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Fuel Transfer pump

January 25, 2016, 03:40:01 pm

SO I have a 1991 Grand Villa 3208 Cat motor. I have installed a Facet brand fuel pump in my fuel bay. The reason is to assist with getting the fuel from the tank to the injection / lift pump at the other end of the coach.(Got the idea from the Blue Bird/ Wanderlodge Forum). The idea being that the Facet pump will eliminate air leaks by pushing the fuel to the motor rather than having just the injection transfer pump suck the fuel that 25 plus feet. It is installed and working on a temporary basis.  When I hooked it up I was able to have in prime the Racor filter and push the fuel all the way to injection pump. I have it plumbed in but not mounted and had it hooked up to a 12 volt battery pack for power.
I am looking for ideas about where to get power for the pump. Looking to have it on when the key is turned on.
Any ideas about where I might access power easily ?

 I have rebuilt the Racor fuel / water filter, so that it is clean and for sure not leaking any air into the fuel system. I have determined that the Racor filter is the only fuel filter installed on this unit. The filter I took out had a 2 micron rating not the normal 10 or 20. The Cat 2 micron filter and manual primer pump was either never installed or was removed at some time in the past. So I made sure that the Racor had a 2 micron filter in it. Am thinking that I will try to find a junk 3208 and get the primer pump and filter base to put it back on the engine.
I also cleaned up the top of the motor where I will be opening up the injection pump. That was quite a project. I used a compressed air nozzle and a large shop vacuum. Also used various tools to loosen the accumulated mix of dust/sand /dirt and diesel fuel. Spent a few hours doing that job this last Saturday. My back and legs are very unhappy with me today. I will be fixing the Throttle Rod Seal leaks that are part of the problem with my motor home. Not looking forward to that project just because of the way I have to access the motor. It will be a tedious and time consuming project but not very complex. The hardest part will just be keeping everything clean inside the motor and fuel system as I open it up.
The coach is outside and it is cold but when it is in the high 30s or the 40s I can work for a few hours without much problem. My back and legs are really the limiting factors rather than the temperatures.
Thanks for Reading and looking forward to your ideas about where / how to access power.
JOHN

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Re: Fuel Transfer pump

Reply #1 – January 25, 2016, 03:49:19 pm

Agree, you want an "ignition hot" source for the fuel pump-- assuming you do want it running anytime the ignition is on.

Up front under the left side of the dash (flip it up) is the IGNITION SOLENOID.  Looks like a regular solenoid, but is constant duty.  One side is connected to the chassis battery.  The other side has chassis battery voltage anytime the ignition is on.

So, you could wire directly the the "other side" using a fuse and then just run it down from there.  OR, if there are any blank fuses in the ignition hot fuse box, you could come directly off that. 

Short run to fuel tank area.  And ground can be any good, clean "chassis" metal.

Assume you have verified that fuel PSI is not too high AND that volume is ample.  Remember, for every gallon of fuel that goes to the engine, only an ounce or two is burned.  The rest is used to cool and lube the injection system and head and is returned to the fuel tank through the return line.

Quite surprised to hear that you do not have the Caterpillar secondary fuel filter with manual primer pump.  Guess you have traced the fuel line from the Racor filter to the injection pump.  Usually it is:  primary filter, lift pump, secondary Cat filter with manual primer pump, injection pump.

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Re: Fuel Transfer pump

Reply #2 – January 25, 2016, 04:07:22 pm

Wolfe
Thanks for your reply. Are you saying that on the 3208 Cat motor that there is a lift pump separate from the one integral to the injection pump ?
Regarding your comments about fuel flow etc I am using the exact same pump that the Wanderlodges and buses used that had them factory installed on the later coaches with the turbo 3208 325 horse power. So I assume that it will be good in that respect.
Also exactly how does one run the power line from the dash to the fuel bay ?
I have an electrical snake. Do I run it from the bay up or from the dash down or do you have experience with that ?
John

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Re: Fuel Transfer pump

Reply #3 – January 26, 2016, 09:26:45 am

John,

If you have the manual primer pump it will be in the secondary fuel filter housing (the one you said you could not find).  I do not have access to a coach with 3208 today.  Hopefully another 3208 owner will chime in on its location on their coach.

Probably easiest wire routing is down from the dash, then back in the frame rail and then back to the tank. With the tank is in the forward compartment, just drill a small hole high (above tank level) to run the wire.

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Re: Fuel Transfer pump

Reply #4 – January 26, 2016, 10:06:46 am

Wolfe
Thanks for the reply and clarification. I now know how I will get the wire from the dash to the fuel bay.
John

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Re: Fuel Transfer pump

Reply #5 – January 29, 2016, 07:58:25 am

your fuel shut off solenoid is powered from the ignition key. I do not know how much power is required to run the fuel pump you want to install. You could possibly power your pump off the 12 volt terminal provided on the solenoid. I also think one wire to your alternator is powered thru the ignition switch if you have the Leece Neville 2600JB alternator on your GV (not the sense wire).

I have a 3208t - let me know if you need any pictures

Pat P

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Re: Fuel Transfer pump

Reply #6 – January 29, 2016, 08:24:32 am

Pat,

I would NOT tie anything else into the fuel shutoff solenoid.  You would not want the potential for a pump failure to blow the fuse supplying the fuel shutoff solenoid and shutting down the engine while you are driving.

Same for alternator excite circuit, and it would likely be very small gauge as very little current is needed.

Also, the fuel tank and his fuel pump location will be up front, so under-dash ignition hot sources will be readily available.

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