Use the Fuel in your FWD tank
Use the Fuel in your FWD tank
I am paying the price this week for not using much fuel from the FWD tank on my MV34. The genset uses so little fuel and we have been in the habit of fueling up when the AFT tank gets low - have never tried to transfer fuel from FWD to AFT. But, that's all going to change after I get my boat back from the boatyard this week - it's getting the fuel from the FWD tank drained and polished and the tank is being cleaned. As I was doing a routine pre-trip check list a couple of weeks ago I noticed the bowl on the primary fuel filter was full of [b]black[/b] diesel. The boatyard guy told me this was probably due to lack of use - bacteria will get started and grow in a tank containing fuel that is not getting regularly circulated. The fuel in the AFT tank stayed just as clean and clear as new during all this?? So, from now on, we'll be transferring fuel, from front to back, as regularly as we can remember to do it.
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Leadfree
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Transferring fuel
We make a practice of transferring fuel from front to aft when the aft tank gets about half way down. I used to open the valves from the front but that got salty. Now we leave those valves open and open/close the valves under the floor of the nav area, turn the pump on for a minute or 2 and then let it drain into the aft tank by gravity. We do this while we are moving so using fuel at the same time. Just an idea.
Sharon, Lead Free Too
Sharon, Lead Free Too
Use of the fuel in your FWD tank
Stagnant diesel fuel at "warm" temperatures is just a problem waiting to hapen, as confirmed by the first posting.We maintain a constant fuel turn-over, by automatically draining the FWD tank AFT (opening vent and tranfer line valves) and mostly taking on fresh fuel in the front. Gravity takes care of the syphoning, so we use the fuel transfer pump rarely. This syphoning does not result in overfilling of the AFT tank and there is no risk of fuel spillage aft. This practice of ours has assured us of having no "old" fuel on board, and to-date, no fuel problems.
Frank Farago
Kama Kat
Kama Kat
Use the Fuel in your FWD Tank
Hi John and Diane,
We travel with the vent and fuel transfer lines open all the time. It appears as if the bottom of the fwd tank is higher than the top of the main tank, so reverse syphoning is not a concern.
Occasionally, the syphoning process needs to be "kick-started" with the fuel transfer pump .....this means runing the pump for about a minute.
Cheers,
We travel with the vent and fuel transfer lines open all the time. It appears as if the bottom of the fwd tank is higher than the top of the main tank, so reverse syphoning is not a concern.
Occasionally, the syphoning process needs to be "kick-started" with the fuel transfer pump .....this means runing the pump for about a minute.
Cheers,
Frank Farago
Kama Kat
Kama Kat
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Sno' Dog
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Use of the fuel in your FWD tank
We do the same. We normally leave the forward valves open all the time. After we fill up, we open the valves in back and let the fuel flow aft until the forward tank gauge gets down to about 1/4 - then we close the valves.
If you don't close the valves, all the fuel will syphon back into the aft tank leaving your front tank dry. Once this happens, the transfer pump will not prime itself to send fuel forward - so you're stuck with an empty forward tank until you re-fuel. This is not a serious problem - unless, of course, you want to run your generator!
We've found our boat performs better with less weight forward, so using the forward tank first seems to improve performance as well.
Henry Clews
Sno' Dog
If you don't close the valves, all the fuel will syphon back into the aft tank leaving your front tank dry. Once this happens, the transfer pump will not prime itself to send fuel forward - so you're stuck with an empty forward tank until you re-fuel. This is not a serious problem - unless, of course, you want to run your generator!
We've found our boat performs better with less weight forward, so using the forward tank first seems to improve performance as well.
Henry Clews
Sno' Dog
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Sno' Dog
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Use of the fuel in your FWD tank
Thanks Tom,
I gather the transfer pickup doesn't go to the bottom, but then neither does the generator pick-up. How do you know what the differential is here? I've not been able to get any info on this from PDQ - and they certainly don't provide that kind of detail in their manual.
