DIY Fuel Polishing System

Our yacht's engine faltered and stopped as we motored down the Irish Sea - contaminated fuel had blocked the primary filter. Replacing the filter in a rolling boat wasn't a huge amount of fun! With biofuel now increasing the risk of diesel bug, we decided to build a portable fuel polishing system to prevent this happening again.

[@mrjweate]

I just did an emergency first filter and fine filter change in heaving seas on the way to Lord Howe Island from Sydney. A life time of gunk and water had been stirred up and my Racor 500 bowel was a dark brown. And the engine dead. Success. But what a hassle. In Sydney, I cannot find a professional fuel polishing and tank-cleaning service. Go figure! I realised I would need to DIY, but didn’t know where to start. Thanks for a great timely video. Keep me posted on updates.

[@HenryBoshoff]

Do have a look at Acorn Filtration on the DAT1 onboard diesel filter. The filters will not only remove free water, but they will even remove saturated water with an efficiency of 99.9%. One can simply drain the water from the bowl when necessary. It is also equipped with a 10-micron, 3-micron, or even submicron particle filter cartridge option. Nice to know info. Henry Boshoff

[@leftcoastcruising7080]

Great setup, thanks for sharing - from another Keating in British Columbia, Canada.

[@pippashaw8224]

We made a system like that for our boat but we shopped around and picked up a copy racor filter fg500 for £38 on-line. It’s been working for the last 5 + years and still going fine. It take’s the same filters. Sailed a lot on a Vancouver 38 Pilot. Great boats.

[@harrykapper7410]

Thanks for your experience with the copy Racor.

[@hughburton9021]

Thanks so much for sharing! As a new to diesel powered sailboat owner I’m still in the “who knew?” Category and didn’t know diesel polishing was a thing

[@sailingaphrodite4189]

A smashing video as I always use diesel from the local garage and fill from jerry cans via a Mr Funnel which takes ages. A parts list would be really, really useful.

[@Maunie38]

Thanks for your kind comments. The July edition of Practical Boat Owner (on sale today!) has an article about the project, with the part numbers shown in the layout drawing.

[@eliasgordon4321]

Cool set up! Good idea adding some color to the water, it was impressive seeing how quickly it collected at the bottom of the separator.

[@miketcq8]

Great video Graham, one of the best diesel fuel polisher I've seen here on KZbin.

[@mymobile5014]

I am just starting to look for solution and this is the easiest, simplest one I have seen so far. Prices have gone up somewhat but hey ho. Thanks for a great video.

[@nigeanddonnassailingadventures]

Thank you Graham a very nice and informative video on something that affects us all .We just suffered the same cough and splutter of a chocked filter while trying to set anchor late into the evening. We’re off to the chandeliers in Marsala Sicily tomorrow to see what parts we can muster up to try and build something similar. Thanks.Nige and Donna.😊

[@ianmac86]

Thank you for such a clear and easy to understand video. I reckon that even I could now make one of those for my 1985 cruiser. Very much appreciated.

[@Toph7444]

Excellent video! Very clear and concise. Thank you!

[@lynalllynall9082]

Excellent, just bought the pump and seperator to do the same job, then thought why not take a look on youtube? and theres your video, like the build it in a box idea.

[@MondoRockable]

Piece of mind from clean tanks and diesel ... priceless.

[@faisalalhashar5831]

Great video and well technically presented - you should try to make a few of these a year and sell them for a good profit, there are many of us out there that are not technically competent or don’t have the time, would be interested in buying a ready made one. I checked in the internet, there is no system available for sale.

[@matui6983]

If you want to step up your " polishing system" then install a magnetic filter in the suction side then an ultra-violet light inside a box or tube that the fuel can pass thru then a fuel heater ( up to around 40C) then into your choice of Racor/Dahl or even a double CAV filter style but use biggest 796 cartridges instead of std 296 units. Electric pump needs to be capable of up to 15psi and biggest flow rate that your filters can accept. A vaccuum gauge is also a great investment. A vortex filter can be made and installed also. Been doing this method for last 30 years.

