inline flow ezy fuel filters

Lifes Good

Hey just sharing an interesting find.  

Back in 2009 in installed a flo scan 9000. Best investment on the boat by far!  It requires inline micron filters prior to the sensors which I have.  Today I decided check the screens expecting to find small amounts of grime since they are 5 years old.  The port was 100% clean.  Not a spec!  The starboard was the same with only one exception.  It looked like a 1/2 inch long thin silicone ribbon when I pulled it from the screen.  When it dryed up it turned out to be the cloth material you use at the fuel dock to wipe up spilled fuel. I have always been careful not to get to close to the fill area in fear of dropping parts of it into the tank.  Well I guess I need to be extra extra careful.  It never caused any issues though it could have plugged the fuel flow and caused frustration finding the gremlin.... I also found the o rings in the filters failing so that was a good catch too.  Spares on order.  The other find was since the screens were spotless,  I am guessing my 8 year old fuel tanks are very clean!  I never use fuel with corn!  (*)

Just say'n

LG

pepmyster

Very good!

Michael T

All of the marinas in my area carry non-ethanol fuel, either 91 or 92 octane. Thank God! MT

Dream_Inn

I sure wish we had non-ethanol!  I saw one place that had high-octane non-enthanol in cape Charles last year and it was more than an additional $1/gal!  Was not gonna happen when I needed over 250 gallons!

Black_Diamond

We have non-ethanol gas with Valvetech at my home port, about $5/gallon.  I can buy regular gas - ethanol free - at a local Shell station and it's $4.80/gal.  So not feeling too bad about marina gas costs.

raybo3

I pay about $4.19 but its ethanol. No non-ethanol around here..

212rowboat

If ya stuck with corn liquor, use star tron... stuff is worth every penny... 

Lifes Good

My last marina fill up in August was $4.35 corn free. Felt good about that. About $.50 over road gas which has lots of corn! 

MarkB

Our ethanol free fuel here is around $5 per gallon. 

Michael T

I pay about $4.65 per gallon. One canadian gallon (actually a British measure in Canada) equals 1.198 American gallons. However, one USD is worth $1.13 CDN so it's pretty close when comparing the value of pricing right now. When all is done I pay about $4.60 U.S.  per gallon of 91 or 92. The ethanol crap is seen as so bad by marinas here in Canada that it is almost impossible to get. Everyone is using non-ethanol fuel. I am 100% with Drew though, use Startron if using ethanol. In fact most of us Startron even with 91 and 92 to deal with any tank moisture and for some lubrication. BTW Starbrite makes a product that got a great review in a technical magazine a friend had. It is called Starbrite gasoline stabilizer/fogging oil
PN 84332CA1V3.  I bought a  32 0z container of it at West Marine today for about 25 bucks, on sale. You add it to your last tank of gas for the year and run your engine(s) for ten minutes then turn them off for the winter. Allegedly, it is the next best thing to fogging oil - which has been outlawed by the idiot tree hugging faction in Canada who have gotten our EPA to ban it. Do any of those guys drive vehicles? MT 

Lifes Good

LOL!  tree hugers a minority have nothing better to do than control us while driving there gas cars to change the way we live.... really... and we let them get away with it as it feels good... and battery is really better.  Look at the facts! We live in a BS world.  Maybe the movie matrix has it right.. well thank god for boats and 1 mpg! Ok back to waxing my boat!

Dream_Inn

wow, you guys have a bit higher price on fuel, albeit non-ethanol.  I have no choice except ethanol fuel and I filled up last weekend at $3.83/gal (after 260 gal, it still seems to cost a lot!)

MT, I use the starbrite stabilizer each winter as well.  It's under $20 here (http://www.westmarine.com/buy/star-brite--ez-to-start-fuel-additive-stabilizer-32oz--4754693)

Dream_Inn

 RY, I'm talking current prices.  Not 3 years ago when you last filled up!

212rowboat

are you sure your fuel gauge works yan?

Cableguy Greg

In Pittsburgh, fuel on the river is all over the place. The marina next to mine has ethanol gas with valvetech for $4.29. Unfortunately I have to go through a lock to get there, but well worth the savings. The 2 fuel docks where I don't have to lock through are charging $4.99. I wish those Maryland prices would make it up to Pittsburgh.

Michael T

Steve, if I had to eat every third day to afford my fuel I'd be a skinny boater with a big grin! Cancelled the kids' dental plans the other day and told them to duck if a puck or stick was headed for their pearlies - either that or be prepared to not smile. My priorities fuel, booze, sun, food and well, plus the other one. Wait, the Admiral then the others or no -  maybe fuel THEN the Admiral and the others. BTW I didn't cancel MY dental plan - that's why I can be cocky. No matter what I'll always have fuel and decent teeth!  Go big blocks! MT

Michael T

Steve, WHAT economic status? I'm middle class - we're all extinct! :-) MT

terrypage

Herein the UK I pay £8 plus per gal.  You guys are so lucky. I payed £300 and the fuel guage read just under 3/4 full.  Oh we'll I still wouldn't be without my (Love)!!!!!!

terrypage

Yea I wish I was entitled.  Ha Ha!!!!!

