Like Dennis says, there's no one way to do this. My 2 cents on Fuel Polishing.
Fuel worried me a great deal when I bought my boat since it had sat for two years. I don't motor much so the fuel sits and gets older each year. I have an 18 gallon tank, so I got me three 5 gallon jerry cans and ran the level down at the end of one season and over the winter, I pumped the remaining fuel out of the tank and gifted it to a friend's heating oil tank. I removed the fuel sender which gave me a large enough access hole, I could swab out the bottom of the tank. There wasn't a great deal of sludge and my worries may have been unjustified. But I knew what I had. Then I added the correct amount of biocide and SeaFoam for 15 gallons and added fresh fuel to the tank. Result: I found my Universal M4-30 started easier and more reliably every time. That was 12 years ago. I believe in using clean Fresh Fuel whenever possible. Did some research on Parker filters and how they are rated for something like 500 gallons before changing. I keep spares aboard but I only burn about 20 gallons a year. I changed my filters after 7 years (140 gallons) and they looked just fine. Now it's been 9 years but I burn even less fuel since moving my boat to the Chesapeake Bay. I may change the filters this year or next. Chapter two, This year my 29 year old OEM aluminum fuel tank developed pin holes and red liquid leaked onto my freshly painted bilge. I bought a new 30 gallon plastic tank and new fuel lines and will install those over the coming winter. This will give the boat enough range to run from Cape May to Block Island and should be good for another 30 plus years. Chuck Resolute 1990 C&C 34R Broad Creek, Magothy River, Md > On November 14, 2018 at 3:32 PM "Dennis C. via CnC-List" > <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > > +1 on everything Charlie said. > > I installed a vacuum gauge on Touche' years ago. Great decision. Let's > me run the filter elements much longer than before. > > I am pessimistic about fuel polishing. Unless the vendor has a super > dooper high pressure rig that can blast the corners and really suck > everything out, they are a waste of $$$. A friend of mine went to take his > boat to a race once in moderately rough seas. Got about an hour out and had > filter element pluggage. Changed elements and got boat back to home marina. > Had fuel polished. Started out next day with same result. Wasted $$$. > > It is much, much better to remove the tank and clean it than to have the > fuel polished. If you can get the tank out, inspect it for pinholes, throw a > handful of gravel in it, shake it a lot then rinse it thoroughly with water > followed by alcohol. > > Last year I helped a buddy clean his tank. He couldn't remove it so he > installed a diesel safe inspectin port in the top. We emptied the tank, > reached in and wiped all the crud out with rags. > > When I bought Touche', I completely cleaned the fuel system. It was > gasoline powered at the time and had been sitting for years. The fuel line > was a copper tube. I disconnected each end, placed a coffee can at one end > and squirted carburetor cleaner from the other end until it ran clear. > > I guess my point is that there is no silver bullet here. Having a clean > fuel system is critical and is worth any amount of work to make it reliable > is worth the effort. > > Dennis C. > Touche' 35-1 #83 > Mandeville, LA > > On Wed, Nov 14, 2018 at 1:50 PM Charlie Nelson via CnC-List < > cnc-list@cnc-list.com mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com > wrote: > > > > +1 on the uselessness of polishing your fuel. > > +1 on use of vacuum gauges if properly installed—their installation > > can introduce air leaks where they are installed. > > > > Screen on pick-up tube could also be clogged. > > > > +1 on removing all current fuel and crud by getting tank out of > > boat. A pita but doable if you can empty it first (electric or manual fuel > > pump via sender port). > > > > AFTER it is cleaned, check out operation. If problem still there, > > start searching for vacuum leaks or filter problems. > > > > FWIW > > > > Charlie Nelson > > 1995 C&C XL/kcb > > Water Phantom > > > > > > Sent from AOL Mobile Mail > > Get the new AOL app:http://mail.mobile.aol.com > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each > and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use > PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray > >
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