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Mine proved unreliable and was removed many years ago.RichSent from Outlook Mobile
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The valve is handy to have in the circuit provided its working correctly.
Trash in the tank will prevent it from opening/closing. There’s no way to know it’s working properly though without taking it out and applying 12 volts to it.I moved mine to an accessible spot in the engine space when I moved my Racor.
If you ever find yourself manually priming the fuel system you have to remember to set the unit to bypass otherwise you won’t get fuel past it unless you have the ignition on.
The system will siphon if you ever lose a hose at a low spot. The fuel cut off will prevent this. A manual one will also if its been closed.
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You probably have the info you need by now about the fuel solenoid, but I had an experience with mine, and it caused lots of headaches.
Mine worked great until I got out of the US on an Exuma trip in 2013, and then just as I was entering the Bahama Banks at South Riding Rocks (note the name, “rocks”) my engine went dead. I let it sit for about 30 minutes and then when I cranked it, it ran fine….until the next time. On that trip it failed me 3-4 times, each time was totally at random and while motoring into a narrow channel with wind, current and rocks. Unfortunately I didn’t know the cause was the solenoid, so I started trouble shooting everything in the fuel system, especially filters and pumps, and ended up creating an even bigger problem by stripping out a fuel line banjo bolt going to the mechanical fuel pump. Had to fly a new one in to $taniel Cay. I spent weeks fixing things that were never broken. When I got back to Marathon a month later, I went to remove the solenoid and discovered that it had a set-screw that put it in bypass mode. One turn of the screw and all problems solved. It is still installed, but bypassed. I caused myself great pain by not knowing the root cause of the failures, and “fixing” everything else.
Charlie
OneEighty #54 -
Charlie, what you described ‘I let it sit for about 30 minutes and then when I cranked it, it ran fine’ is indicative of a fuel pick up obstruction. There’s likely something in the tank that when stirred up will block the p/u. Until the vacuum dissipates it won’t fall away. Tank interior scaling is sometimes a source, access plate sealing material (liquid gasket type) has been another common find. Sludge generally will get pulled into the tube and clogs filters. The amount of vacuum it creates is substantial.
Run the tank low in choppy waters and it may possibly re-occur.
The solenoid is pretty much go or no-go device. When it stops working it’s done. 30 minutes probably won’t change anything. -
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Chuck: Ooh, that is not good news. I was under the impression
that the solenoid would get hot and then cut off, and that cooling would re-set
it. Since I bypassed the solenoid I have crossed the Gulf (500miles with lots
of engine time) 3 times and have had no problems. That’s why I said
“problem solved”. I did, however consider fuel sludge being the
problem, but had since dismissed that. When I changed the fuel filters, they
were not in bad or dirty shape. I am, however, always in fear of engine
quitting just when I need it. I just put 50-60 hours on the engine last week
bringing the boat from Gulf Shores to Marathon, and plan to go to Cuba in
April. I really don’t want any mechanical issues there. I did just buy a
funnel fuel filter for use when I pour in my jerry cans fuel, or when I buy
fuel from a foreign marina. Has anyone had good/bad experience with those?Charlie
sv/OneEighty #54
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Chuck: Ooh, that is not good news. I was under the impression that the solenoid would get hot and then cut off, and that cooling would re-set it. Since I bypassed the solenoid I have crossed the Gulf (500miles with lots of engine time) 3 times and have had no problems. That’s why I said “problem solved”. I did, however consider fuel sludge being the problem, but had since dismissed that. When I changed the fuel filters, they were not in bad or dirty shape. I am, however, always in fear of engine quitting just when I need it. I just put 50-60 hours on the engine last week bringing the boat from Gulf Shores to Marathon, and plan to go to Cuba in April. I really don’t want any mechanical issues there. I did just buy a funnel fuel filter for use when I pour in my jerry cans fuel, or when I buy fuel from a foreign marina. Has anyone had good/bad experience with those?
Charlie
sv/OneEighty #54
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Hi All,
Some great stories out there. I am glad I found it.
Just had the dreaded diesel bug removed from my tank. Probably have to remove the tank in the near future due to some soft Aluminium bits at the bottom edges. When I do that I will have a small sump & valve fitted so as to drain off any water. I would add a valve to the bottom right now if I knew the integrity of the tank was good.
Back to the valve – and had I not found it, bleeding the air out could have led to a myriad of jobs as Charlie had in solving the problem.
I like the idea of relocating it, but I do have a manual valve close to dual Racor filters. A set of valves allows selection of filter unit.Cheers
Dennis
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