Fuel guage

[Domsz06]

are those fuel metes like flow meters for beer and stuff, that monitor how much is going through? I never liked the beer one's, but then again, gas doesn't pour into head like a hot keg of beer does, so maybe they would work pretty good.

Dom

[Tige M.D.]

The flow meters cost around $200. They are very easy to install. If you don't have a spare spot on you gauge panel then you will have to relocate a less neede gauge (clock...).
The systems I installed measured in liters or gallons. I used gallons. They monitor, gallons per hour real time, gallons used since fill up, as long as you reset it at fill up, and total gallons used, not resetable.
Basically it works like a paddle wheel generating a small current of electricity and the rest is magic.

[Tip]

I'm lookinging at the Faria FFM002. The cost is 276. I looked for the Hummingbird but have not found it. Do you have any info on the Hummingbird (like where I could buy it)?

Thanks

Tip

[Tige M.D.]

I will check my inventory on Tuesday. I usually keep them in stock.
Feel free to call me at 909/737-9801 ask for Greg

[Tip]

I'll give you call. Thanks. -Tip

[moved2ski]

I will give you a call also, I have been looking at the Flowscan. I can,t find a humminbird web sight. Because my engine is fuel injected do I need a unit for the return line?

[Tige M.D.]

What engine do you have?

[Tip]

Greg,
Thanks for the info, you were very helpful. Attached is a picture of the Navman F2100, looks very similar to the Faria. I got it online for $153.00.

I'll let you know how it works once I get it installed. -Tip

[moved2ski]

I have a 2002 MPI 315 hp Merc , not the scorpion. I have been looking at the Smartcraft but I think my engine is too old.

[Tip]

I finally got my fuel flow meter installed. It took about 2 hours and works great. It was fairly straight forward to install.

[pup]

Hey Tip. where did you find that for $153.00 ? what is the diameter of the guage? flow meter sounds like a very useful guage.

[Tip]

I found it at www.OnlineMarine.com.

Here is the link:
<<http://www.onlinemarine.com/cgi-loca...014+1078855561>>

The next cheapest gauge I found was the Faria @ $289.00.

The control head requires a 2" hole for mounting. The gauge is roughly 2.5 inches deep.

The hardest part of the whole installation was hooking up the transducer, that part took me a little over an hour.

[Domsz06]

how accurate are these these flow meters? I know when I had one installed at work to monitor the flow of beer out of the keg it really didn't work that great due to the face of it couldn't measure foam. Now I don't think fuel is going to foam like beer(engine wouldn't run very good ) Just wondering. As anyone tried it out aka, full tank, run till empty and see what it said? I think I might want to put one in. Thanks guys.

Dom

[Domsz06]

Tip

It says it works for carburated engines. Since it's inline to the engine it really doesnt matter does it since all it's measuring is fuel usage rate? So as long as entered into the mail line to the engine it would work right? Thanks

Dom

[Tip]

Dom,
Fuel fow meters have been used in the marine and aviation industries for years and are generally very accurate if properly installed and calibrated.
Calibration is done by filling the tank, running it empty and comparing the results. I'll let you know how accurate my gauge is once I get through a couple of tanks.

It's very important to mount the transducer in a vertical position to eliminate the chance of air bubbles getting trapped in the transducer, which could cause incorrect readings.

You have to be careful when using a fuel flow meter designed for carburated engines. Some engines with electronic fuel injection have a return line to the tank, so the fuel kind of circulates. This would cause a single transducer fuel flow meter to be erroronous because not all the fuel going through the transducer is being burned. They make fuel flow meters for these types of systems, but they cost more because it requires two transducers.

The 2003 Mercrusise 5.7 MPI does not have a return line so a single transducer works fine.

If you typically go out for long days and don't have easy access to a marina, a fuel flow meter is the only way to accurately know how much fuel you have left near the end of the day. -Tip