Secondary fuel bulb

[backstop13]

Just installed a water separator on my 18.5 bay boat and was wondering if I will need an extra primer bulb to fill the canister and one to prime the engine? I haven't run it yet, but it looks like it would take a lot to fill the canister and supply the engine with just one bulb? Any thoughts?

 

[sutor623]

No, one bulb will suffice. What you should do is fill the water separator with fuel/oil mix to prevent the fuel line from giving you a really hard time priming. I also like to take the fuel line free from the fuel pump and pump it up until all the air is out of the line. This will make it much easier to start her up the first time. The bulb should be AFTER the separator and before the outboard.

A trick that I learned was to pump the bulb, kink the hose between the bulb and motor, and release the bulb. Then release the kink, pump the bulb and do it again. This helps to get all the air out of the line. Sometimes priming a fuel line when the tank is below deck can be very difficult.

 

[dingbat]

Crack the fuel line somewhere between the primer bulb and the fuel pump to let the air escape. Pump bulb to fill seperator.

Going forward, start motor before changing filter. Once changed, Start motor and let idle. The fuel pump will fill the filter before the carbs run out of fuel.

 

[racerone]

The primer bulb is nothing but a manual fuel pump.------It saves having to use the electric starter and motor fuel pump to fill the carburetors !-----It saves having to use the recoil starter to fill the carburetor on smaller motors.

 

[emdsapmgr]

You've gotten good answers. In addition, that engine likely did not come from the factory with a fuel water separator. You've added that. No need to add another fuel primer bulb too. Just a lot of extra parts the fuel pump will have suck through-that it was not originally designed to do.

 

[backstop13]

Hey Guys thanks for the input, it just seemed like a long way for fuel to travel to get to the canister, then out of it. I'll give it a try and see what happens. Once the canister is full I shouldn't have any problems losing the prime correct?

 

[sutor623]

Once the canister is full I shouldn't have any problems losing the prime correct?

Right. You SHOULD have an anti siphon valve on your fuel tank (if it is a permanent tank) that will not only prevent the tank from siphoning itself out if there is a leak, but it will also prevent fuel from back draining into the tank. If the primer bulb is good, that will also prevent fuel from back-flowing.

 

[bob johnson]

I don't have a anti -siphon valve on my under the floor fuel tanks...will this be an issue when I am using the boat?

could I not just install an inline backflow preventing device if need be?? right before the fuel selector( 2 fuel tanks)

bob

 

[metriccrescentwrench]

I don't have a anti -siphon valve on my under the floor fuel tanks...will this be an issue when I am using the boat?

......

Anti-siphon valves are a safety device, they prevent fuel from siphoning out of the tank in case a fuel line comes loose, cracks, or is otherwise compromised. Coast Guard regulations require them on any installation where any part of the fuel system is below the top of the tank.... if all parts of the fuel system are permanently installed above the tank there's no way for fuel to siphon out so they're not needed.

They are a different animal than the one-way check valve in primer bulbs (whose job IS to prevent backflow).

 

[bob johnson]

my fuel lines come out the top of both tanks.. and the run parallel to the top to the rear and raise up to go the the diverter valve and then over to the water separator and then UP to the motor.....
so I should be good..
bob