Fuel filter installation

[cwlandefeld]

Hi everyone. My setup is an Evinrude 150 Ocean Pro on a 17 ?? VIP center console. I currently have one of those in line filter kits with the clear glass casing with replaceable filter elements purchased from Academy. It?s located at the transom between the tank and bulb. I want to replace it with a water separator filter. The reason I want to try the water separator filter is because of the crud I have in the tank. It?s a built in 42 gallon tank which I?m not ready to remove to clean. As is, I sometimes have to replace the element at least once when I?m out fishing after only running about 40 minutes. The choppy water in the bay here really gets my dirty tank churned up. My dilemma is this. The boat is a ?92 model and the motor a ?97. Best case would be to replace the fuel line from the tank to the new filter. Don?t know how easy that would be. My guess is it would be pretty difficult. Otherwise I would need to use a brass fitting to splice the existing line from the tank to where I would have to locate the new filter. I can run a new line from the filter to the bulb. Is using a splice an okay practice?

Thanks y?all and fun and safe boating to all.

 

[beau123]

Re: Fuel filter installation

If you have crud in your tank, I suggest removing the tank and get all of it out. Your gonna keep plugging any type of filter you put on there. It may be possible for you to clean the tank without removing it (depending on how acssesable your tank is).

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Fuel filter installation

A water seperator will mount to the boat hull. The line from the tank will run to the seperator's in hose barb and another hose will run from the seperator's out hose barb. You can leave the glass filter in the line, but remove the filter element, or you may replace the entire piece of hose from the motor to the bulb.

 

[cwlandefeld]

Re: Fuel filter installation

If you have crud in your tank, I suggest removing the tank and get all of it out. Your gonna keep plugging any type of filter you put on there. It may be possible for you to clean the tank without removing it (depending on how acssesable your tank is).

I agree removing the tank and cleaning is the best solution for that problem. To remove it though I would have to remove the center console which is not a big problem. The big problem is that I would have to cut the decking to remove the tank. At this point I really don't like the idea of cutting the deck unless absolutely necessary such as the tank had a leak at which point I'd have no choice. I guess another thing I could do would be to remove the top of the boat completely exposing the bilge area. Cut or remove? Both seem pretty extreme. I understand I'll just keep plugging filters but I'm hoping with a larger filter I won't have to replace it as much.
Thanks for your input.

 

[cwlandefeld]

Re: Fuel filter installation

A water seperator will mount to the boat hull. The line from the tank will run to the seperator's in hose barb and another hose will run from the seperator's out hose barb. You can leave the glass filter in the line, but remove the filter element, or you may replace the entire piece of hose from the motor to the bulb.

I guess my main concern is is it okay to splice the fuel line. My boat does not allow me to mount the filter to the hull. I've added a backsplash to keep waves from breaking over the transom and into my boat. On either side of the area between the transom and the backsplash is where my batteries are located. One on each side protected by what looks like a hinged deck plate door. If I can figure out how to attach pictures I'll show my setup for better clarification. The only place I have to mount the filter as best that I can see is to this backsplash. If I do this the input hose from the tank is too short by about 3 feet. I would then use a new hose from the output side of the filter to the bulb. I appreciate your reply.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Fuel filter installation

It wuld be better (a lot better) to have a one piece fuel line from the tank to the seperator, and from the seperator to the bulb and from the bulb to the motor. The water seperator MUST be attached to the hull as gravity is what seperates the water from the fuel.

Why not siphon your tank dry, into five gallon cans, let the fuel settle and siphon the water off the bottom of each tank. Now run the gas thru some fine cloth back into the tank. This should get all the water and most of the junk.

 

[cwlandefeld]

Re: Fuel filter installation

It wuld be better (a lot better) to have a one piece fuel line from the tank to the seperator, and from the seperator to the bulb and from the bulb to the motor. The water seperator MUST be attached to the hull as gravity is what seperates the water from the fuel.

