Fuel Water seperator valve

Use permitex#1 or 2 for thread sealer. Get a cap nut for the drain and install it.

I have not had issues. I have a separator so I guess why not drain it once in a while. The plug on the bottom was a dumb I thought. Draining it was going to be inconveiniant. I put on the valve to make it better.

I would be real careful guy's,I had the wing nut style block drain open on it's own on the St John. Did not know until water was on the rear floorboard. Granted I most likely didn't have it real tight after winterizing but had it been gas----   Maybe it should be safety wired?

Gary good tip while I can’t say it will never leak it hasn’t yet and has been in for quite a few years now.
Eddie
First off it never hurts to sump a fuel system. We sump the tanks in our helicopters every day and I don’t think we’re pumping crap Jet A.
Second I don’t live on a lake so we trailer to where ever we’re skiing. We go to several different lakes along with the local three rivers. I try to get gas at reputable land gas stations but not always an option. That leaves me at the mercy of the marinas on the river and lake’s that I have no idea how much fuel they sell or how long it’s been in their tank or the quality. To add to that it may sit in my tank for a month until I use that boat again. I have had a filter’s glue (Wix) disintegrate inside the housing and found it by sumping the filter housing. Would it have made it to the carb? Or plug the filter and ruin my day on the water? Who knows but sumping the housing found the problem before it became a problem.

Paul/Tony,
Your points make some sense. I have to rely on the older spin-on filter for my application which has been trouble free for decades. I have to admit that the canister type filter is a pain in the ass to try and remove/replace.

I'm also of the mindset that if it aint broke don't fix it. So you can sump the fuel by this drain and at what point is it enough?
Why not put drains in the fuel tank, the fuel pump and the bowls in the carb then?
Or how about the oil filter? Maybe that needs a drain then.

See where I'm going with this?

I certainly understand your disintegrating filter experience. However, I'm of the "Stuff happens" fraternity in a fairly rare, one-time situation like that.
Can it happen...yes.
Did it happen....yes.
Does it mean that it will happen again...who knows but chances are probably more likely that you'll get struck by lightening several times and win the lottery before this happens again.

I was also in the service and fully understand having a backup to the backup. But nothing is 100% failsafe.
The system that is in place has been flawless and trouble free for a long time. I have a hard time adding another potential point of failure to it. Remember the acronym K.I.S.S.

SNobsessed wrote: I accomplished the same goal by altering the mounting bracket so it is easier to pull the whole filter assembly out.

Would you by any chance have a picture? I have the large canister type and been going back and forth to switch the whole assembly out with a spin on fuel/water separator filter type. It's just a PITA to change mine each season, but worth it

SNobsessed wrote: Bracket Mod I cut it in 2, welded an extension onto one side (so it would overlap), then drilled holes for the 2 screws. Paint to match. I can now get to the drain plug without having to pull the hoses off.

I should of done my homework and searched the site, of course it would of been on here

This is very helpful and diffidently add to my list to do's

Thanks

Not without taking off the hose, at least in my experience.   Also, I have a welder & had to use it for something!

It took me a while to find that old thread.

Sorry for the thread-jack Tony. The high end water separators have a petcock like you added.

Yeah quit stealing my only post Chris! No problem. It feels pretty good really. I didn't even get bashed once for anything. Z Tony.