fuel tank equalizer?

[Don]

I have an '89 A-32 with two - 130 gal. diesel fuel tanks. Does anyone know if there should be an equalizer hose between tanks to level off (equalize) the amount of fuel in the tanks.
I keep all four valves open (each tank apparently has a supply and return fuel line). Fuel appears to drain only from one tank, while the return flow appears to fill the other tank. Does this sound correct? Do I have to manually shut down the near empty tank to get fuel from the other tank? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
THANK YOU


Don - '89 A-32
"Last Fling"

[Mariner]

That doesn't sound right to me. Our boat (single engine) has a day tank between the two main tanks. The two main tanks drain rougly equally into the day tank, and the fuel does naturally equalize between the two via the day tank. I believe the fuel return goes to the starboard tank, but both tanks stay roughly equal. Sometimes while sitting at anchor, if you have a lot of weight on one side, the fuel will shift to that side and the boat will develop a persistent list.

While filling, I close the valves on both tanks to prevent equalizing, so that I can ensure both tanks fill all the way. The boat lists a good 15 degrees when one is full and the other is empty.

I think you should look more carefully at your valving and see what you might be able to do. My guess is that you have the ability to pull from either tank or both at the same time, but it may require flipping valves.

[Russell]

The Shamrock that I owned previously had two tanks and the instructions were to pull from one at a time by opening only one valve. I am not sure of the reason for not using both at the same time. Separate tanks with no connection is in case you get bad fuel in one tank you can switch to the other.

[Sportfish]

Don on my 1991 32 I have two tanks no with no equilizer. I run 1 tank at a time, both supply and return to same tank. I close off the other tank. The risk you run with both tanks on and returns on is you pull fuel from 1 tank and return to the other thus running one tank dry while under way. My 315 Yanmar can draw up to 60 gallons of fuel an hour while only burning 7-12 at cruise, the unburnt fuel goes back to the tank via the return line. I can empty a tank real quick if I run with the wrong return line open. Path of least reistance will draw air before fuel and you will lose prime as well when one tank goes empty. Not sure what engine you are running 250 Cummins? A typical Diesel can pull 20-60 gallons an hour even if only burning 6-12 it uses the fuel to cool the pumps etc before it returns to the tank. I monitor the fuel gauge and switch tanks as needed when on extended cruise.

[team one]

First year with 32 Albin CB 1995, has 2 tanks and crossover hose, there are a confusing array of fuel hoses and valves up to the Racor filters. Does anyone have a good diagram for the hoses, tracing them is difficult.
I would like to draw from one tank only possibly port so I can adjust the weight on one side. I don't want to shut off the wrong fuel lines and get in trouble.

[SwampsEdge]

I'm a relatively new ( 2 months ) owner of a 2002 32+2. I have been trying for 2 months to track down the fuel supply and return line(s). I have a Yanmar 350 HP Engine with two 130 gallon tanks. It appears that I do have a crossover running just aft of the engine. This crossover has port and starboard RED shutoff valves. The former owner of the boat told me that these valves were the shutoff valves for supply to the engine. Maybe this is true and somewhere under where I can't see this crossover has one supply line running to the engine? I don't know.

I brought the boat down the West Coast of Florida, around Cape Sable, across Florida Bay and into the Florida Keys. I stayed and played in the Keys for three weeks and then brought the boat up the East Coast of Florida to St. Augustine where I live and where she lives now.

When in the Keys I tried the RED cutoffs and tried to change the primary fuel filter. I had filled the boat with fuel upon arrival in the Keys and when I loosened the holding screw on top of the Racor primary filter fuel started leaching out and I closed it. Decided to wait till I used some of the fuel before trying that again since closing the REDs and having the tanks full wouldn't allow the Racor to be opened.

This past week after arriving back in St. Augustine I hauled the boat to put a new Micron bottom on her. Since I intentionally did not fill up with fuel upon arrival in St. Augustine I knew that I could probably change the filter no matter the shutoffs since the Racor was higher than the top of the fuel tanks. That proved to be correct and I changed the primary. While in the yard and on the hard I had a local Captain and all around boat man that works at times on some of my friends boats and mine come over and take a look for the cutoffs. I have a generator and a watermaker on the aft port side of the boat. He found two cutoffs in the aft center storage compartment that he thinks are the two main engine cutoffs from the two
fuel tanks. I don't see why or how they would be located in the aft center of the boat but, who knows. I think that one of them is to the generator. I don't know what the other one could be for.

I did have the fuel polished when I was in the Keys and we did find the two return lines to the two fuel tanks. I won't even try to describe where they were unless some of you want to know. I am in the process of preparing drawings of all valves, tanks, pumps, seacocks (both intake and exhaust) and above waterline outlets and what they are letting out and from where. I don't know why Albin doesn't have a manual with this info in it. Seems like the simple thing to do and have to me. If any of you know if there is a manual for the 32+2 and where I can get it please let me know.

Sorry for all the rambling. Hope there is something in all this that helps. I can tell you that in the short time that I have been reading this section of the web site I have sure learned a lot from you guys and ladies. Thanks so much. don, aboard the Q-28

[chiefrcd]

Well, you hit upon probably the number one issue we all have had with our Albins...lack of product information and little or no manufacture support. I have found that my best Albin support came from my local Albin Dealer in Deltaville. They provided me a fairly complete set of drawings for my 1999 TE 28. I'm convinced that if those drawing exist, there must be similar drawings for all the US made Albins. Maybe Andrew, who's working on something of a manual/information packet can be of assistance. I've been in your shoes many times with my own Albin and I can feel the frustration....and I'll add that I am still shocked that a company who makes such a great boat that is so capable of traversing rough seas, doesn't provide any real manual for the boat systems.

[lynchy]

Has anyone worked on the shut off valves at the bottom of each fuel tank, looks like they are threaded on to a nipple at the bottom of each tank then connected via a barb to the crossover hose to the other tank,, Albin 32 1995. One of valves is leaking at the thread as it goes into the valve need to disconnect and redope the connection thread,, The leak is so small you cannot see it but after 2 weeks a strip of oil cloth will be wet with diesel fuel. suggestions welcome

[Rick B]

Has anyone worked on the shut off valves at the bottom of each fuel tank, looks like they are threaded on to a nipple at the bottom of each tank then connected via a barb to the crossover hose to the other tank,, Albin 32 1995. One of valves is leaking at the thread as it goes into the valve need to disconnect and redope the connection thread,, The leak is so small you cannot see it but after 2 weeks a strip of oil cloth will be wet with diesel fuel. suggestions welcome

I did that on my 31TE and with 3 tanks. I ran them down as low as I could, then pumped the rest into the tank I wasn't working on. Make sure you use a diesel proof thread sealant ( I used Permatex 80632). I have read that Teflon tape will shred with contact to Diesel and end up in Filters. So far no leak from the valves.

[Pitou]

Another sealant to be used on diesel plumbing is RectorSeal TruBlue. Recommended by Tony Athens from Seaboard Marine and by our own RobS.

https://rectorseal.com/product/rectorseal-tru-blu/

[TomA]

MY 1999 32 + 2 HAS A 2" FUEL EQUALIZER BETWEEN THE TWO OUTBOARD 100 GALLON TANKS. YOU CAN TAKE ON FUEL EITHER PORT OR STARBOARD AND BOTH TANKS FILL EQUALLY. TOM