[@skyvdara]

I found the magnetic that can be connected to MaunieofArdwall's useful system but am having trouble finding a usable, compact inline UV light and fuel heater. Can someone point me in the right direction?

[@matui6983]

@@skyvdara The ones I know of are made and sold here in New Zealand. From small to large units. Ive seen CAV filter units fitted with a heater unit in the bottom of the Alloy bowl that can be fitted to them and a 12volt UV light source fitted to the same CAV unit but with the square glass bowl that has a thicker alloy base under that. Both units worked extremely well. And were cheap units to both buy and modify.

[@skyvdara]

@@matui6983, Interesting. So both where nicely fitted to the filter. Sounds compact! Heater in the bottom of the alloy bowl and UV light fitted within the square glass. I'll be searching for it! Additionally to your point earlier, Sailing Wind Rose (Ep 019 min 3:50) shows the magnetic unit built into the polishing system. But again, the UV light and heater are missing. Thanks again!

[@matthewbattie1022]

Buy a FASS and you will have a whole system that separates, filters, and heats. They work awesome and can go inline, taking place of your OEM pump!

[@alanmelvillesbicycleriding1085]

Excellent job well done. Simple and efficient, unusual for an Engineer..... 😂😂😂 Just having a lend of ya....aussie humour...... I'm going to source and build the same thing here in Aus, and fly it over with me. My boat has been sitting in a marina on Rebak Island for 2 years and I'm quietly shi***g myself in regards to the fuel. I was astounded to learn that none of the tradies on the island offer fuel polishing. Did you get much crud out of the tanks? Cheers. Al.

[@andrewhardcastle7982]

Great idea Nicky put together!

[@MrKeeponrolin]

You wouldn't want to go through airport security with that case.

[@davetaylor9255]

Brilliant video! Came across it when searching for DIY fuel polishing for our 57ft canal narrowboat. Now assembling the components to build my own. Found a Chinese Racor 500G copy for less than £30. I gather it's important to make sure that the filter is completely flooded with fuel, otherwise air can remain trapped at the top and so some of the filter remains unused. How did you overcome that with your suction system?

[@Oysterseagull]

We have a racor filter btween the tank and the lift pump, and a seperate fuel debug filter circuit to remove fuel from the bottom of the tank, filter it an return it.

[@MoosePantz]

Very simple, and well explained. Thank you much! And I love the cat.

[@Maunie38]

Glad it was helpful!

[@SteveRoofer]

Jus what I was looking for my engine failed because of fuel contamination 20 miles out at see in Italy about a month ago I now need to clean the tank and this looks like the way to do it

[@g.i.gondesen3266]

Well done. Smart system. Thx for sharing

[@stevenschapera2888]

Do you have the pump PUSHING through the filter, or SUCKING through the filter? ASAP seem to recommend sucking, but that’s not how pumps are designed. How did you set it up?

[@Maunie38]

We followed ASAP's advice so the fuel goes through the filter first then the pump - seems to work perfectly.

[@CliveParry-i2v]

Hi, Excellent design so I am about to build one of these. The "package" of parts costs over £500 from ASAP (a firm I use and like) but I see much cheaper alternatives elsewhere. Normally, I say "do it once and do it properly"... but for a non-critical item, what are the pitfalls of cheap alternatives??

[@nunop6606]

Happy with the solution? Great video

[@Maunie38]

Yes, thanks. It seems to be working well to prevent growth at the bottom of the tank.

[@dieselscience]

I'm sorry I didn't see this video before now. I recently finished a Master of Engineering and wrote my thesis on hydrocarbon utilizing microorganisms. In three words: _They are nasty._ My focus was in the oil and gas reservoir but storage and distribution is plagued, also.

