Fuel system on a Post 56

Can someone please explain how a thread on fuel delivery has fueled a fire long-extinguished? I find it strangely bizarre and deeply concerning that those looking to fan the flames only rear their ugly heads when the opportunity presents itself to pounce. WHY? Because a member is always here offering helpful advice is occasionally wrong? News Flash... nobody's perfect!

What I can't understand is why grown men who are well respected in their particular fields seem to feel the need to ridicule others? Does this make you feel superior? Does this add ANYTHING to the collective knowledge base? Does it make you a better person? I think not. If you think this type of behavior won't come back to bite you, I've got another News Flash... it's a small YF world.

Dennis

Transfer the fuel BEFORE you run You should have a switch that says: from forward, from aft at the helm.

But first, go into the engine room and find the 12/24 volt pump. It may be attached to a stringer next to an engine. It will have blue? fuel lines going in and out with shut off valves on either side. Open those valves before you start pumping.

Go to the helm, and start both engines, unless you want to listen to the alarm. Turn the transfer switch to: "from aft" and then turn on the "run" switch. Be sure you have the breaker on for the fuel/oil transfer pump.

Go back to the engine room to ensure the pump is running

Go back to the bridge and watch your fuel gauges change - bring a magazine because it ain't quick.

When you have transferred enough fuel follow the reverse procedure. Don't overlook closing that valves at the pump, other wise you will just refill the aft tank when you get up on plane
Good Luck.

BTW, it might be useful to hire a good surveyor for a day or two to take you thru the boat before you go to the Bahamas?

You can run the engine of separate tanks by dropping the handles - your port engine will draw from the aft rather than the forward tank. What you can't do with this set up is have both engines run off the aft tank

Well said, Carl.

Beau's suggestion of a surveyor is an excellent idea. Or a Captain with broad experience including your boat. Someone to walk through every aspect of the boat with you.

I thought I knew cars, but the last one I bought the salesman spent two hours with me just familiarizing me with all the technology and equipment. And it was all very helpful. Yes, I could have read the manual and figured it out but not in the same time he did.

You've just brought fuel up as an issue, but I quite imagine there are some electronics you're not yet an expert on, maybe some unique aspects of the boat's sewage handling, and other things I haven't thought of.

If I were you I would have a good look at the fuel lines to the Stbd Eng and Genset and see where they are connected.

The photo shows a definite mention of the Port engine.

Beau, On yours how is the Stbd engine supplied?

K1W1

Mine is a bit opposite, but the same principle I think. I have one set of manifold valves. That set of valves determines which tank my star motor will draw from. In the side to side position the starboard motor draws off the forward tank (leaving the port engine to run off the aft tank by itself, which it permenantly does). In the down position both motors run off the aft tank.

In the down position, neither of the drive engines run off the forward tank . I do not have a position that will allow BOTH engines to run off the forward tank, since the valves only control my star motor and I do not have any manifold valves for the port motor - only shut-offs

My forward tank is the smaller tank, and my genny draws independently from that tank only.

+1

Dennis

If you are at a dock now, try transferring fuel as described. Lets see if your aft gauge goes down. If it does, I am almost positive that both your engines are running off the forward tank with your valves set as they are.

s

NOOOO! One valve is the return, one valve is the supply, Fuel runs thru a diesel motor and the excess has to be able to return to the same tank it draws from. Those valves have to operate in unision. Your valves only control which tank the PORT engine will pull from and return to. I do not believe they have anything to do with the star supply and return

I mean this for the safety of you and your crew, you need to find someone who can familiarize you with that boat - we all do it.

My humble advice. Continue to fill the forward tank. Run home. Then have someone show you how to use those valves. OR better still, not knowing the quality of the fuel you are transferring, top off the forward tank from dockside and then run home....then get to know every system of your boat.

Try not to transfer on the run. Anyway. Study those instruction plates at the valves. It seems clear from reading them that, as they are set, the port motor is drawing from and returning to the forward tank, and the port motor WOULD draw from and return to the aft tank if both handles were turned 90 degrees downward. But don't do anything except fill your forward tank until you get to home base and can have an expert look at it for you

Good luck with your new purchase.

I did look at the photo, but missed the small arrows on the handle and the stops weren't clearly seen at a glance showing that they are 90 degree valves and not 180 degree valves. I have seen A LOT of different brands of fuel valves but not this brand being used on a yacht. I saw it labeled on the both sides of the valve from Post and assumed they were 180 degree valves (which they are not), which would made sense as one other function of the fuel valve generally is to have an OFF position for servicing fuel filters and such, but these valves do not have an off position from what I can see.

You are 100% correct in the fact that I gave the OP the wrong advice and Beau did give the correct advice, and for that I am sorry for making that mistake and giving the OP misleading information.

If the Yanmar manual describes cleaning their turbo's with water and dish soap then by all means I would do it. CAT and MAN however, do not in their maintanence recommendations and MAN will void the warranty and CAT most likely would also. CAT turbo's, I've had to replace several of the cores or inserts on Cat turbo's due to corroding and/or wear (I forgot the proper name Cat uses for the part inside the turbo). But I don't think I'd want to loosen any metal debris and send it downstream into the engine with water and soap.

With most modern SF say 2000 or newer, it is very common to transfer fuel every few hours. They are generally setup to run off of the aft tank only and utilize a transfer pump to top off the aft tank from the fwd tank. Yours has valves to run from either tank (at least for the port engine). But most Vikings, Hatteras, Cabo, Egg Harbors, Davis' and others are mostly setup to draw fuel only from the aft tank and hit the transfer switch and pump it back to the aft tank. The reason for this is the cockpit is very bouyant and has little weight above the waterline, so having the aft tank full and draining the bow balances the boat out better. However if you have fuel valves for the port engine, I would imagine you would have them for the starboard engine as well. Generally the generator is setup on most SF where it can only draw off of one tank.

Yes, you can run off seperate tanks. The starboard engine will be drawing to the tank it is plumbed to (follow the fuel hoses to the tank). The port engine can then be valved to the tank the starboard is not drawing from (probably foward).

You can also transfer fuel by having the port engine draw from one tank, and return it to another in case the transfer pump is not working. BUT, you have to be really careful the tank you're returning it to is not overfilled as you'll just be dumping it into the ocean out of the fuel tank vent.