and intermittent faults are always the worst to find.
 
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scottie said:
Do not use the pre filter it is not recommended as it can cause problems in the engine fuel system
Click to expand...

Exactly why I counselled using a non return immediately after the filter to counter such possibilities, it is not recommended to tap from the filter unless you do that. In a case where using a standpipe on a thin plastic tank which will flex and or where access to the top is impossible, taking from the filter, if and only if, done correctly is the lesser of the two evils. The standpipe is the best possible way but only if it can be made reliable and leak free, that is not always the case as a number of people on here and a few of my customers have found. Each fit is individual and must be treated as such whilst not straying from best practise unless that practise would lead to issues outweighing deviation. The OP may well have a good heavy gauge poly tank with access to a flat area on top, in which case it's a no brainer, standpipe all the way.
 
I am fitting a heater on friday. I have a hard plastic fuel tank in a cockpit locker. It is half full of diesel. I am a little concerned about cutting the 25mm hole for the standpipe without filling the tank with plastic. I can't get anything inside to catch the swarf or the plastic disk if it falls in

Any tips, is it really just a matter of vacuuming what I can as I drill?

Looking at the photo I am also wondering why there are so many tubes coming out of my tank, it looks like there are already two pipes taking fuel out. Mmm time to go exploring inside the engine bay
 
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Plaster the hole saw with grease, same for the tank area you are drilling, I do it all the time. The plastic disc will stay in the hole saw, remove the ejector spring if fitted to your hole saw. Three tubes there, likely scenario is take off, return & breather.
 
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David2452 said:
Plaster the hole saw with grease, same for the tank area you are drilling, I do it all the time. The plastic disc will stay in the hole saw, remove the ejector spring if fitted to your hole saw. Three tubes there, likely scenario is take off, return & breather.
Click to expand...


All this discussion about cutting more holes in plastic (or other ! tanks) for Eber fuel take offs !!??

I've had tee'd my Eber downstream of the tank, just prior to the engine shut off valve, for years. Works fine. Always keep shut while the engine is on. .

I can understand being concerned about cutting more holes in tanks!!

Does one need to?? ?

Graeme
 
Stevev2 said:
Looking at the photo I am also wondering why there are so many tubes coming out of my tank, it looks like there are already two pipes taking fuel out. Mmm time to go exploring inside the engine bay
Click to expand...

There are three hoses on the tank (excluding the filler). One is the fuel pick up, one the return line and the third is the breather.

Rob.
 
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