[@hankgibson8848]

Can you show a quick diagram of the wiring? Where did you ground the Facet? The switch? Or somewhere in the case? Thanks.

[@Maunie38]

No specific grounding required. The 12v negative wire goes straight to the pump and the 12v positive goes to the single pole switch and then onto the +ve terminal on the pump. The 'cigarette lighter' 12v plug has a 5A fuse in it but the 12v sockets in boat are in a circuit with a dedicated circuit breaker.

[@TroyaE117]

These late-model Racor filters are puzzling. I notice that the unfiltered liquid enters down the centre and rises up the outside. What if they draw air? Does the air make it down the centre and up the outside and stop the engine before you can see the air? The earlier Racor designs, the 200FG, feed the unfiltered fuel down the outside of the centre filter and give ample warning of the ingress of air (you see it appearing outside of the fuel "skirt"). You get to see air before it stops the motor and you have time to take remedial action.

[@SuperDirk1965]

If you're looking at your fuel filter whilst motoring that is. My fuel filter is invisible from where I steer the boat.

[@TroyaE117]

​@@SuperDirk1965Well you don't look at the filter all the time but check it frequently. Cut a little sight glass and rig up a light so you can see it. Always check the last of the Jerry can for debris and crud. Pour the last half pint in to a clear container.

[@DirkJacobsz]

Stunning - inspiring - i want one - thank you

[@dna194]

Brilliant! I hope you don’t mind if I build myself one…✌️😬

[@darrengillesdarrengilles8336]

is this good for regular gas

[@matthewhutchinson4942]

What would the procedure be to prime it? Thanks 👍

[@grahamkeating751]

Initially I took the lid off the Racor and put some clean fuel into the bowl; it then primed straight away. after that I close the valves after use so the pump and Racor have fuel in them and it primes immediately

[@euphonyx3514]

does it not churn up the gunk as the polished fuel is fired back into the tank?

[@grahamkeating751]

not found that to be a problem - we tend to use it on a fairly full tank so the returning fuel probably only disturbs the top couple of inches in the tank,

[@mvemerson]

What a wonderfully educational video. Thank you!

[@russseff1246]

Very informative video. Thanks, Do you have a link for that case?

[@MY_SOLACE]

Great video and idea. I’m planning on doing the same. However, I would like to have a higher volume pump and a bigger Racor filter. How many microns was your filter? And why?

[@Maunie38]

Thanks for your comments. Going for a higher volume pump would cut down the time to circulate all the fuel in your tank through the filter but will cost more. In reality the important fuel to filter is the 25 litres or so at the bottom of the tank (this is where any diesel bug will be) so running the 120 litre per hour pump for an hour every now and then is all you need I think. I’d only go for a bigger pump if you were primarily planning to use this as a fuel transfer system from jerrycans. I went for 10 micron filter size on advice from the technical guys at ASAP supplies. You could opt for the 2 micron version but they reckon that the gelatinous nature of fuel bug would mean that the 10 micron would get it all.

[@MY_SOLACE]

@@Maunie38 Thank you for the input. I think, I will also install 10 microns. The rationale for faster pump and bigger filter due in part on the size of my fuel tank at 1100 gallons. And, I have the space. 2005 Viking Princess 67 (2) C15 Cats. I believe Cat requires a filtering minimum of 30 microns.

[@ralph9987]

Is the filter on the suction or pressure side of the pump?

[@grahamkeating751]

the pump is after the Racor

[@davidlove9076]

Well done on such a clear video - thank you. Your PBO article is very timely for me as I've had this on my to-do list for a bit. May I ask if there is any advantage in adding a second 2 micron filter to the cleaning system, or would this simply be unnecessary overkill?

[@Maunie38]

Thanks for your kind comments. I think a second filter might be expensive overkill but you could just leave the pump circulating with the 10 micron then swap the Racor filter element for a 2 micron and continue circulating for extra peace of mind

[@stephanczapiewski3078]

my onboard system comprises a primary 20 micron primary filter/water separator followed by separate 10 micron fine filter... I presume you have similar set up? but are using only a single primary 10 micron filter for portable polishing set up as 'preventative maintenance' to avoid your onboard system from fouling underway. How often are you finding you need to polish now you had the system running for a year? ps excellent video btw!

