Diesel storage

CurrentSea

CurrentSea

Active member
Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2002
RO Number
10265
Messages
9,958
Is it safe to store a 5 gallon container of diesel fuel in engine room? Is there any reason to carry spare fuel? I bought container to change filters and add fuel to prime less and now I am trying to decide if I should keep tank on boat or bring home.
 
Yes, I keep a 2.5 gallon container in my engine compartment. Last year was a good example why, ended up changing filters during a fishing trip when I realized the filters were dirty. Depending on how full my tank is the racors sometimes will fill themselves up when I open the valves but when that isn't the case I have to add fuel.
 
Thanks.

Another question about Filters. So when I changed engine fuel filters, they all looked fine. No sign of water. But the 2 Racors that come off tanks had alot of gunk in them. Look sort of like wet sand. Wasn't gritty. Little stringy. And when I say alot it was maybe a tablespoon.

Is this the sign of something bad or typical diesel fuel crap?
Should I be adding anything to prevent this?
 
Dave ,
What year are ur motors . If they are electronic you should not be prefilling ur filters!

is the junk BLK on the racors ?

Rob
 
I don't use additives, ever. IIRC this last summer was your first with a boat that had not had much use. Junk in the tanks is washing off or you got some dirty fuel and the filters are doing their job. Does the filter bowl look ruby red or cloudy?
My solution has always been to run on low tanks for a few trips and only add as much fuel as needed for the trip so that the fuel cycles faster through the filters. Soon enough the fuel and filters come clean.
As for carrying fuel I worry about the container leaking so I carry a smaller container and keep it inside as plastic tub. so that if it leaks the fuel is contained.
 
Motors are 2008 volvo and I don't have to pre-fill but I do have to prime and bleed air
If you prefill, it's alot less priming that is needed!

The junk in racor bowls was blackish brown.
My filter bowls are not clear, they are solid, so you can't see what is in them without spinning off.
I have thought about changing to clear.

I also can keep the fuel in a plastic tub that I keep in engine room or I can fasten it down pretty good. I really don't need it to get filters going. Guess I would be carrying it if I ran out of fuel, which shouldn't happen either.
 
Five gallons seems like overkill, if it leaks out, there is a lot to clean up. I carry a one gallon jug to fill the racors when I change filters.
 
Then I would not carry as much but you may find that the priming pump doesn't work well if the tanks are low. I sure like the clear bowls as I can see the condition of the fuel instantly.
 
I agree.
Not sure why they used solid or even make solid.
Is there a reason?
Gonna look into it.
 
ABYC regs require solid for gasoline. Don't know about diesel
 
UR motors are fully electronic. All u need to do is prime, not bleed air.
Rob
 
Not sure about that Rob. Mechanic bleed both motors when he did it.
I didn't bleed all the way on one and it stalled out.
Book even says to bleed out the air but also says don't fill with fuel beforehand!

Changing fuel filter
1. Close the fuel valve/valves.
2. Clean the filter bracket and put a suitable vessel
under the filter.
3. Remove the cables from the water trap (1).
4. Unscrew the filter, use a filter wrench if needed..
5. Clean the sealing surfaces of the filter bracket.
Make sure the filter is absolutely clean and the
sealing surfaces are undamaged. Moisten the
sealing rings with engine oil, including the inner
rubber seal located inside the threaded hole in the
center of the filter.
NOTE! Do not fill the new filter with fuel before assembly.
Contaminations may get into the system
and cause damage and malfunction.
6. Screw the new filter on by hand until the seal just
touches the mating surface. Then tighten a further
1/2 turn. Reinstall the water trap cables.
7. Open the fuel valve.
8. Bleed the fuel system. See Chapter ”Bleeding the
fuel system”.
9. Start the engine and check for leakages.
 
These instructions are for the secondary, mounted on the engines, not for the racors. Indeed, pre filling filters always increases chances of contamination.

With dual racors what I do when I change one is start th engine on the one that's full and then switch to both. This way the new one gets filled with frest fuel but the engine has enough fuel coming thru to bleed itself.

Another way, popular with detroits, is to have an electric priming pump between the primaries and the secondaries.
 
quote:
Originally posted by CurrentSea

Click to expand...


this answer is specific to an unplanned filter change at sea.

CurrentSea, I believe your engine room is set up very similarly to ours. the racors are aft of the fuel tanks and mounted about 1/2 high relative to the tanks. if the fuel level in the tanks is above the inlet height of the racors, you don't have to prime the racors. just close the gate valve on the racors and at the top of the tanks before you start. drain your racor, open the tank valve and the siphon effect will fill the racor. you will have to keep an eye on the filling and stop about 2/3 full. shut the valve again, insert the new filter. close up the racor and open the valves.

the fuel high pressure pump will bleed off the remaining air, or you can prime manually on the engine to purge the last of the air.

much easier than trying to pour fuel from a can on a rocking boat and doesn't involve having to keep fresh fuel on board.

just running the engines regularly puts about 50-60 GPH thru the filters and will allow any junk in the tanks to be filtered out. the racors have a sight glass so you can see if you have a mess. Racor also has vacuum gauges available.

its been my experience that if you change the filters annually, run the engines regularly you wont have any trouble unless you happen to pick up a load of bad fuel, in which case nothing short of fresh fuel will fix this.
 
yes do not fill the on engine filters. IIRC the racors are designed such that pouring fuel into them with a new filter the fuel is filtered before moving on to the on engine filter.
Nevertheless the on engine filter is critical last defense on common rail engines and must always be installed dry to do it job.

Installing the plumbing for a bypass primer pump or bulb always sounded like a good idea but I just never got around to it and kept a small container of fuel to fill the racors.
 
There is some confusion because engines with electric fuel pumps may not need bleeding if they have a source of fuel such as a full racor. Most of these pumps don't suck very well but put out a lot of pressure so the racor part of the system needs priming or bleeding but the pressure side of high pressure systems may not.

Always follow the makers instructions because there are different types of systems in use today. The maker just assumes fuel is available at the inlet to their pump. low fuel level or use of other filters changes how you achieve that.
 
Another question.
My racors all have solid bowls.
I am told this is because the filters are all UL rated.
I spoke to racor and they said I can change to the clear bowl but won't be UL rated
They said check with insurance before changing.
I see many boats with clear bowls.
So why in my setup did they go solid and UL rating?

I would like to change the setup to clear bowls and add gauges.
 
All I can say is my diesel boat has been survey three times without any comment about plastic bowls.
 
I got this

P1020448.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top