Tony Brooks

If you want a bit of light reading try this: https://indigodream.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/cav-diesel-fuel-filter.pdf My version is far newer with things like fuel heaters in it, but I can't find that on online.

FWIW I thought that at first, and it needed a fair bit of research to find out that was not the way they work. I THINK a pleated element may be more amenable to work in reverse. When I tried t discuss using their pleated filter in pocket filter and discuss their relative efficiency with a Filtre Auto technical chap he did not want to discuss the relative efficiencies and just said "we have had no problems". Make what you will of that but I always seek a pocket filter for diesel.

I was a 35ft wooden cruiser built by a south coast builder, so not that light. Whilst I was happy out on the river on yellow in Jenny B, I would hope hirers would not, but there were always odd things happening to school parties. Sometimes I wondered what those in charge had between their ears.

Agreed, the Lidle one worked for me for years until the motor burned out. The Alde one I replaced it with went out of alignment within a year or so, still fine for cutting logs to size though - its main use nowadays.

How long are these sections? To be honest I would be reluctant to try any sort of pull through in case it got stuck. If you are willing to take that risk you might be able to push a length solid copper conductor (house cable) through the pipe and then twist the centre of a small piece of lint free cloth in the end to act as a pull through.

I did maybe six years on the Thames hire fleet and there was often a bit of flow early and late in the season. As far as I can recall there was only one anchoring incident when a school party on two boats decided to go into Benson upper weir pool. Today the river would have been on yellow boards. One boat did suffer engine failure caused by a blocked cooling water inlet, so they deployed the anchor. For some reason I can't work out a pupil got the rope around his leg and got pitched into the river. He died, but the CQR anchor held. They were not very heavy CQRs, certainly lighter than the Danforth I had in the narrow boat.

I think that should be Marine 16 Shock Treatment, not the maintenance product.

The way agglomeators work is that ting droplets of water that can not pass through the filter paper start to build up on the surface because they can't get through the small pores. As they build up they merge like rain in a window and get larger. Eventually the fuel pressure over the area of the drop's surface creates sufficient pressure in the drop to force it through the small pore, so now you have a large water drop on the clean side. The drop is much larger and thus heavier than the original droplets so it can far more readily drop through the clean fuel. The baffles on the holes in the bottom of the filter will cause the fuel to rotate in the bowl and centrifuge (to a degree) the large droplets to the side while the lighter fuel turns 180 degrees to exit up the centre hole sans the water that collects in the bowl. If you reverse the flow the larger water drops will just lay in the bottom of the pockets and gradually build up. There is far less space in the pockets than in the bowl. Also, if the fuel flow manages to lift the water drops there will be no centrifugal effect to spin the water to the side (no angled baffles on the top) but is will also be very close to what will now be the clean fuel outlet, and as the top of these filters has a rim water is likely to build up on it, bringing it even closer to the "outlet" port (note: the question relates to reversing the flow through the filter so this "outlet" is really the inlet as designed). Will it clean dirt and dust from the fuel - yes. Will it clear water droplets - up to a point probably yes but at a much reduces service life. Will a glass/plastic bowl or the drain tap ever show ann water - almost certainly no. Is that the filter manufacturer or the engine manufacturer? If you look at the photos that RLWP posted on the previous page you can work out from the arrows which way CAV designed it. I think that you have this wrong. Pleated filters will store both muck and water in the bowl. pocket filter will store water in the bowl and muck in the filter pockets.

That is the way the fuel should flow - into the bowl, through the filter, out the top. There is nothing to stop you plumbing it the other way but why would you want to store the water and muck in the small volume inside the filter element rather than in the bowl that can have an extra extension fitted to store more horrible stuff. I think that what might be causing confusion is the two types of filer that can be fitted to these units. The ordinary pleated filters have a solid top plate sealed to the nose on the filter head by an O ring, so fuel has to flow over the plate to the sides and then down into the bowl and through the pleated filter paper. It also has a solid bottom plate. The pleated filters have a punched top plate, still sealed to the nose so fuel can flow down through the filter and through the sides of the "pocket". It then continues to flow downwards through holes in the baseplate that are baffled to impart some spin on the flow. The centre of the filter is an "oversized" metal tube sealed to the bottom and top plate that provides the outlet path.

I find them OK and no worse than the cheaper ranges from the DIY sheds. O find them fine for amateur use about the house/boat.

What is the start battery voltage while cranking? Have you cleaned the mating surfaces of the battery terminals to bright metal and refitted them? I would use a smear of Vaseline between the two surfaces if it were mine. If you had lost compression it should spin over faster than normal - with a good battery. I can't see how you can gain compression that would slow the cranking unless water has got into the cylinders.

How about Uxbridge Boat Centre? When at home (Reading) I tended to use them if Sheridan did not have what I wanted.

During our long summer cruises we always found a marina to leave the boat if for a week or so while we went home. Basically look at Nicks and phone around. I guess it would be more difficult in winter when the berth holders would tend to be back.

If it is shorting it may well have driven some water off, but then it would be more difficult to get a sample. I also think that the suspended matter may increase the specific gravity of the liquid.

I was just about to ask about chimney height, but Tracy beat me to it. It sounds as if it may not be burning properly an dlack of chimney draw could be the reason. Have you seen the height of the chimneys on the Bu uble Stove trailer at shows.

Because it is indicative of the plates shedding their material and that will build up in the sediment traps at the bottom of the cell and cause a short circuit.

All I know is that I am sure I have seen GRP bow thruster tubes advertised, Vetus I think. I did say I had no idea how they would be attached to a steel boat

I don't think this is the first time you have taken a pop at contributors who really know their subject and try to ensure misleading information is countered. If you have yet to work out who knows what they are talking about and who may not perhaps it would be better to stay quiet. FYI When I worked at a hire fleet the boats started to come out in October to be painted in the open air. The painters never pained after lunch or before they were sure all the dew had gone. Sometimes they messed up and the next morning fund that they had a matt finish. This tells me that Matty is correct. It also seems clear to me that LadyG often posts very questionable advice on all sorts of topics so to prevent misleading others needs putting straight. I don't for a minute think she does it for anything other than the best of motives. As far as I am concerned, yes his opinion does count, and counts far more than anything I have seen from you.

I think I have said all I can without a full engine and charging wiring diagram complete with terminal markings on the equipment. Go with what Nick says he is very hot on electronics.

And that is probably the most vital thing unless you want to destroy batteries.

I have not worked it out but typically large inverter boats tend to use between abut 440 and 660 Ah worth of batteries but if you only intend to draw a maximum of 1Kw for a few minutes then maybe a bit less, and the larger the load and for longer the more you need. Also will you be running your engine when running high loads.

Definitely a possibility, but without being there I can't say more. That might explain why there seems to be a negative bus bar rather than everything gong to a battery negative. I suppose a reasonable question now would be: is the negative bus bar insulated from the metal hull.

Dynostarts usually have a charging control box that also contains a relay to direct power to the actual start part of the machine. Whatever battery is used to power the dynostart probably needs its negative connection to both the dynostatr body and the control box so you may have broken the circuit to the control box negative.