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1973 Sportscoach w/ Chevy 454 and 55 gallon primary fuel tank (for gen and engine) and 45 gallon auxiliary fuel tank (engine only). The tanks are switched/selected with a 12V fuel selector valve (I carry a spare valve). The valve feeds the engine through an oil filter sized main fuel filter #1 which has a water drain. (I carry a spare #1 fuel filter.) The auxiliary tank feeds the fuel valve through a remote electric fuel pump (Yes, I carry a spare pump). That electric pump uses a required prefilter #2 ( I carry a spare prefilter #2).
Since I run lots of fuel from the aux tank and the required prefilter #2 that protects the pump is small, I have a medium sized filter #3 (yes, I carry a spare #3 filter) located between the aux tank and prefilter #2.
The engine began to miss as though it was being starved for fuel. It was starved when switched to either tank, which made me think it was in the main filter #1. I limped to my destination and replaced main filter #1. I found water in that filter as well as debris making me think the problem was solved.
The next trip out, it starved on only the aux tank. I replaced the medium filter #3. That seemed to fix it for 200 miles.
The next trip out the electric fuel valve failed. It wouldn't switch between tanks. I limped to a gas station to fill that tank and I replaced that valve at my destination. After 400 miles it began to hesitate again and died at a toll booth, but started up and I was able to limp home by repeatedly switching between tanks.
There was one last filter #4 - a tiny final one in the carburetor (yes, I also carry spare for #4 in my kit). It looked fine, but I couldn't blow through it, so I replaced filter #4. It's run fine for the next 500 miles, knock on wood.
It's hard to say which filter or valve was the problem. I know the valve was bad and that filter #4 was bad, but regardless of the problem, "Carry spares and build redundant systems" is my motto. None of the failures stopped any of the trips, but the DW does get a bit nervous when we see a series of issues like that.
Since I run lots of fuel from the aux tank and the required prefilter #2 that protects the pump is small, I have a medium sized filter #3 (yes, I carry a spare #3 filter) located between the aux tank and prefilter #2.
The engine began to miss as though it was being starved for fuel. It was starved when switched to either tank, which made me think it was in the main filter #1. I limped to my destination and replaced main filter #1. I found water in that filter as well as debris making me think the problem was solved.
The next trip out, it starved on only the aux tank. I replaced the medium filter #3. That seemed to fix it for 200 miles.
The next trip out the electric fuel valve failed. It wouldn't switch between tanks. I limped to a gas station to fill that tank and I replaced that valve at my destination. After 400 miles it began to hesitate again and died at a toll booth, but started up and I was able to limp home by repeatedly switching between tanks.
There was one last filter #4 - a tiny final one in the carburetor (yes, I also carry spare for #4 in my kit). It looked fine, but I couldn't blow through it, so I replaced filter #4. It's run fine for the next 500 miles, knock on wood.
It's hard to say which filter or valve was the problem. I know the valve was bad and that filter #4 was bad, but regardless of the problem, "Carry spares and build redundant systems" is my motto. None of the failures stopped any of the trips, but the DW does get a bit nervous when we see a series of issues like that.
