[C38] Facet Fuel Pump pressure

Thu Apr 12 00:30:53 EDT 2012

Lost Max, that filter is there for a reason, to keep out anything from the
fuel pump.

Best regards,

Larry Malmberg

Team Hassle

  _____  

From: listserve-bounces at catalina38.org
[mailto:listserve-bounces at catalina38.org] On Behalf Of Max Soto
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2012 8:54 PM
To: Catalina 38 Listserve
Subject: Re: [C38] Facet Fuel Pump pressure

One more question... 

I noticed that on Estancia, the fuel line leaves the tank straight forward
to the fuel pump, then the Racor, and then to the engine spin-on filter.
There was a small outboard style inline filter between the tank and the
pump, but I got rid of it.
I'm also thinking that the PO installed the pump first for better suction,
but shouldn't the Racor  be  located first???  Other wise the pump element
can get clogged... Am I right or completely lost???

Regards,
Max

El 11 de abril de 2012 10:53, Max Soto <maxsoto at gmail.com> escribió:

Dave and Tom, 
Thanks  a lot. Now I know that almost any pump for a carburated engine will
work. I wasn't able to find a facet (now Purolator) pump here, so I found it
for $69 on ebay, and Catalinadirect asks $237 for the same pump. That pump
has a filter element on the inside, and I was hoping that it was just
clogged but it was clean.. I wasn{t aware that it also has a magnet for
collecting debris.   
 I just took a spare pump that my father has for his old Jag while I get the
new one...
I've been planning to install a outboard prime bulb to my engine, just for
back up, but you know, it was not on my priorities list... ask me now! LOL

Regards,
Max

El 11 de abril de 2012 05:58, tdtron at earthlink.net <tdtron at earthlink.net>
escribió:

Hello Max,

I don't know what the recommended supply pressure is for the Universals but
these engine as you know you have two pumps, the electric lift pump and the
mechanical injector pump.

The electric pump is the "lift" pump and it's only duty is to supply fuel to
the injector pump and the actual pressure should not be important.

I was on a sail around the Florida Keys once in a Contessa 26 with a British
Petter engine and the engine driven mechanical pump failed causing the
engine to die coming into Ft. Lauderdale.  We diagnosed the problem that the
diaphragm in the cam driven automotive type mechanical pump had ruptured
causing loss of pressure to the injector pump.

We sailed without power back to a slip near the 17th Street causeway sailing
by million dollar yachts hoping we could maintain control in a narrow
channel.  That was a really nervous adventure.  It was on a Sunday morning
and we couldn't find anyone open who could sell us a replacement pump to fit
the Petter engine.

As a "Rube Goldberg" remedy, we raised the fuel tank that was mounted in the
port sail locker high enough to gravity feed the engine.

By raising the fuel tank we were able to crank up and head out of the harbor
and down the Keys with no further problems.  Several years later my friend
who owned the boat sold it but he never replaced the mechanical lift pump.
He removed the mechanical lift pump and covered the hole in the engine block
with a gasket cover plate and to this day that boat is still running with no
lift pump.  The head pressure of the fuel tank was only about 12" above
engine's injector pump but we found that we could still motor sail heeling
enough that the fuel tank was actually below the injector pump but since the
fuel line had no leaks, the vacuum held from the injector pump and the
engine ran without problems.

With a properly primed fuel line, from that experience I discovered that the
lift pump is really not needed.  However, if there is any leakage at all in
the fuel line the vacuum is lost and you will lose engine power so I am not
advocating getting rid of the lift pump but from my experience I don't think
the actually lift pump pressure is very important.

After my own experience I ran into another sailor who had a lift pump
failure and he made a temporary fuel line from an outboard fuel line and
used the primer bulb to prime his fuel injector pump.  The last time I ran
into this salty sailor his outboard fuel line with a primer bulb was still
his only lift pump and he never gave it another thought.  He was actually
running a negative pressure since his fuel tank was below his engine
injector pump.

Tom Troncalli

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Max  <mailto:maxsoto at gmail.com> Soto 
To: Catalina 38  <mailto:Listserve at catalina38.org> Listserve
Sent: 4/10/2012 4:48:07 PM 
Subject: [C38] Facet Fuel Pump pressure

Hi there, 
Do anyone knows what's the electric fuel pump pressure that is used on the
Universal 5424 / M30 engines?? 
The original screw up my Eastern week trip when she died on me at the middle
of a channel, then, I  hit it with a wrench and started working.
With some gentile persuation every now and then with the wrench, she took me
back home......
I found several Facet pumps on ebay, same looks, but different pressure....
I'm planning to get something like this locally and save my next weekend
trip!

Regards,
-- 
Max Soto
C38 #198 ESTANCIA
Puntarenas, Costa Rica

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-- 
Max Soto
C38 #198 ESTANCIA
Puntarenas, Costa Rica

-- 
Max Soto
C38 #198 ESTANCIA
Puntarenas, Costa Rica

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