When our boat was commissioned, I did ask them to keep track of the gauge readings when they filled our tanks. According to the notes they gave me, it did take 15 gallons in the forward tank to bring the gauge needle up to the "E" mark. But the unanswered question is: how much of that 15 gallons is actually usable by the generator? (Incidentally, I'd also love to know this info for the main tank as well so we could accurately gauge our usable fuel. Our working estimate for Sno' Dog is: 156 gallons - quite a bit less than the PDQ-advertised 180 gallons.)
We have actually run the generator after all the fuel has siphoned back into the main tank. As I remember, the gauge was sitting right on "E". But it made me quite nervous. I'd hate to run it dry - I assume I'd have to re-prime it or something? I've heard it can be bad for a diesel to get air in the fuel line.
Henry
mv 87 Sno' Dog
I gather the transfer pickup doesn't go to the bottom, but then neither does the generator pick-up. How do you know what the differential is here? I've not been able to get any info on this from PDQ - and they certainly don't provide that kind of detail in their manual.
When our boat was commissioned, I did ask them to keep track of the gauge readings when they filled our tanks. According to the notes they gave me, it did take 15 gallons in the forward tank to bring the gauge needle up to the "E" mark. But the unanswered question is: how much of that 15 gallons is actually usable by the generator? (Incidentally, I'd also love to know this info for the main tank as well so we could accurately gauge our usable fuel. Our working estimate for Sno' Dog is: 156 gallons - quite a bit less than the PDQ-advertised 180 gallons.)
We have actually run the generator after all the fuel has siphoned back into the main tank. As I remember, the gauge was sitting right on "E". But it made me quite nervous. I'd hate to run it dry - I assume I'd have to re-prime it or something? I've heard it can be bad for a diesel to get air in the fuel line.
Henry
mv 87 Sno' Dog
Hi Henry,
It was explained to me by our commissioning crew (Jay & Dave) that the genset pickup tube does, in fact, go to the bottom of the tank. The reason for the transfer pickup tube not going to the bottom is to provide a reservoir for the genset. So, when the gauge reads empty, you still have something like 30 hrs of genset running time left ( 1/2 gal/hr or so under load).
Tom
It was explained to me by our commissioning crew (Jay & Dave) that the genset pickup tube does, in fact, go to the bottom of the tank. The reason for the transfer pickup tube not going to the bottom is to provide a reservoir for the genset. So, when the gauge reads empty, you still have something like 30 hrs of genset running time left ( 1/2 gal/hr or so under load).
Tom
Tom Walker
ThomKat - MV3475
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No Schedule & Sticking To It
ThomKat - MV3475
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No Schedule & Sticking To It
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Sno' Dog
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Use of the fuel in your FWD tank
Good info.
Thank you, Tom
Henry
Thank you, Tom
Henry
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Tanah-Keeta
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I emailed Chris Calver and he confirmed the last post. He also said.....
The pickup hose is supposed to reach almost to the bottom of the tank. In the bow tank the pickup is not supposed to reach as far down as the generator pickup - to make sure the generator always has fuel and doesn't need to be bled after a transfer. The generator pickup is supposed to reach down almost to the bottom. There should be at least a 1" difference in length.
There should be no filter in the end of the hose. (They come with filters - we remove them at the factory.)
If you are reasonably mechanically minded, and if you are careful, it is easy to see for yourself. Lift the middle floorboard next to the helm, and you'll see the valves on the pickups and the return fittings on the main tank. They are on the Port side of the tank. The Starboard side is for the Fuel Transfer fittings.
Get a bundle of rags handy before you start. And make sure the tank is not full - if the fuel is filled right up to the deck fitting it'll flood out all over everywhere when you remove a valve! You'll also need a selection of tools and some pipe-joint compound.
Loosen the hose clamps on one of the pickups (they have valves). Push the hose off the hose-barb. It works best if you push it off rather than trying to pull it off. Use a small C-wrench that just fits the hose barb. You then need to remove the valve and then the pickup (square head). The pickup tube is attached to the square head. It should be long enough. If it isn't it is quite easy to get a longer piece from a hardware store and replace it.
