Issues bleeding/priming fuel line Fuelguard + Beta

[Woodfern]

Engine (Beta 43) started to need bleeding every now and again around September. Usually I just undo the bleed screw on the primary filter (Fuelguard FGD100) and loosen the nut holding the bowl on as per the manual and the fuel comes through.

 

This time, nothing came out. The bowl isn't filling at all. I have tried pumping the lever on the pump on the side on the engine, which I usually only have to do for the secondary, for what felt like an epoch and still nothing is coming through.

 

It has around a quarter tank or slightly more. A few months ago I ran out of diesel entirely and had to ferry jerry cans from the fuel station but was able to bleed it with less in the tank than I have now, and it's been OK ever since.

 

I'm thinking maybe a blockage in the fuel line between the tank and the primary, possibly diesel bug or gunk from when I ran out of fuel?

[pearley]

Take the pipe off and blow through it.

[Woodfern]

1 hour ago, pearley said:

Take the pipe off and blow through it.

Sorry for the stupid question, but do you mean take the pipe off at the inlet of the primary filter and blow towards the tank?

 

Realised that must be it - managed to blow it loose then sucked the diesel back through and it worked. Thank you!

 

Now to try to get rid of the gunk in my tank...

 

Edited February 19, 2022 by Woodfern

[BEngo]

A piece of copper or rigid plastic  tube poked down the filler and connected to a suitable pump can often  be used to suck the crud out of the bottom of a tank.

If you pump into a translucent container you can see what you are getting. Water as well as crud, if there is any.

 

Once pumped let the crud settle and pump the clear stuff off the top back into the tank.

N

[Alan de Enfield]

14 minutes ago, BEngo said:

If you pump into a translucent container you can see what you are getting. Water as well as crud, if there is any.

 

 

 

This is what I got - just over 200 litres of water out of the fuel tank.

Red band = Diesel

Clear = Water.

 

 

 

 

[BEngo]

Were you sold the water as part of a diesel fill up, or was this the Menai Straits getting aboard  unannounced?

 

N

[TheBiscuits]

22 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

This is what I got - just over 200 litres of water out of the fuel tank.

 

Looks more like one litre of water than 200 litres if it's only half of a 2 litre bottle ... 

 

[Tony Brooks]

45 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

This is what I got - just over 200 litres of water out of the fuel tank.

Red band = Diesel

Clear = Water.

 

 

 

I think Alan is being a bit mischievous here because if I remember rightly ti was caused by a loose tank inspection cover and a failed water hose/pipe so not a typical NB cause. however the photo is good. I have pumped several liters of water and a few more of gunk from my own boats tank when I frost started my annual tank cleaning regime.  I suspect the OP will find an intermediate layer of pink brown mucky stuff that also needs discarding and with a decent suction across the bottom of the tank plenty of dirt and rusticles as well.

[Alan de Enfield]

15 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

I think Alan is being a bit mischievous here because if I remember rightly ti was caused by a loose tank inspection cover and a failed water hose/pipe so not a typical NB cause. however the photo is good. I have pumped several liters of water and a few more of gunk from my own boats tank when I frost started my annual tank cleaning regime.  I suspect the OP will find an intermediate layer of pink brown mucky stuff that also needs discarding and with a decent suction across the bottom of the tank plenty of dirt and rusticles as well.

 

Not trying to mislead, just showing what diesel in water (or is it water in diesel) looks like.

Yes it was when the tank inspection hatch leaked at the time time as the Menai straits decided to fill the bilges.

 

 

45 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Looks more like one litre of water than 200 litres if it's only half of a 2 litre bottle ... 

 

 

 

You didn't see the other 200 bottles  ?

(Actually I pumped it out into an IBC which had the 'gauge' on the side so showed me how much water I pumped out)

[Woodfern]

Pumped the bottom of the tank out with an oil extractor - there was about a litre of black gunge before it came out pink. The filter itself was pretty clogged with black gunge as well.

[blackrose]

On 21/02/2022 at 15:08, Tony Brooks said:

 

 I have pumped several liters of water and a few more of gunk from my own boats tank when I frost started my annual tank cleaning regime.  

 

My boat is now 17 years old and I've never cleaned the tank. Last summer I dipped the tank with a clear plastic tube and there was no water or crud in there, just red diesel all the way down to the bottom. Have I just been lucky?

[Tony Brooks]

I think so, but I seem to recall you take care of your filler cap seal.

[Steve56]

On 19/02/2022 at 18:48, Woodfern said:

Engine (Beta 43) started to need bleeding every now and again around September. Usually I just undo the bleed screw on the primary filter (Fuelguard FGD100) and loosen the nut holding the bowl on as per the manual and the fuel comes through.

 

This time, nothing came out. The bowl isn't filling at all. I have tried pumping the lever on the pump on the side on the engine, which I usually only have to do for the secondary, for what felt like an epoch and still nothing is coming through.

 

It has around a quarter tank or slightly more. A few months ago I ran out of diesel entirely and had to ferry jerry cans from the fuel station but was able to bleed it with less in the tank than I have now, and it's been OK ever since.

 

I'm thinking maybe a blockage in the fuel line between the tank and the primary, possibly diesel bug or gunk from when I ran out of fuel?

If you have the bleed screws open on your primary filter you will never pull fuel through using your lift pump as it will only pull air. You would need to close bleed screws on primary filter, open bleed on secondary filter then pump the fuel through.

[john.k]

If you have black slimy snot in the tank,that is an organism,probablyseveral,that grow on the interface between water and hydrocarbon.....it will not go away,but grow ever more plentiful.......and the snotty nature blocks filters..and causes the valves in lift pumps to fail/leak back.......get a boat fuel biocide ,and dump into the tank......most will reverse the osmotic processes of the living  cells and cause them to disintegrate into a harmless  black sludge.and water.