Fuel Water Separation- It's a pretty big job!

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Bigfishbob Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Fuel Water Separation- It's a pretty big job!
    Posted: 09 Apr 2017 at 7:14pm
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Does anybody know if any of the "wrong fuel" removal services does water separation?

Got home last night after being away for a week, after hurriedly cleaning and putting the boat away almost in the dark last Sunday night, to find I'd left the fuel filler open!

There was about 60 litres of gas in an 80 litre tank. After last week's deluge, I'm willing to bet there's a fair amount of water in there.


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote gunner Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Apr 2017 at 7:43pm
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Does the tank have a low point drain if so drain off the water until petrol starts coming and then put a cup full of meths in the tank it will absorb the water and go throught the fuel system reasonably well. Other than that you will need to drain and dump the fuel, its not cost effective to polish such a small amount of fuel.

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Bounty Hunter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Apr 2017 at 8:01pm
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remove the fuel level sender - stick an oil change - type suction pump down to the bottom of the tank and draw the water out 
No disintegrations!
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Got home last night after being away for a week, after hurriedly cleaning and putting the boat away almost in the dark last Sunday night, to find I'd left the fuel filler open!

You mean left it off at the gas station maybe??  did you fill up before or after the trip..
If before chances are the water filer will have water in... remove it and check it.. tip everything out...maybe time to cut it open and see what else is being filtered out also
 
End of the day thu best just to drain the tank...as suggested by BH above.
But if the tank is like many, the fuel sender is in the middle, and iff the tank / boat is on a slope (bow high), all the water will be at the pick up at the rear.. and if baffled, most likely,not able to get a syphon to the rear area of the tank easy... if at all.
 If you disconnect the fuel line from the input side if the filter, put an extension on.. maybe feed it out thru the rear bung hole, and syphon ... be it slow all out of the tank...
the water and any crap will come 1st...
 Once the water is finished, what is left will be good...
 Then top up with good fuel next time out

Check the filter by tipping out  as above and replace.
Since you now know all or at least most of the water is out, after the next trip, replace with new filter and  cut open  and check the old filter.

 the old school trick of meths in the fuel sort of works, but far better on the old leaded fuels of last century.
There is a secondary concern to doing this method... out 21 st century outboards are very finely tunes instruments..be carb 2S thru to injected 4S....and can be very sensitive to fuels with high, and unknown alcohol levels, espec if already use gas with OH added... and to things like octane ratings... play with meths, enough to disolve a possible substantial amount of water and you are looking at long term reliability of the engine...
 Drain the fuel from the pick up at lowest point till no more water ... be it slow
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote SpearPoint Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Apr 2017 at 10:46am
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I would not put meths through with your fuel. 

This may have worked back in the day but the meths you buy in a store these days isn't pure methanol, it's more of a blend. I know this as on the advice of our previous mechanic we put meths in the fuel and it stripped the fuel filter and dumped a bunch of **** into the carbs. 

If you can get pure methanol you should be fine but I wouldn't do it again.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote krow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Apr 2017 at 8:55pm
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Fit a fuel filter with a site glass and drain underneath (as you should have anyway) and carry on. You'll be surprised how LITTLE water actually made it into your tank. Been there done that.

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Big -Dave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Apr 2017 at 9:56pm
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I did the meths thing a few years ago. I drained the tank. Topped a liter of meths in, sloshed it around, then drained it again, managed to ge t about a liter and a half out, which i put back in to bottles. Over the next week, the meths and the water it had absorbed, seperated again.
So if you do the meths thing, empty the tank, tip meths in and drain again, then put petrol in with the drain open still to wash out any residue. Refit hoses and fill with petrol.
I second the glass seperator. I have one, mounted to be visible, every time i go out after a few weeks, the first 10 min i keep an eye on it..
you can't fix an idiot with duct tape, but it does muffle them for a while...
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MikeAqua Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Apr 2017 at 9:00am
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Originally posted by Shrekky Shrekky wrote:


I second the glass seperator. I have one, mounted to be visible, every time i go out after a few weeks, the first 10 min i keep an eye on it..


Where did you get your glass separator?  I've been lookign for a while but only ever seen the plastic kind, which go cloudy in UV.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote pjc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Apr 2017 at 1:24pm
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Originally posted by MikeAqua MikeAqua wrote:

Originally posted by Shrekky Shrekky wrote:


I second the glass seperator. I have one, mounted to be visible, every time i go out after a few weeks, the first 10 min i keep an eye on it..


