Capt.Bill11
Guru
I installed a multi stage filtration system. I don't polish fuel.
What you meant to say was, "I installed a multi stage filtration system. I polish my fuel everytime I run my boat."
I installed a multi stage filtration system. I don't polish fuel.
What you meant to say was, "I installed a multi stage filtration system. I polish my fuel everytime I run my boat."
My last filter change was a year or two ago, and my log shows that it had been 4 years on the racor 500s and 10 years on the secondaries.
I believe the one year longevity on Racors is based on the aqua bloc chemical that helps separate water.
No. I meant I don't polish. I have a Lehman which for all intents and purposes doesn't return fuel. So I am only filtering what I use when I use it.
Actually, unless you've removed your return line, for all intents and purposes they do return some fuel. So whether you believe it or not, you are "polishing".
IMHO you're not missing anything! I believe it was Bill Parletore of PassageMaker fame who really accelerated this whole "fuel polishing" craze. As others have indicated, the Lehmans return very little fuel and a better filtering system may be advantageous for those engines. I also remember that once Parletore got the "polishing" train rolling, he extended the process to "fresh water." Now, don't get me wrong! I was an avid reader of that magazine (but no longer am) and I really respected Parletore's editorials and articles. I have gleaned much more information over the years from this forum and web sites like BoatDiesel and have discarded those things, which in the past, I accepted as gospel.I have a question. My Cummins QSB 5.9 typically runs between 2.5 and 6.0 GPH. It returns at least 20 GPH to the fuel tank. I have 2 - 200 gallon tanks. At 25 GPH going through the filters, the whole tank goes through the filter every 8 hours. Isn't that enough? What am I missing?
There seems to be a number of different beliefs here regarding fuel polishing and all have valid points and concerns.
In my case, the boat is my liveaboard home and office, and truth be told, not used as much as I would like. Due to this inactivity, I thought that trying to maintain the fuel quality and tank, after cleaning, would be of a benefit to me.
I appreciate the opinions!
A better investment, in my opinion, is a daytank system that assures that the fuel needed for the trip has all been recently pre-filtered and de-watered.
OK I installed a fuel polishing system if that's what you want to believe.
If I had a Cummins 6BTA with a Bosch 7100 series pump I'd be returning close to 30 gal per hour. Yes in that case I'd say I was filtering and keeping my fuel fresh. Been there with my previous boat.
But in the case of a Ford Lehman 120 I'd say not really in the intent of this thread.
Could be the early frequent changes captured the crud, leading to less crud/less changes after a while.I bought my trawler in 94, and in the first 10 yrs I changed out my racor 500s and the on engine Volvo secondaries frequently. They were generally full of crud. But in the last 15 years the frequency of changing out the filters has decreased as the quality of fuel I can get at the marine stations has gone way up. My last filter change was a year or two ago...
Lighten up Jay.
I was trying to pay your choice of a filter system a complement.
If you note just to the left of the oil filter I did make provisions so I could add a "filtering loop" to my system. But after 9 years of use I have no need. The current system is adequate. 30 to 10 to 7 micron.