Quote:
Originally Posted by Jlmatt
This is a quote from an article by Gordon Groene about the Atomic 4 published in 1976 in Motor Boating & Sailing. It was reprinted by Practical Sailor in May 1981.
"... Fuel should never be turned off to an engine-driven, diaphragm-type pump unless the shut-off valve is between the pump and the carburetor, because any interruption in flow on the suction side causes distortion of the diaphragm,--the major cause of diaphragm leakage"
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This raises some intereting questions and issues. It would seems that Mr. Groene is concerned about running a diaphragm pump dry and distorting the diaphragm. Point taken, but consider this: if the fuel is shut off downstream of the pump and hence the pump left charged with fuel and open to the tank, what is the risk if the diaphragm
has a leak?
Now the potential exists to empty a fuel tank into the crankcase! IMO the solution is to shut off the fuel
upstream of the pump, but do not run the carb dry as a routine procedure at shutdown.
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