Fuel Water Separator

[Diezel44]

I plan on adding fuel water separators on my 2007 SX230 HO. I have had issues with water in my gas on other boats over the years, so I always install one if there isn't already.
My question is, being it has a high pressure fuel pump, does it matter what one I buy? All of my previous boats have been carbs with mechanical fuel pumps so never had to worry about it before. Not sure if the flow rate of the filter factors in at all.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

It had better be rated for the fuel pressure that’s flowing through it. Adding a fuel water separator after the fuel pump will help but will not protect the fuel pump and the pressurecregulator from the corrosive effects of water.

There are several ways to get water in your fuel, the fuel had water in it to begin with and probably the biggest culprit is extended storage with a rather empty fuel tank. The saying an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure would apply here. Ethanol laced fuel more than likely has some water attached to the ethanol, if ethanol fuel is all you have available, make sure you run an additive that prevents phase separation such as Star Tron. Ironically ethanol can be a cure as well, there are several additives, “fuel system water remover” on the market that use ethanol as water instantly bonds with any alcohol and then said water can pass through the fuel system. So using non ethanol fuel with an occasional treatment of fuel system water remover maybe a good practice. Don’t store the boat for extended periods of time with a partiality filled fuel tank. Also make sure the fuel caps gasket and latching mechanism are in great shape to help keep water out.

I had also thought of an add on fuel water separator but the fuel pump and pressure regulator are in the tank, so in my mind getting clean fuel and treating the fuel regularly seems like the best bet to preventing problems.

 

[Diezel44]

Thanks, There is finally more than one fuel station around me that sells non-ethanol, so I will definitely be using that. I always add marine stabil at every fill-up as well. So maybe I don't install the separator, I'm definitely going to change all my fuel lines though. Being 2007, I'm sure its had 14 years of Ethanol running through the lines.
Thanks for your response.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Thanks, There is finally more than one fuel station around me that sells non-ethanol, so I will definitely be using that. I always add marine stabil at every fill-up as well. So maybe I don't install the separator, I'm definitely going to change all my fuel lines though. Being 2007, I'm sure its had 14 years of Ethanol running through the lines.
Thanks for your response.

Fwiw I run Amsoil upper cylinder lubricant with every fill up and as the end of the season approaches I start running Amsoil fuel stabilizer. At some point during the season I run ethanol 87 as that is all that is available at those locations which should remove any small amounts of water that might have gotten into the system. When I do use the ethanol fuel I will add Star Tron with those fill ups. And at least once during the season I will run Amsoil fuel system and injector cleaner.

Running Marine Sta-Bil is a great practice! Perhaps running a fuel system and injector cleaner like Techron through the system would be a good idea as well. Replacing the fuel lines is not a bad idea, especially if those lines are becoming hard or less flexible.

On my fuel injected dirt bikes I run a pre filter sock in the fill neck to catch debris and water. Sadly I don’t think there is a fit ment tht would work on our fuel filler necks.