Whats with this water seperator i hear about for fuel?

[saltfisher]

I just got a boat with a 1988 merc 150 black max. I hear people saying to add a water seperator? Is that like a filter to add inbetween the fuel line? or does it replace the fuel filter? Almost all our gas here has e10 in it and heard its not the best for older engines. Should i have any problems? How exactly is this installed, and where would i get one?

Thanks

 

[jmburock]

Re: Whats with this water seperator i hear about for fuel?

You can get a fuel filter from West Marine or Boaters World. They are made by Quicksilver, Racor, and Sierra among others. All are around $40 for the kit. It installs between the primer bulb and the fuel tank and will separate out water and debris. The in-line fuel filter on the motor does essentially nothing. You mount it on or near the transom, just will need some fuel hose.

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

Re: Whats with this water seperator i hear about for fuel?

You need one of these http://www.iboats.com/Yamaha_Mercru...d.217027--list_time.1188426281--view_id.41735
and the canister that screws on the bottom. It looks like an oil filter. They go between the tank and the primer bulb.

 

[saltfisher]

Re: Whats with this water seperator i hear about for fuel?

Awesome!! So is this a must have? or just something nice to have?

 

[hans jensen]

Re: Whats with this water seperator i hear about for fuel?

It is a must have on all boats.

 

[GregE]

Re: Whats with this water seperator i hear about for fuel?

You need one of these http://www.iboats.com/Yamaha_Mercru...d.217027--list_time.1188426281--view_id.41735
and the canister that screws on the bottom. It looks like an oil filter. They go between the tank and the primer bulb.

I never gave it any thought with a small motor like my 9.9 HP Merc, but it surely makes sense in these Ethanol-loving times especially. Would the same kit be used or is there something smaller for a small outboard?

 

[CharlieB]

Re: Whats with this water seperator i hear about for fuel?

This is pretty much a generic kit for any gasoline engine, you will need to buy two hose barb pipe fittings for your fuel line size.

There is two filters available for this filter base, a standard 10 micron that does fine for most applications and a 2 mic filter for those that have a serious water problem with their fuel tank. I do not recommend the 2 mic filter without warning customers of the dangers of running lean. A restrictive filter on a high flow system (big horsepower) can cause serious damage.

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

Re: Whats with this water seperator i hear about for fuel?

I never gave it any thought with a small motor like my 9.9 HP Merc, but it surely makes sense in these Ethanol-loving times especially. Would the same kit be used or is there something smaller for a small outboard?

I just bought one made by Yamaha. Its called a mini but just a little smaller than the rest. I had a space problem and this worked out good. Rated at 10 microns.

 

[saltfisher]

Re: Whats with this water seperator i hear about for fuel?

Cheap enough. I will have to get one of those. Im in PA and dont know if all gas has e10 in it or not. Anyone know? Only a few places like citgo, and texaco say "e10" on the pump. The rest like sheetz, hess, getty, turkey hill, ect dont say anything about e10.

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Whats with this water seperator i hear about for fuel?

Walmart has'em for $25, filters $5..one on my big boat..zero problems

 

[saltfisher]

Re: Whats with this water seperator i hear about for fuel?

anyone have a picture of one installed? How does the water get in there in the 1st place. Im not sure i understand how it seperates, and why. Is it because of the e10? Will my motor run better or normal with this filter installed and gas with e10 in it?

 

[Big Keepers]

Damn You Ethanol!!!

Damn You Ethanol!!!

After the episode I just put myself through I highly recommend the Racor fuel/water separator with the clear plastic bottom & drain plug. I "cleaned" my tank a few weeks back as part of the restore old boat project. Well I didn't clean the inside enough and didn't drain it well either. I've got lots of water in my fresh new gas. I saw it immediately in the filter bowl and drained about four Poland Spring bottles worth out. After three filters the motor refused to start anymore. Most likely I shot myself in the foot and fouled the carbs. I knew I should have quit while I was ahead but hell I like to gamble.

The newer Racor filters like I installed are 10 micron filters which should get a lot of the crap out of the tank. The problem is when you have as much water as I must have, they simply become overloaded. Still at least you'll know what is in there and maybe you won't run the engine too long on the garbage gas. I'll be finding a nice plastic 6 gallon portable for now to run my hugh gas guzzling 200 Yami outboard while I work out the main tank issue. What I do know is there is only 20 gallons of gas so that would equate to 2 gallons of ethanol tainted water. Now where to get rid of 20 horrible dirty gallons of gas?

 

[CharlieB]

Re: Whats with this water seperator i hear about for fuel?

Alcohol, ethenol or methenol, has an affinity for water. Think of it as a water magnet.
The alcohol molecule's structure is soo loose and unstable that it seems that it is lacking something. The water molecule's structure is quite stable, but is still a 'loose' structure.
The alcohol actually exhibits an attration to water and absorbes water right out of the atmosphere, the two molecules fit within the same space.

10% alcoholl in your tank, well, you've got 10% water in there also. As long as the mixture stays conjoiined, your motor will run a little bit hotter, cause it's just a bit lean on gas, but not a problem yet on liquid cooled engines.

The problems come from;
1. The water attacking the metals in the storage tank/lines/carburation systems

and 2. Alcohol evaporation leaving the water behind.

Filters are a MUST HAVE.

Annual or semi-annual carb cleaning to remove the deposits/metal oxidation caused by the water.

 

[saltfisher]

Re: Whats with this water seperator i hear about for fuel?

So if i pick one of these up at wal-mart, i can install this myself? Will it come with everything i need? Looks like there are 2 lines going in and 1 out? or how does this hook up? Sorry but this is new to me, as i was a car mechanic for years and never heard of anything like this.

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Whats with this water seperator i hear about for fuel?

The racor & quicksilver brands (don't know about sierrra) have 2 inlet & 2 outlet ports, you only need to use one of each. Just leave the blanking plugs in the other 2.

BTW, although these types of filter/seperators are a must they are not a garantee against water intrusion. If you get a bad load of fuel the bowl will fill up quickly and then the water will bypass the filter and enter the fuel system. They are designed to stop miniscule amounts of water, not bucket loads. Check and empty the bowl frequently.

 

[oldtortuga]

Re: Whats with this water seperator i hear about for fuel?

Hey all, I plan to take the groups advice and install a seperator filter on my gas system. I just bought and installed a new 60 HP EFI 4 Stroke Mercury outboard on my old pontoon boat last month.
Do you think that I should install the filter even if I use 2 six gallon portable plastic tanks installed on the back of the pontoon deck on either side of the motor ??
If the group thinks this is a good idea I would appreciate suggestions on the best location for the filter (height relative to tanks and motor ?).
Any issues with adequate fuel delivery to the motor ??
I looked at a filter on Overton's site and notice they also sell fuel hose barbs.
Is it as simple as cutting the fuel line tween the tank end and primer bulb, installing fuel line barbs on the cut ends and installing the filter between them ?
This is a great group and this newbie appreciates your advice.

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Whats with this water seperator i hear about for fuel?

Keep the filter as low as possible so as to avoid any priming issues (I have a 4stroke EFI, I never need to pump the bulb). You can connect both tanks to the one filter. The barbs usually are supplied in the kit.