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From: Norm of Bandersnatch (no email)
Date: Tue Nov 14 2006 - 21:45:53 EST
> 1) Is your electric fuel pump before the filters, so the fuel is
> pressured through the filters, not sucked? Is this a good idea?
Yes. I have a strainer with window screen in it to protect the pump
between the fuel tank suction valves and the pump, then the primary filter
is after the pump. This allows fully priming the entire system including
the primary filter and pressuring the gunk out of the bowl of the Racor.
I also have a check valve in parallel with the pump to allow fuel to be
drawn from the tank around the pump. This may not always be needed, but my
engine has a fuel system with a large flow from which the required fuel is
drawn. Also my pump has a rather fine screen in it.
> 2) I have dual Racor 500's, 2 micron. These are before the motor's own
> filter. Per the manual, these are rated for 1GPM, or 60 GPH. Are these
> two sufficient for fuel polishing? Or I must upgrade to Racor 1000's at
> 3GPM?
>
I would stick with the two 500's. Once the fuel tank is cleaned, which may
take several filter changes, the maintaince load on the filter is minimal
unless you get a particular bad batch of fuel.
> 3) I have a 12V electric bellows pump, variable pressure,
> currently at 7PSI. Not sure but I think it is rated at 1GPM or less. Is
> this pump sufficient? Or should I upgrade the pressure pump? (I could
> not locate the specs for Norm's NAPA Balkamp BK.610-1016)
>
I am not familiar with this pump, but the pump is just to prime, polish the
fuel and test the system. It is not used when the engine is running
normally.
> 4) I wonder if the above configuration would provide enough flow to
> clean the fuel in my 100 gallon tank, considering there are baffles. Is
> it worth running the fuel through this configuration, can I expect any
> benefit? Or must I upgrade my system?
>
I think you should extend the suction tube to the bottom of the tank and
then install the bypass valve downstream of your primary filter to run the
fuel back to your tank when you want to clean the fuel first. You could
install a second valve or use this one to feed a wand through a piece of
fuel hose to spray the fuel into your tank through a access port on the top
of your tank to stir up the gunk on the bottom. I am thinking a piece of
soft 1/4" copper from the hardware store. You could bend it as you wish.
Once you are sucking from the very bottom of the tank you are starting to
clean the tank up, spraying with a wand speeds the process up.
Always try the easiest thing first. It's not rocket science.
I have a transparent short section of fuel pipe between the tank and the
electric pump so I can see what is coming out of the tank. I haven't used
it lately, it has become very dark. I originally put it there because I
was getting air in the fuel; which turned out to be from leaking copper
sweat (soldered) fittings inside the tank. I had to put a spring inside it
to keep it from collapsing when the fuel was warm and sucking hard.
I also suggest compound (plus and minus 15 psi) gauges on the input and
output of your filters to see how fouled they are.
Hope this helps...
Norm
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