Best fuel tesco/bp. Fuel filter

[Steve509926]

Originally Posted by Brinormeg

Do you just unplug the pipe from the petrol can and just let it run until engine dies?
In the ob manual it says to drain fuel from engine by draining out through a pipe etc before transporting in car. Nobody here seems to bother but by running dry I'm guessing there would be very little in the ob?

I unplug the fuel pipe when I'm flushing out at home and let it run dry. It's surprising how long the OB runs on tick over without the fuel pipe connected.

[Brinormeg]

Originally Posted by Steve509926

I unplug the fuel pipe when I'm flushing out at home and let it run dry. It's surprising how long the OB runs on tick over without the fuel pipe connected.

Yeah think thats going to be my plan at least until I see if a seperator thing like pd is on the cards. The ob manual does state its advisable fit a filter, but just another thing to worry about for now

We did really hope to get out tomorrow for the first time but transport issues might put a pause on that....we will see!

[TmMorris]

Just following best practices is going to help immensely. Draining at the end of each session, not keeping fuel for too long, avoiding E10 where possible and winterising properly.

Older engines would do well to consider whether to update the plastics such as the carb float, filters and pipes as those may not be resistant to ethanol.

The other aspect to be weary of is that once E10 comes in it will be the go to bogeyman for many mechanics. It's just too easy a get out and could end up being quite expensive as fault solutions becomes assumed rather than proven.

Personally, I consider the greatest risk of E10 if following best practice to be the hysteria and scaremongering of those in a position to profit from duping consumers.

The hysteria and snake oil vending that swept America is almost certainly going to grow here and there will be blokes with 'solutions' to sell that will be telling everyone who has a carb on anything from garden equipment, classic cars to OBs that they are going to die along with their entire family and their cat if they don't give them all their money immediately.

[Old seahorse]

Yes, I detach fuel line from tank, and run engine ,with fuel line attached, till it runs down. My logic is it clears the line, too.
I usually do this at home, after flushing the engine. If there are good wash down facilities at launch site, you could do it there if you have muffs.
If I know I’m out on the water again next day, I wouldn’t bother, only if not sure if and when I might be out again, and before winter.

[Oldman2]

Im wondering if that actually does clear the fuel line. My thinking is once you remove the tank end the ball & spring shuts off the fuel left in the line and you then have a vacuum so will the pump be able to overcome that to remove what fuel is in the line/bulb?

[Fenlander]

I'd tend to agree.

There is discussion certainly re efi and modern 4-stroke engines that it's best to fit an open ended spare connector to the outboard when you take the fuel line off so the fuel pump isn't struggling against a vacuum.

I've heard pumps become noisy when you just pull the line off and run to empty.

[Old seahorse]

I can only go on my experience. Outboard certainly ran for longer with fuel pipe attached than without. Efi engines, I assume, have a pump to achieve fuel pressure, so would draw the fuel through. Not so sure about small carb engines, but still seems to work, on my small Suzuki! ( vacuum?)

[TmMorris]

Yup. With smaller carbed OBs the little diaphragm fuel pump is basically enough to overcome gravity and not much else but it'll take the fuel out of the lines until the vacuum builds enough to stall the engine. You're still likely to have fuel in the carb pot and probably in a vertical filter. For winterising you'd be best to whip the carb off, drain it and the internal line and I'd just blast a bit of carb cleaner spray in for good measure. You probably want to give the carb a wash anyway at the end of the year.

Making sure you use fresh fuel is the best remedial action once you've uprated any plastics than need replacing or using ethical free fuel from garden centres which is the way I'm likely to go as I'm not a heavy user.

[Oldman2]

Originally Posted by TmMorris

Making sure you use fresh fuel is the best remedial action once you've uprated any plastics than need replacing or using ethical free fuel from garden centres which is the way I'm likely to go as I'm not a heavy user.

Nothing like a bit of ethical fuel to keep the blockages down
Spell checker strikes again I see.

[Old seahorse]

I should have added that I run my o/b approx once a month, all year round. Take on board advice re fully emptying carb, though.

[TmMorris]

If it's old, like mine, then I'd consider updating the float in the carb, the fuel lines and the fuel filter but otherwise just maintain a regime of fresh fuel, swerving e10 when it's easy to do so.