Lift pump

[guydickinson]

Good morning. I have a Beta 25 in a 10 m Bermudian sloop. A while back I had some sludge in the diesel tank and the engine stopped (obviously at a very inconvenient time!). Everything was cleaned out. There was no proof of diesel bug (using a diagnostic kit). However it still didn’t run and it turned out the lift pump had failed trying to suck against resistance for a period (that was the theory). I replaced it. All ok apart from the engine stopping near some rocks in Cornwall last year! It restarted ok.
This year the engine did the same - running v slow and dying. I didn’t push it - thinking about the pump. I’ve had a preliminary look. The fuel looks pretty clear. Separation glass clear.
My question - if there is a rise of a foot or so for the pump to work on, will it fail again easily? Do people ever fit an extra in-line electric pump too? It may turn out to be a blockage yet but that’d be v worrying having treated the diesel with Marine 16 regularly. Wondered what people think. Thanks.

 

[QBhoy]

My experience would probably say that after such a thing…often a heavy dose of treatment can be thrown into the tanks. This being the case…it can often dislodge years of dormant nasties in the tank and system…which then works it’s way slowly through the filters and causes issues like this. Best thing you can do is keep lots of filters spare and change often..it should eventually clear. Quite a common thing I’m afraid

 

[Boater Sam]

Blocked tank vent? Lift pump gauze filter choked?

 

[Frankklose]

What's about the waterseperator? Inside the the Racor waterseperator is a none return valve...if got dirt on the little ball...no diesel will flow.
Cleaned the tank, changed filters etc. Two years later my engine stopped at an inconvenient place...I did not clean the internals of the waterseperator, even changed the lift pump.
Think my lift pump was OK just the dirt in side the waterseperator caused the low flow of diesel.

 

[Bilgediver]

Good morning. I have a Beta 25 in a 10 m Bermudian sloop. A while back I had some sludge in the diesel tank and the engine stopped (obviously at a very inconvenient time!). Everything was cleaned out. There was no proof of diesel bug (using a diagnostic kit). However it still didn’t run and it turned out the lift pump had failed trying to suck against resistance for a period (that was the theory). I replaced it. All ok apart from the engine stopping near some rocks in Cornwall last year! It restarted ok.
This year the engine did the same - running v slow and dying. I didn’t push it - thinking about the pump. I’ve had a preliminary look. The fuel looks pretty clear. Separation glass clear.
My question - if there is a rise of a foot or so for the pump to work on, will it fail again easily? Do people ever fit an extra in-line electric pump too? It may turn out to be a blockage yet but that’d be v worrying having treated the diesel with Marine 16 regularly. Wondered what people think. Thanks.

If your lift pump has a screw in the top of the dome then it may be fitted with a strainer. Check and if there is one clean it and replace. it may catch debris that you might have dislodged

 

[guydickinson]

Thank you very much all. I think I have the answer!! We have a very good marine engineer here and he came today. He immediately noticed the rubber (neoprene I think) gasket, between the inspection lid and the tank, was shredding and falling apart. With the lid off, there were bits of rubber everywhere. He said because the added biodiesel attracts water, alcohol has also been added which attacks these gaskets (was OK before the additions). So a cork gasket needed. One pipe near the primary filter was completely blocked. There were also another couple of problems he noticed. Interesting?!!