[@Maunie38]

We have a similar in line set up for the engine and, yes, this polisher is a preventative maintenance system. I ran it the other day after the boat was laid up in the yard for 5 months - initially the diesel looked a bit opaque in the filter bowl but after a few minutes it was completely clear. The cloudiness probably wouldn’t have been bad enough to stop the engine but it would have partially clogged the primary (and possibly secondly ) filter. so this pre-filtering / polishing has given me peace of mind before re-launching the boat (particularly because I know I’ve got at the very bottom of the tank where any water or sediment had settled and which would have been mixed up into the rest of the diesel as soon as we started sailing in bumpy conditions).

[@crischnak]

Fantastic stuff. My tank in the boat is realy clogged up u reckon running this could work or should I empty and clean tank properly? Will it get to the alges?

[@Maunie38]

I'd suggest that our solution is for regular maintenance of your fuel and prevention of diesel bug. If the tank is really contaminated, the filter will clog up very quickly so I think the best course of action would be to get the tank professionally cleaned

[@joeanderson9056]

I was thinking about designing a portable system when I ran across your video. I like your design. Do you find you need the ball valve on the output side of the filter? Did you bolt through the back of the case or did you glue some pieces of wood to the case and screwed your panel into them?

[@Maunie38]

Hi Joe, thanks for the comments. I think that the the two valves are necessary to stop diesel leaking out of the filter when the unit is in storage. I bolted everything to the 8mm plywood back board then bolted that into the case with 4 bolts drilled and tapped through the feet of the case, with a little sealant added.

[@lawrencerenes8542]

Thank you for sharing this! 2 questions if I may: What is the diameter of the copper pipe, and what are the inner measurements of the case please? Thank you!

[@Maunie38]

The pipe is 3/8” (about 10mm) outside diameter, about 7mm inside diameter. The internal measurements of the case are 500 x 350 mm x 160mm I could have got away with a smaller case if I’d used 90 degree spigots on the Racor but you need to make sure there’s enough space above the top of the Racor to allow the filter element to be removed.

[@lawrencerenes8542]

@@Maunie38 Thank you!

[@richardhaight5035]

Would this work on gasoline?

[@chuckhoulihan1151]

Where is the vaccuum gauge?

[@evennmoore4657]

thank you for posting this

[@10Lifeorg]

So awesome!

[@stephenforrow2333]

I have a system almost exactly the same, but mounted permanently in the boat. I added a T valve to allow filling the tank from an external container, via the filter. However, the Facnor pump stopped working after less than about 4 hours working. I replaced it with a cheap Chinese copy, which worked on the initial trial , running for a few minutes, but now no longer provides any suction. Very frustrating,

[@Maunie38]

Is the pump on the outfeed side of the filter (so that it's only pumping clean, filtered fuel?). The fact that both pumps failed suggests a problem with the routing of the pipes maybe?

[@stephenforrow2333]

@@Maunie38 Yes it is. So, as you say, should only be pumping filtered fuel. The failure of the Facet pump is electrical (no noise from pump). The failure of the Chinese copy is something else, as it is making a noise, but not creating suction.

[@rgronback]

Great video, thanks! I'm doing the very same thing, so thanks for the confirmation we're both right. 😂

[@nicholascfindlay132]

Excellent

[@HaysClark]

thanks for sharing. did you have much luck polishing your fuel? I was once told that many marine fuel tanks have baffles which can make them hard to polish fully.

[@Maunie38]

Thanks for the comment. I think that if the bottom of your tank is badly contaminated then removing the top plate to get between the baffles is the only solution. Friends of ours had to cut an access port into their tank to do this, and found thcik gloop that had to be scooped out by hand!. Our kit is really designed for routine, preventative polishing - I'm thinking every 2-3 months or so - to prevent the bug getting a hold by removing any water from the bottom of the tank.

