Fuel pump plight

[sastanley]

I'm with Dave Neptune on this one..just because something is ignition protected doesn't mean it always will be.

Why risk it? My Catalina 30 even has (had) the ground wire for the blower (mounted near the transom) run all the way to the engine for grounding..I assume so that the blower has less chance to create a spark, and originally the engine was the main ground to the 12v DC system. I recently cut this wire and re-grounded it to the new bus bar behind my gauge panel, which goes to the big ground bus in the engine room, similar to what Ed described in this post, which is now how my DC system is grounded.

I love those Blue Seas things. I am adding them all over my boat!

edit - Jerry, htanks for the pic \/ \/ \/ \/.

I recently ran out of terminals on mine (chart table light install) since I since I am finally getting around to using my new panel and wiring it up. So, I'll use one of those blocks like Ed posted and that will be the main ground block for all panel circuits, and its large post will have a short 4# wire run to the unit in your picture, which is main distribution to the rest of the boat after the 1 - 2 - ALL switch. Doesn't that sound all complex and yachty??!?!?! I think I am using like 7 switches now on the panel..

[roadnsky]

...I love those Blue Seas things.

For Shawn...

[gmilburn]

Thanks all for your input--I didnt know I would start such a discussion. But, just to clean up a few loose ends, the blower hose is deep down in the bilge under the engine--and blows out through the aft air cowl vents. The blower is spark protected for engine compartment mounting--though it has always been a question mark for me.

Regarding the routing of the fuel line--it was temporary only while I was trouble shooting the fuel pump. As you can see, it is 5/16 inch auto fuel hose--as I was waiting on 5/16th marine fuel hose from MM. I have already swapped it out and the fuel line is now as far from the exhaust hot section as is possible.

Thanks!

[Administrator]

Here's what set me to wondering...

The ductwork to the center of the blower (which I take to be the intake) disappears from the engine compartment through a bulkhead to some location which is not evident in the image.

The discharge side of the blower is not easily seen under the blower, but I took it to simply discharge into the engine compartment.

With this translation, the blower seems to be pressuring the engine compartment, rather than extracting air from it. That's what led me to the "plumbed backwards" suspicion.

The concerns about the location of the blower are presumably self-evident.

Now for the more important stuff. What beer do you favor? (long story...., but beer has a way of showing up in members' images as well, provoking occasionally lengthy additions to the thread.)

Bill

[ndutton]

Mmmmm beeeer,

helping unattractive people reproduce for centuries.

I've mentioned my two favorites before: cold and free.

[sastanley]

My preference should be pretty obvious....but cold & free work too.