Backfire Flame Control

[chrish123]

Greets:

Going through the USCG safety inspection requirements the one item that struck my attention was the requirement to have an approved backfire flame control device attached to the engine. From the pic it appears to be related to the carborator. Since I have never heard of this nor this requirement, and as Im not a US citizen, was wondering what I would need to do to compely with this inspection requirement as it pertains to A-4's. Any advise would be appreciated.

ref: http://www.safetyseal.net/what_is_vsc.asp

see item 7.

If this does not apply to A-4's well then, that would be just great as the rest of the boat checks out while doing a self inspection.

Kind regards

/ch

[ndutton]

While reading your other intro post I noticed that nobody addressed your backfire flame arrestor question. Technically speaking, the little radiator-looking thingy on the carburetor with the black hose touching it on top is the backfire flame arrestor.

Welcome to the forum.

[CalebD]

While the backfire flame arrestor on the A4 may (or may not) be US CG compliant I believe that Don Moyer told me that since it HAS a backfire flame arrestor that this enough for the CG. The engine was built before the backfire flame arrestor 'laws' were written and is therefore grandfathered.

Don't worry about it if there is one on your engine. It should be fine.

[sastanley]

Caleb,

I know that standards change, but my 1977 late model A-4 has the stock (legal at the time) USCG approved flame arrestor and it looks like 98% of the other flame arrestors here & described by Neil. There is a number stamped on the side of the thing.

I know that we've had this discussion on this forum...somewhere I have a pic...I had all that stuff apart and accessible last winter.

by the way - my carb is back in the garage for winter....don't make me pull it out and take another picture of it!!!!

[Bob Grenier]

Late model flame arester

[roadnsky]

There is a number stamped on the side of the thing.
I know that we've had this discussion..somewhere I have a pic...I probably posted it on this forum when I had all that stuff apart and accessible last winter.
by the way - my carb is back in the garage for winter....don't make me pull it out and take another picture of it!!!!

Shawn-
Not your pic, but you can see the ZENITH stamp and number in this one.
Albeit, upside down...

[sastanley]

Jerry..the other side should have "USCG APPROVED" & mine has an unreadable number near that stamping.

Stand by please..verizon wireless is not letting me log in and get my cell phone pics to upload to the Internet..I'll have to dig up the big camera.

edit - OK. The camera was buried and the battery was dying, but I am a Washington Redskins fan and watching the Eagles/Giants game since they are the late Sunday night game, so I am up..I should be in bed to go to work tomorrow!!! So, I got a few pics! Here is the best.

you can see the "U.S.C.G APPROV'D" clearly, and the number underneath faintly...I cannot read the number without some help..152x04xx...it is actually more clear in the picture than it is in real life!! I'd have to pull out a magnifier of some type to make it out...I'll be happy to do that if that number is important!

[CalebD]

Thanks Shawn,
My flame arrestor looks a lot like the new one that Moyer sells but theirs is a lot shinier. I had a discussion with Don Moyer last winter when I went though my carb clean/rebuild and a new flame arrestor and 45 degree fitting were on my 'to buy' list. He actually talked me out of getting the fitting for orienting the flame arrestor in a horizontal plane and told me that there are thousands of boats still out there with carbs that had the same vertical configuration as mine. Instead, he talked me into putting in the scavenger tube from the bottom of the carb to the manifold intake flange that came with the 'kit'.
A lot could and did change in the laws between 1967 and 1977 so I could be wrong about the timing of the flame arrestor laws implementation. There have also been a lot of changes to the laws since then that I have not been paying much attention too.
I still think that we would all pass a CG inspection if it came to that. At least now I am paying some attention as are the rest of you.

[Jesse Delanoy]

I was boarded by the Coast Guard in the mouth of the Potomac River a few years back, for a routine inspection. They asked if I had a flame arrestor on my engine. I said, yes. They asked to look. I showed them. They seemed satisfied and went on their way after completing their inspection.

[Mark S]

I was boarded by the Coast Guard in the mouth of the Potomac River a few years back, for a routine inspection. They asked if I had a flame arrestor on my engine. I said, yes. They asked to look. I showed them.

This reads a little like a police report: "We stopped the vehicle in Central Square. We asked the driver if he had any drugs. He said, no. We asked if we could look. He gave us permission to look in the vehicle. We found drugs hidden in the . . . "

Mark

[knitchie]

Backfire Flame Control

We had our C30 inspected by the US Power Squadron last spring. My wife was at the inspection, in my absence, and she described a very detailed inspection. They had no issue with the stock flame arrestor.

Side benefit of my wife attending the inspection without me; she learned a lot of things she wouldn't have paid attention to if I was around.

Fair winds,
Ken - Obsession
'78 C30 TRBS #0973
Lake Champlain, VT

[pallen58]

Cleaning Flame arrestor

I have taken the carb apart and am getting ready to do a good cleaning and rebuild. The qustion is should I clean teh flame arrestor screen and what is a good way to do that?
Thanks

[Bold Rascal]

Get yourself an aerosol can of carb cleaner. Lay the arrestor screen it in a shallow tupperware and gave it a good long soaking to loosen things up. Then give it a good spraying alternating back and forth on each side until there is no debris visble between the fins.

[sastanley]

pallen..good advice..however, I will comment that the assembly is a little bit fragile. If you can do so, I'd recommend keeping it in its frame, as sometimes those closely spaced fins like to come off their retaining pins, which are all held captive by the "USCG Approv'd" stamped frame. Don't ask me how I know this!