I HATE FUEL FILTERS!!!!!

[Moose]

AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
I have just spent about 5 hours trying to drain the water out of my fuel filters and I have still not been able to do it. The sequence of events went like this:

a) Wander down to boat this morning, feeling happy that I was going to do something constructive for the day.
b) Open up the engine hatch and get down to work.
c) Realise that this filters were not quite so easy as I thought.
d) Drop a tiny little bolt into the nasty horrible bilge water
e) Spend 30 minutes looking and feeling around for the said bolt.
f) Drop glasses into nasty horrible bilge water.
g) Spend 30 minutes feeling for my glasses.
h) Find glasses.
i) Spend 30 minutes looking for the bolt. (Which I can now LOOK for as I have found my glasses!!)
j) Find bolt.
k) No1 brat arrives from school.
l) Push, ferret like No1 brat into engine room in the hope he can reach the filters.
m) No1 brat emerges from Engine room saying he can't reach the fuel filters.
n) Rubbish, I say and push him back down.
o) No1 brat leaps out while I am not watching.
p) I have another go at trying to reach the filters,,,,,No chance!
q) I now take off the massive great big exhaust thing to get to the filters.
r) Spend 30 minutes taking the great big exhaust thing off.
s) This makes no differnce whatsoever.
t) Drop one of the bolts in the nasty horrible bilge water.
u) Spend 30 minutes looking for the bolt in the nasty horrible bilge water.
v) Find the bolt
w) Put the great big exhaust thing back on.
x) Start the engines
y) Discover smoke pouring out of the great big exhaust thing.
z) Take off the great big exhaust thing and tighten it up again.
aa) Start the engine and whoppee everything works.
bb) Still haven't checked the filters.
cc) Move to the lazzarette thing.
dd) Take out the log to clean the paddle wheels.
ee) Get soaked by water.
ff) Put log back in.
gg) Dash off out to the Nab Tower for a well earned ride with No1 brat.

HOW DO YOU GET TO THE FUEL FILTERS???????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Moose

I've got a boat at last!!!
WHOOPEE!!!!!!!!!!

BUT WHAT SHOULD I CALL IT?

 

[longjohnsilver]

Suggest you pump the bilges b4 attempting job again!

 

[BarryH]

It might also be a good idea to relocate said filters into a more accesable position. What happens if you run out of soltron and you need to get to them in a hurry. Sods law dictates that this will happen at the most inopotune time.

 

[byron]

Employ someone else to do it. Then when you get the bill you can say <font color=red> "How much? what! for a simple 5 minute job like that"</font color=red>

http://www.alexander-advertising.co.uk

 

[JEG]

RAC?

 

[Guest]

Hi Moose, 5 hrs a and you still did'nt find them. I have a friend in your area (you are at Chichester are'nt you? who could find them for you.
Last Tuesday he and I replaced a head gasket, changed oil & filters all in 10 hours, and on a horizontal engine.
The head alone included removing 38 nuts and/or bolts, thats without all the manifolds, hoses Turbo etc etc.
In all that time we dropped one nut into bilge and simply fished it out with magnetic probe. Oh and put yer glasses on a strap round yer neck.

Phil Cool is free lance and fully tooled up. Maybe he can help. If intreested PM me.
Clive




"The Med has got me" (no not the Medway the other Med)

 

[burgundyben]

Moose, very funny but it cant be that hard surely, if so, the filters need moving to somewhere more accessible. I assume for each engine you've got a prefilter and water separator unit? like racor or separ? they should be accessible enuff that if neccessary you could change the filters at sea? you do carry spare filters dont ya?

The filters on the engine cant be that hard to reach surely?

If you went for a blast round nab you cant be far from me, send me a PM, maybe I could come and have a look and give you a hand.

For sale, 1970 Triumph Spitfire-sold, 1947 Lambretta, 1922 Great grandmother, PM for details.

 

[burgundyben]

Moose, very funny but it cant be that hard surely, if so, the filters need moving to somewhere more accessible. I assume for each engine you've got a prefilter and water separator unit? like racor or separ? they should be accessible enuff that if neccessary you could change the filters at sea? you do carry spare filters dont ya?

The filters on the engine cant be that hard to reach surely?

If you went for a blast round nab you cant be far from me, send me a PM, maybe I could come and have a look and give you a hand. (I reserve the right to retract that offer when I see the filter positions

For sale, 1970 Triumph Spitfire-sold, 1947 Lambretta, 1922 Great grandmother, PM for details.

 

[Moose]

Sorry, I should have actually said that they were the pre filters, and I was just checking that there was no water in them (The ones with the tap on them).

Moose

I've got a boat at last!!!
WHOOPEE!!!!!!!!!!

BUT WHAT SHOULD I CALL IT?

 

[Duster]

If you find filters troublesome and like myself are nervy about changing them should they bung up at sea , you could try a set up we use on heavy agricultural machines ( and I have copied on my new boat ) . Basicly you pipe in a second set with two changeover valves so that the fuel flow can be diverted through clean filters instantly without tools. If you would like a sketch of how to do it let me have a fax no & I will send you one.
Regards a boat name chose something you are comfortable to use on the radio. My new boat is to be called "PERCENTAGE" , because I try never to do a deal without taking one and that is what has paid for it !!

 

[miket]

Great idea as long as fitted properly.

Beware. An acquaintance of mine decided to fit this set up himself using umpteen unions to cope with pipe bends. The thing had so many air leeks in the end he abandoned it.

If you do it and are not competent, employ someone who is. Rare commodity I know!

 

[byron]

leeks He must have been Welsh otherwise they would have been leaks

http://www.alexander-advertising.co.uk