Kicker fuel system

[AFDan52]

Hi guys , I need a little help here, ( though some may think otherwise laugh hyst) I want to plumb a fuel line to my 9.9 Yamaha from my main engine ( 302 Mercrusier ) . I have the fuel line built and the Kicker runs very nicely. So my question is should I be using a valve to switch from one engine to the other or does it relly matter?
I'm looking for ideas to do this right , I don't want to starve either engine.movie89586

 

[bobco]

I used to use a T but now have a valve/selector and feel better about it, always the chance of an air leak with a t pulling air out of the other motor causing lean conditions that would result in power head melt down.

 

[Bduck]

I have been using a T off my main system for a couple of years now with no problems. My main motor is an Merc IO 4cyl & Merc 9.9 kicker. I don't like the primer bulb, when it gets cold, its hard to prime fuel into kicker. Thinking about a electric fuel pump might solve that.

 

[Propnut69]

I have a three way valve,it's either shut to both engines,or open to my main motor or to my kicker. It was has worked great so far,and I really like having the external tank out of the way.thumbsup

 

[Kokaholic]

I plan to do what Tim has done and do a three way switch when I get me a kicker. Just got to find a kicker,worthy12

 

[SuperD]

Why aren't you just using a second port off the fuel/water separator? My objection to a valve system is I never want to shut down one engine to start another.

 

[AFDan52]

SuperD , I decided to Tee off the Fuel/Water separator and so far no problems. I was going to use a 3-way valve and decided against it mainly because of the limited room that I have under the Doghouse. The tee style works best.

 

[3RivrFishr]

T with a check valve been working great for my Yamaha 8 for nearly a decade. IMO the less futzing you have to do with valves and switches the better.

 

[Propnut69]

Why aren't you just using a second port off the fuel/water separator? My objection to a valve system is I never want to shut down one engine to start another.

Since I never run both of my motors at the same time.Shutting down one to start the other is no big deal..I like to run my kicker out of fuel before I leave the lake.This way I just have to switch the valve. I could have just teed into the main line ,and accomplished the same thing ,but I had the valve just sitting around.so I decided to use it.

Mark,I still have my eyes and ears open looking for a kicker for you.thumbsup

 

[Kokaholic]

Mark,I still have my eyes and ears open looking for a kicker for you.thumbsup[/QUOTE]


Thanks Timmyhana I appreciate it.

 

[SuperD]

Since I never run both of my motors at the same time.Shutting down one to start the other is no big deal..I like to run my kicker out of fuel before I leave the lake.This way I just have to switch the valve. I could have just teed into the main line ,and accomplished the same thing ,but I had the valve just sitting around.so I decided to use it.

Mark,I still have my eyes and ears open looking for a kicker for you.thumbsup

For me, it is a safety big deal. There are conditions where one would want to be without power. And God forbid the main wouldn't start. I always start and warm the big motor for a couple minutes while the trolling motor is still on. But that is just a personal preference of mine.

 

[Silver Streak]

One of the best ways if you have an inboard and a kicker is to have one fuel line to your main and one to your kicker (both lines coming off your main fuel tank with 2 fittings and 2 check valves and 2 fuel/water seps.). If both lines are off of your fuel/water sep. you can still have an air leakage problem. Most often what happens is one engine will start to draw fuel out of the other. This happens mostly with inboard boats not main outboards with a kicker combo. I know this because it has happened to me. Not fun asking for a tow. It will act as if you have no fuel in your tank. My fuel tank has 2 fuel fittings on it so it was an easy fix. Another thing to think about is if you're hooked to one sep. and the filter fails, you are dead in the water!

 

[AFDan52]

The situation that you have described is exactly what happened to me . I was thinking that an air leakage problem was the culprit at the Water/fuel separator but wasn't positive.
Thanks for this post , I think I can fix my Kicker fuel problem now. I'm not sure if my main tank has 2 fuel fittings but I will check that out .thumbsup

 

[AFDan52]

Well I have never been able to get my Kicker motor to run off of the main tank, and now I know why. I found a split fuel line right at the tank fitting under the clamp. After having some issues with not getting fuel to the main motor last weekend , I had had enough of the nonsense. I have fuel from the tank to the main motor now and I'm going to try to Tee off of the Water/Fuel separator and see what happens now.

 

[SmokeOnTheWater]

Reading all the helpful hints has been just that, HELPFUL. I have been experiencing a similar but different problem and it isn't air in the fuel line.

I installed a tee fitting right into the big engine fuel line prior to the pumper bulb thus utilizing the built-in check valve in the bulb. No selector switch in the system at all. Been running that way for two seasons with only one issue which appears to be acting like an old vapor lock. The merc 8 hp purrs like a kitten for several hours (daylight til about 1030 am) then the little motor starts starving, loses rpms and dies. The pumper bulb remains fairly firm so that tells me I'm not sucking air into the line anywhere making me believe in the vapor lock theory. Making my way to the back of the boat seems to give it just enough time that it starts again easily. Anyone out there ever experience this problem? What's the solution??

 

[AFDan52]

Hey Smoke , what year is your merc 8hp and also is the fuel pump on your kicker water cooled?

 

[SmokeOnTheWater]

It's a 2005 and the fuel pump is mounted on the rear of the engine and does not appear to be water cooled but I'll do some more checking. The owners manual mentions nothing about the fuel pump.