Fuel Pumps:

Fuel pumps must be mounted on the engine or within 12 inches of the engine.  This is to keep the amount of pressurized fuel line as short as possible.  It is a bad situation to have long fuel lines that are under pressure snaking through the boat. If you get a leak they will dump all of the contents of the line into the boat.  The shorter the line the less fuel that will be spilled. 

If they are not mounted on the engine they must be securely mounted to the boat structure to prevent and they cannot put any strain on the fuel line.   Fuel pumps cannot be supported by the fuel line.

Fuel pumps cannot leak into the boat, so if you have an engine that uses a mechanical fuel pump it has to be a double diaphragm pump or have some other means to keep the fuel from leaking into the boat. The pump must be capable of passing the 2 1/2 minute fire test.

Electric fuel pumps can only operate when the engine is running.

The exception to this is on fuel injected engines.  Fuel injected engines require the line to the fuel rack to be pressurized for the engine to start.  So the pump is allowed to come on momentarily to pressurize the line.  This is not the entire fuel line, it is only the line from the pump to the fuel rack. Then the pump shuts off until the engine starts.

Fuel Stop Valves: (shutoff valves) They must meet the same fire test as other fuel fittings.  If they are electric they can only operate when the ignition switch is on and they must be able to be operated manually.

Seals and gaskets in fuel filters and strainers:

b) Each gasket and each sealed joint in a fuel filter and strainer must not leak when subjected for 24 hours to a gasoline that has at least a 50 percent aromatic content at the test pressure marked on the fuel tank label.

To put it simply, these seals and gaskets must be resistant to gasoline, and that includes gasoline with ethanol.

Clamps: If you use clamps, they must be used with hose designed for clamping. Sounds pretty obvious doesn't it. They must be placed beyond the bead, flare, or over the serrations of the mating spud, pipe, or hose fitting; and, not depend solely on the spring tension of the clamp for compressive force. Again this is pretty obvious stuff. In addition, the law doesn't require it but ABYC standards and good practice require that clamps be at least ½ inch wide, and each hose should be double clamped.

Clamps must be a corrosion resistant material. Use 316L stainless Steel. But be careful. Many stainless steel clamps do not have stainless steel screws that tighten them.  Make sure you specify that the screw be stainless also.

Some hoses are not designed for use with clamps. For instance Aeroquip racing hose has permanently installed end fittings. You do not use clamps with these hoses. 

Fuel Fittings: If you don't use clamps, but use fittings instead they must be:

A swaged sleeve;

A sleeve and threaded insert.

Accessibility: This is self explanatory.

Sec. 183.554 Fittings, joints, and connections. Each fuel system fitting, joint, and connection must be arranged so that it can be reached for inspection, removal, or maintenance without removal of permanent boat structure.

References:

33 CFR Subpart I: Fuel Systems  USA Recreational Boat Fuel System Regulations

TP 1332: CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS FOR SMALL VESSELS Section 7 Fuel Systems Canada Standards for small craft.

ABYC H-24 Gasoline Fuel Systems

Revised 01/17/2012 © newboatbuilders.com 2012-01  All rights reserved.