Dream_Inn

Steve, you say middle class does not go out and buy a new boat. That is exactly who does go out and buy a new boat.  The middle class saves their hard earnings and spends it for that extra fun item.  I know I'm no more than the middle class.  I've had many people ask how I can just go and not worry about fuel.  We save every penny to make it happen.  None of my family have 'smart' phones.  That right there is two tanks or more of gas a year.  We spend our vacations on the boat, not flying to wherever (yes, we do a cruise every other year, but I get that relatively cheap right out of Baltimore).  I guess my point is, boating is where we spend the money and are frugal in other places.  I bet many others here can say the same.

Black_Diamond

++ to Dream.  it's all about where you spend and do not spend.  Friends ask about sya a trip 'north' via boat, which is roughly $2k in fuel for me r/t then marina fees, so maybe $2,500 or so.  I can bring my own food and drink, cook/bbq on board.  So let's say $3k for a week +.  Take a look at a simple hotel room up northern Michigan in the summer: $200-400 a night easily (not upscale places either).  Easily over $2k, then eat out 2-3 times a day, gas for the car.  So break even on money just for giggles.  But I get to see white sand beaches for the 'drive' via water, visit islands on the way up, etc.  I think the boat trip wins.

Michael T

BD - don't forget about the summer road construction line-ups on the highways, a crying baby and kids in the next hotel room complaining that they miss their toys and friends back home....oh yeah - boating wins. Sure, I love to go for a drive too BUT stay between the lines, watch your speed or get tickets, slow downs, line ups - OR -boating out on the lake or fiver TOP DOWN (tops down, if you're lucky enough to see some lol) being able to carve a nice S in the water (no lines  to stay within), jump a wake, dump the kids off a tube (worth the gas price for that one alone Ha Ha), sun tanning, sun rises, sunsets, fishing, kids swimming and NOT complaining "are we there yet" as they KNOW already they ARE there. Anchor in a bay alone or with friends - have a nice drink(s) as the night settles over the water. IMO it's one of the last places of freedom left on earth for we middle class "taxed to death" individuals. Price for gas, some maintenance, talkin' boats with slip mates, mooring mates, new boat people we meet along the way and the AWESOME guys/gals on this list - worth EVERY dollar I spend - no apologies to anyone -don't give it a friggin' second thought. MT

Dream_Inn

RY, no I would not go right out and buy a 250k boat.  I'd go look for the best price I could get on a used boat and then leave my ultimatum low price (hoping they'd go for it).  The so called poor in this country spend more on things I'd never waste my 'monthly' allowance on.  (way too many people look at what they can afford monthly - don't even get me started on that one)

I guess we should get back on those filters :

212rowboat

I just received n email/advert from the broker I bought the rinker from... They are Sea Ray dealers... seems they have a brand new 41' for sale for $425k down from msrp of $760k I think it was... that speaks volumes, there... The upper middle class is disappearing in this country, along with the rest of the middle class...  Clark Howard maybe said it best when he said "you've got until 2018 to reach 'affluent', after that it will be almost impossible without a windfall of some sort"... He implied it will get tougher every year along the way, too... I'm inclined to agree with him... The base cost of living grows, return on investments shrink, taxes expand, salaries/wages stagnate... It's not a good formula... 

This brings me to: quality... I don't expect to reach affluence, but I do plan on surrounding myself with quality products as opposed to scratching an itch just because it feels good.. I chose my boat for my purposes, and I'm very happy with my lil 212 captiva.. I don't want a weekender like most you fellas have.. it would be far greater an annoyance than anything else in these waters for my purpose... this ought to be the last boat I buy cause I don't see that changing... Glad I bought it and I'm happy with rinker, but mostly I'm happy with them because the prior owner did a good job maintaining it... Without that, I'd be in the same boat (no pun intended) as RY... 

I didn't trust just a broker... I didn't and don't need near as extensive a survey as you fellas.. A couple hours and I was set... buying used is tricky... Buying used is hugely cheaper than buying new.. gotta gamble, no? 

Sorry your gal is giving you grief brother yan, but it sounds like you're reaching the service life of that thing and will be needeing to unload it and dump cash into replacing it, or dump money into repairing it, or dump money into getting her ready for sale... bad position. sucks. Sorry. 

212rowboat

Sorry I'm combining two threads with that response... 

Lifes Good

So how about those filters?   LOL! 

Black_Diamond

LG: did you have the in-line merc fuel filter too and added the additional one?  I just have the in-line one before my flow monitors. 

Lifes Good

VP engines 5.0.  Yes fuel water filter separators on engines.  

 Just after the on off switches I added the inline micron filters.  Their purpose is to screen fine dirt or pebbles before the fuel sensors to prevent damaging the internal paddle wheel that reads fuel flow.  

Lifes Good

EFI's have a low pressure and high pressure pumps.  So no issue on pulling fuel at high rpms.

DanD2

Lifes Good said:

EFI's have a low pressure and high pressure pumps.  So no issue on pulling fuel at high rpms.

Good to know as I plan on putting fuel monitors on in the spring.

212rowboat

Uh... Fellers... where is the tap for the meters?  if you're reducing pressure on an efi engine you're also reducing fuel delivery... The difference in delivery for a half psi is considerable.... For instance, a difference of 47 and 47.5psi on a seimens 24# gen two four hole injector is 35cc.. not onlys does pressure matter, the spray characteristics of the injectors change... 

My advice, fwiw, is to get a gauge on the rail with and without the meter intercept, and put a specific on the pressure, and then find a tuner that can increase the duty cycle of the injector a commensurate amount... Running lean on the top end is a dangerous prospect...