Make sure the tube is well attached to the pick-up fitting and, if you've replaced it, the new one must be straight.
I would make the hose just long enough to reach the bottom plus a tiny bit. Cut the end at 45-degrees. You will now be able to get almost all the fuel out. Repeat for the other engine's pickup.
You should not need to do the Fuel Transfer pickup - it doesn't really need to reach the bottom. But, if you want to check it...
You could repeat the process on the Bow tank. There are two pickups: Generator and Fuel Transfer. The generator should reach the bottom of the tank, the transfer shouldn't.
Once you have let air into the fuel line you should bleed the engine and make sure it is running properly for a good while (1/2 hour at idle) to make sure there is no rogue air pocket before setting off. You will find a pump on top of the Yanmar's fuel filter on the upper left side of the engine (left when facing aft).
Ron McDaniel 34108
The pickup hose is supposed to reach almost to the bottom of the tank. In the bow tank the pickup is not supposed to reach as far down as the generator pickup - to make sure the generator always has fuel and doesn't need to be bled after a transfer. The generator pickup is supposed to reach down almost to the bottom. There should be at least a 1" difference in length.
There should be no filter in the end of the hose. (They come with filters - we remove them at the factory.)
If you are reasonably mechanically minded, and if you are careful, it is easy to see for yourself. Lift the middle floorboard next to the helm, and you'll see the valves on the pickups and the return fittings on the main tank. They are on the Port side of the tank. The Starboard side is for the Fuel Transfer fittings.
Get a bundle of rags handy before you start. And make sure the tank is not full - if the fuel is filled right up to the deck fitting it'll flood out all over everywhere when you remove a valve! You'll also need a selection of tools and some pipe-joint compound.
Loosen the hose clamps on one of the pickups (they have valves). Push the hose off the hose-barb. It works best if you push it off rather than trying to pull it off. Use a small C-wrench that just fits the hose barb. You then need to remove the valve and then the pickup (square head). The pickup tube is attached to the square head. It should be long enough. If it isn't it is quite easy to get a longer piece from a hardware store and replace it.
Make sure the tube is well attached to the pick-up fitting and, if you've replaced it, the new one must be straight.
I would make the hose just long enough to reach the bottom plus a tiny bit. Cut the end at 45-degrees. You will now be able to get almost all the fuel out. Repeat for the other engine's pickup.
You should not need to do the Fuel Transfer pickup - it doesn't really need to reach the bottom. But, if you want to check it...
You could repeat the process on the Bow tank. There are two pickups: Generator and Fuel Transfer. The generator should reach the bottom of the tank, the transfer shouldn't.
Once you have let air into the fuel line you should bleed the engine and make sure it is running properly for a good while (1/2 hour at idle) to make sure there is no rogue air pocket before setting off. You will find a pump on top of the Yanmar's fuel filter on the upper left side of the engine (left when facing aft).
Ron McDaniel 34108
Ron McDaniel
TK III 34108
TK III 34108
hi all,
prior to our departure south for the winter, i pumped all fuel from front tank into the rear. we then filled both
tanks. first night out we anchored and started generator to run the oven. it started but proceeded to "hunt". it
was obviously starving for fuel. being a self primer, it eventually recovered and ran fine. my take on this is
that, at least on hull #23, the transfer pickup is at least as deep as the generator pickup. as always, i'm open
to other theories.
prior to our departure south for the winter, i pumped all fuel from front tank into the rear. we then filled both
tanks. first night out we anchored and started generator to run the oven. it started but proceeded to "hunt". it
was obviously starving for fuel. being a self primer, it eventually recovered and ran fine. my take on this is
that, at least on hull #23, the transfer pickup is at least as deep as the generator pickup. as always, i'm open
to other theories.
john & diane cummings
duetto mv34 #23
duetto mv34 #23