Where did you get your glass separator?  I've been lookign for a while but only ever seen the plastic kind, which go cloudy in UV.
http://www.ryco.co.nz

we have one on the inboard,spare filter and just in case spare glass
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MikeAqua Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Apr 2017 at 1:35pm
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Originally posted by pjc pjc wrote:

http://www.ryco.co.nz

we have one on the inboard,spare filter and just in case spare glass


How does the nylon sight glass stand up to UV?  I don't have many suitbable locations for mine and anywhere visible is exposed to direct sunlight.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote viscount Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Apr 2017 at 1:38pm
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Use the recor type they are the best.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Big -Dave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Apr 2017 at 4:07pm
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Diesel repair shop...
Come to think of it, it might be poly carbonate, but still, it works well.
you can't fix an idiot with duct tape, but it does muffle them for a while...
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote pjc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Apr 2017 at 6:04pm
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Originally posted by MikeAqua MikeAqua wrote:

Originally posted by pjc pjc wrote:

http://www.ryco.co.nz

we have one on the inboard,spare filter and just in case spare glass


How does the nylon sight glass stand up to UV?  I don't have many suitbable locations for mine and anywhere visible is exposed to direct sunlight.
Mine is under a bunk so no help there,have no changed or drained in 3 yrs,tank kept full with anti 20mm in 30 lts,small diesel.I do look at it every time I go out,but will change next weekend as precaution.mine is actual glass.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Garry 23041 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Apr 2017 at 7:22am
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When I enlarged my tank I discovered that the pickup was off the bottom (diesel) and water etc would be stored in the bottom of the tank until I had about 10 litres of crap, then it would start working through the system.
Which it did to me and was a nightmare big time.

I changed the pickup to the base and fitted 2 racors with glass bowls and can monitor my fuel at a glance with no crap stored in the tank.

As long as your cap is raised a bit and the deck water can't run in there you may be fine in tems of quantity.
I am with the people who say get a good big glass bottomed filter with a drain, it's money well spent anyway.

A 500 series racor perhaps?
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote 3rnzir Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Apr 2017 at 3:44pm
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See your local auto mechanic and borrow a fuel transfer pump.
Chuck the good gas into your missus car.
You may need to change your OB separator a couple of times just to be safe.
Fuel sensor alarm should let you know if there are probs.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Steps Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Apr 2017 at 5:08pm
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See your local auto mechanic and borrow a fuel transfer pump.

 Yep I still go with what I recon above about pulling the fuel line off the inlet of the filter, poke out thru the bung and syphon  (or fuel transfer pump, the fuel from the lowest point... the fuel pick up point.
 Espec as the actual amount of water is unknown, and the boat is still, and water settled not being shaken up in a moving boat..
 The water is picked up 1st .. and when no more water comes out.. just fuel, the filter will easy take care of the rest...
If only a little.. then at least you know

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Bigfishbob Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Apr 2017 at 12:10pm
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Thanks everybody, that gives me a clear view on what to do. I have a glass separator, but am assuming the amount and intensity of rain we had over that week, that there'll be more in there than the separator can handle.  There certainly wasn't any running off the deck, it would have been whatever rain hit the opening.

Don't like the Meths idea, It's a fuel injected two stroke, injectors hate water in any form and are expensive. 

I do like the idea of syphoning/pumping from the bottom of the tank first until the water is gone, agree the water sepearating filter will get the rest.

Looks like the lawnmower is going to have enough fuel to last it for the next 20 years!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote 3rnzir Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Apr 2017 at 12:55pm
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If you have a optimax the filter is an easy change out.Just get the filter removal tool as well.Not much $$$.
The 91 gas from the boat should be fine ib the family wagon if you dilute the mix a bit.As in 50:50 old and new gas in the wagon.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Steps Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Apr 2017 at 3:49pm
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I do like the idea of syphoning/pumping from the bottom of the tank first until the water is gone, agree the water sepearating filter will get the rest.

Looks like the lawnmower is going to have enough fuel to last it for the next 20 years!

 Dont bet on it... you ASSUME there MAYBE a substantial amount, and are not prepared to risk it.
 I do believe as someone suggested above you will be surprised just how little u will remove before getting good fuel.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Big -Dave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Apr 2017 at 9:01pm
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I was out last weekend, saturday, raced around, kept an eyemon the water seperator as it was the first trip in a few weeks, no water.
Sunday, we went out again, and 5 min out, i looked, and the sodding thing was full of water..drained it, checked the filters under the motor cover, and all was well..didnt make it that far.
It often seems that i get it all in a glut every now and then.
you can't fix an idiot with duct tape, but it does muffle them for a while...
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