[@JohnBraman413]

you have links for the parts used?

[@Maunie38]

Here’s a link to the PBO article that covers the project. It includes a schematic with the part numbers (from ASAP Supplies) for each component. www.pbo.co.uk/expert-advice/diy-marine-fuel-polishing-system-protect-boat-dirty-diesel-71857?.com&fbclid=IwAR2h0NrWKUk9RXapKXhIcfgPV9C2_pEhiyn7_hLSDX8vSJVGMVA68NW4mPY

[@kameltoes2625]

These small fuel pumps do not have enough flow to do a good job of polishing. You need a gear-type pump.

[@theaussienurseflipper.8113]

Noice job. Do U really need a case?

[@gmcallsuk]

Cleanliness is essential for fuel systems so for when the polisher stored and not in use I would say yes.

[@mftest100]

Hi, great video - do you remember size of box, name of manufacturer, evt. amazon address - thanks very much in advance. regards Michael

[@Maunie38]

Thanks! I got the case from CPC Farnell Here’s the link cpc.farnell.com/c/tools-maintenance/storage/water-resistant-cases?mckv=_dm%7Cpcrid%7C%7Ckword%7C%7Cmatch%7C%7Cplid%7C%7Cslid%7C%7Cproduct%7C%7Cpgrid%7C%7Cptaid%7C%7C&cpgnid=17494878465&adext=&CMP=KNC-GUK-CPC-PMax-17494878465-&s_kwcid=AL!5616!3!!!!network%7D!!&gclid=Cj0KCQjwnvOaBhDTARIsAJf8eVN7qk9O7NXcbBlorKK7jFk9iNpD7lWSqPvQzW9Bd4dqG09e87dg0LkaAvIXEALw_wcB

[@mftest100]

@@Maunie38 Tx - great :-)

[@stevecarlisle3323]

Just buy a Racor P510MAM polish system

[@38KSW]

Does this remove the red dye also?

[@Maunie38]

No, the diesel I used for the test was road diesel, hence the colour.

[@BillSikes.]

Why would you want to remove red dye 🤔

[@stephenforrow2333]

Sorry, meant Facet pump, not Facnor

[@chuckhoulihan1151]

Put a vacuum gauge on it

[@grahamkeating751]

I did consider that but because you can easily see the flow rate of fuel from the outlet pipe back into the tank, the MK1 eyeball works perfectly to tell you when the filter is getting blocked.

[@johnbeyerlein1347]

Thank you, I believe I will copycat your design.

[@ozlakota1]

those little pumps $15

[@leifsutherland3475]

Ok that's not fuel polishing.. It's a fuel pump with a filter. Lol

[@grahamkeating751]

According to Wikipedia (arbiter of all knowledge) Fuel Polishing is described as: “Fuel polishing is the technical cleaning process used to remove or filter microbial contamination from oil and hydrocarbon fuel in storage. It is essentially the removal of water, sediment and microbial contamination from such fuels as diesel, red diesel and biodiesel.” Which is, I think, exactly what this set up does! LOL

[@midixiewrecked7011]

Siphon "chewb"??

[@James-cr5qx]

340 pounds is nothing in comparison to losing your engine at the wring time..

[@gatecrasher1970]

wtf? it not called polishing it called filtering or cleaning, polishing is what you do to paint and varnish and chrome

[@Maunie38]

Google “fuel polishing”and you’ll discover that’s exactly what the process has become widely known as! Sure, it’s filtering but the commercial guys who charge a lot for the process obviously thought polishing sounded better and so the description joined the yachting vernacular. Who cares - The most important thing is to get the bugs out of your tank.

[@JhonySantos2022]

120 LPH with no resistance right?

[@ozlakota1]

those little pumps $15