Fuel manifold

[benniejordaan]

I made this manifolds up. The manifold bodies are aluminium and the valves and fittings are brass.

I will have upto 10 cans in total plumbed in. So now while at sea, it's a matter of just turning a valve when we change cans over.

You need to use fiber washers between the valves and manifold body.

 

[willem wikkel spies]

nice, bennie
duidelik is daai engins dors!!!!

 

[Psy]

Nice Bennie, do you stock those valves @ Demon Tackle?

 

[benniejordaan]

Psy wrote:

Nice Bennie, do you stock those valves @ Demon Tackle?

No, I got all the bits and pieces from a pneumatics supplier. All in all they were expensive to build @ about R1400 for both. But I moved my fuel into my bum boxes and you cant get to the back ones. This is just one of those investments that I will appreciate everytime I need to change fuel.

This is what the access looks like to each bum box.

 

[benniejordaan]

willem wikkel spies wrote:

nice, bennie
duidelik is daai engins dors!!!!

We will use 6 cans to do a 180-200km round trip. I put 24lts in a can. We will be out sometimes for 12 hours. It's more a case of it's there if I need it but most of the time I will only fill 6 / 8 cans. When I go 40 miles out, I will always take max fuel just in case.

 

[dugongboy]

Neat Bennie, did you come right with the 10mm fuel line??

 

[benniejordaan]

dugongboy wrote:

Neat Bennie, did you come right with the 10mm fuel line??

I didn't. Called everyone but nobody has 10mm (3/8") in stock. Eventually got the heavier black one like you have.

 

[Serra Moz]

Nice one! Well done on the idea!

 

[benniejordaan]

Wish I had seen these before...

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/LF-0104d-1-inlet-4-outlet-inlet-size-6mm-outlet-size-4mm-resistant-to-oxidation-stainless/978160153.html

 

[Psy]

probably made in china?

 

[Limpopoking]

@ Bennie. I see the one on Alixpress is plated copper. Depending on the quality of the plating, it will probably need replacing every season or so.

Generally the airline fittings (like GAV) are plated brass, so they too will be a bit susceptible to corrosion in the marine environment. I know, many of my airline fittings in just a normal inland environment corrode after a few years because of the moisture associated with compressed air.

The ultimate would be to find s/s fittings.

The concept though, is just great. I hate changing fuel tanks at sea. t(((up((

 

[LawrenceF]

benniejordaan wrote:

Wish I had seen these before...

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/LF-0104d-1-inlet-4-outlet-inlet-size-6mm-outlet-size-4mm-resistant-to-oxidation-stainless/978160153.html

Hmmm, neat but yours somehow look better quality? I assume then that each connection to the cans has to have a primer bulb on it so you can get the fuel going when you switch over the valves?

Another fuel issue the guys might find useful...When you have full spare cans in hatches (mine are all under deck) or even stored at home for that matter, you get vapour pressure build up which makes me very nervous! what I have done is to take 6mm irrigation pipe joiners and fit them into the centre of the caps of the cans. drill a 5mm hole and then just press them in with a vice. it is a tight fit no leaks. then take a short length of irrigation pipe and press it over the nipple on the joiner so fuel cannot slop out of the top. the vapour can then escape and dissipate.

 

[benniejordaan]

LawrenceF wrote:

benniejordaan wrote:

Wish I had seen these before...

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/LF-0104d-1-inlet-4-outlet-inlet-size-6mm-outlet-size-4mm-resistant-to-oxidation-stainless/978160153.html

Hmmm, neat but yours somehow look better quality? I assume then that each connection to the cans has to have a primer bulb on it so you can get the fuel going when you switch over the valves?

Another fuel issue the guys might find useful...When you have full spare cans in hatches (mine are all under deck) or even stored at home for that matter, you get vapour pressure build up which makes me very nervous! what I have done is to take 6mm irrigation pipe joiners and fit them into the centre of the caps of the cans. drill a 5mm hole and then just press them in with a vice. it is a tight fit no leaks. then take a short length of irrigation pipe and press it over the nipple on the joiner so fuel cannot slop out of the top. the vapour can then escape and dissipate.

No, still just the one primer bulb. Remember, 4 are closed only one valve open. So when you pump it sucks from the tank with open valve only. However, I dont think it would make a difference if I tried sucking from all of them.

 

[LawrenceF]

Thanks Bennie. A senior moment from me. Of course the bulb is between the valve and the fuel line to the motor and not between the can and the valve!