Why not siphon your tank dry, into five gallon cans, let the fuel settle and siphon the water off the bottom of each tank. Now run the gas thru some fine cloth back into the tank. This should get all the water and most of the junk.

Here's (I hope) a photo of the splashboard I was thinking of mounting the filter to. Do you think this would be okay?

A couple of months ago I attempted to siphon the tank into five gallon cans but all I got was clean gas. From that I assumed I had to be out on the water to get the fuel sloshing around in the tank to get any sediment to move into the fuel line. I mostly fish in the gulf out of Galveston or the bay system.

 

[ezeke]

Re: Fuel filter installation

Put the filter as close to the tank as you can, and before anything else in the system. My personal preference is the Mercury MM-89876A-3 bracket, because it accepts universal separators including the aftermarket ones with the bottom drains and clear filters. Sierra also makes a universal bracket that costs a lot less than the OMC/BRP bracket; PN SIE 18-78531.

 

[Chip P]

Re: Fuel filter installation

Have you tried Stabil or just plain alcohol ?

 

[cwlandefeld]

Re: Fuel filter installation

Have you tried Stabil or just plain alcohol ?

On my last fill up I added two cans of SeaFoam (1 can per 16 gal). Another thing about this boat. I purchased it 12/2005. The guy who had it before me mentioned that it smoked a lot. He says he thought he added too much oil to the gas. I thought nothing more about it until I got it home, did some research here on iboats and discovered this motor had a VRO. A working VRO. Oh yeah, it smoked. My guess is I've probably run about 120 gallons through the tank. Don't know if him adding the oil to the tank may have contributed to the sludge I now have.

What would Stabil or alcohol do?

 

[ezeke]

Re: Fuel filter installation

If you premix or if you plan on keeping gasoline for more than a few months, a fuel stabilizer helps to extend the life of the gasoline if added at the time of purchase.

Isopropyl alcohol(dry gas and not the drug store type that is already diluted with water) will join with water in the fuel tank and can then mix with gasoline rather than hugging the bottom of the tank. Problem is that it is not effective for very long - that's how a lot of the water got there in the first place; from the alcohol in the gasoline.

The full sized water separating fuel filter is a much better bet.

Try this link: http://entropyproduction.blogspot.com/2006/08/water-and-plug-ins-arent-miscible.html

The pdf link to the EPA article contained there is helpful: http://www.epa.gov/OMS/regs/fuels/rfg/waterphs.pdf

 

[cwlandefeld]

Re: Fuel filter installation

If you premix or if you plan on keeping gasoline for more than a few months, a fuel stabilizer helps to extend the life of the gasoline if added at the time of purchase.

Isopropyl alcohol(dry gas and not the drug store type that is already diluted with water) will join with water in the fuel tank and can then mix with gasoline rather than hugging the bottom of the tank. Problem is that it is not effective for very long - that's how a lot of the water got there in the first place; from the alcohol in the gasoline.

The full sized water separating fuel filter is a much better bet.

Try this link: http://entropyproduction.blogspot.com/2006/08/water-and-plug-ins-arent-miscible.html

The pdf link to the EPA article contained there is helpful: http://www.epa.gov/OMS/regs/fuels/rfg/waterphs.pdf

Thanks for this info Ezeke. I plan on installing the filter tomorrow (Saturday) whether permitting. Hopefully I'll have an opportunity sometime next week to take it out on the water for a little test. I'll also start using Stabil. This past winter I had to take the boat out of the garage and put it into an outside storage facility. I didn't do anything to the fuel. Looks like I'll have to do something this winter. At least I have time now to read up on winterizing tips here on iboats.

 

[cwlandefeld]

Re: Fuel filter installation

Took boat out today with the new filter installed. What a difference. My fishing buddy even mentioned that the engine seemed to be running smoother and quieter. I was surprised how much better it ran just by adding the water/fuel separator in place of the replaceable cartridge filter. Wish I had done this last year. Oh well, at least it's done. Thanks to all who contributed their input.