Primer bulb

[toddo1]

Hey guys,
Is there any difference, wrong/right, issues with having primer bulb before or after a fuel/water seperator ? Was going to put it before but then wasn't sure! Motor is 50 etec!
thanks guys

[shaungonemad]

I had trouble with mine I found the best spot was about 18 inches from the motor no troubles since.

[Dan5]

I just went through this the other day.........I was running off of a portable tank through a filter then to motor with the bulb in between the filter motor no probs............But when I installed my new under deck fuel tank it would not pick up fuel through roughly 4mtrs of fuel hose then through filter to bulb then motor..........

I had to cut into the new line and put the primer bulb before the filter then I had no issue with priming at all........IMO go before filter then all should be ok.

Dan

[scottar]

As Dan has said, getting a primer bulb to suck fuel into a dry filter/seperator will take some doing but it will eventually work. All of mine have been positioned between the filter and the motor and have worked fine but i really dont think it matters.

[Dan5]

Yeah even with a full fuel filter as mine was the other day I still could not get any fuel through..........It was actually starting to do my head in.......I have set up atleast a dozen fuel tank combinations and always had bulb after filter thinking it was better to draw through than try and push but it was a no go the other day even to the point of running the motor at the same time to help draw.

But I agree on the before after thing I also think it does not matter which side as long as you get fuel up the motor will do the rest.

Dan

[Noelm]

I don't think it makes a lot of difference where the primer is located, but it makes a difference how it sits, if the motor side is pointed down, it will take forever to prime, ideally the outlet side should be pointed up, but this is not always practical, but at a minimum, it needs to lay flat, or the little ball will not return to seal off to draw fresh fuel during the next pump, cheap no name bulbs can also cause drama, always buy a brand name if you can.

[Moonlighter]

And also, with bulb on the motor side of the filter, when you change filters you simply fill the filter with fuel before you screw it back on. That does the trick, as you have effectively primed the filter first. It then sucks thru just fine.

Most boats usually seem to have the bulb located between filter and engine.

And as Noel says, make sure it is pointed the right direction, and the end towards the motor is aimed upwards. The valve doesn't work properly unless they are.

A final comment. The after market ones are not as good as most of the OEM versions. I understand that Merc bulbs are the only ones that have a proper check valve in them, the rest just have a flapper valve. I have had Yammy ones that were fine and lasted many years. The Suzuki ones are, well, let's say, average.

[toddo1]

Thanks heaps fella's, I ended up putting it before the filter, just position wise it was more tidy, and yeah it's a evinrude/Johnson filter not a cheap one! Seems it doesn't really matter is the general consensus! When u guys say pointing up, u mean the bulb I assume?

[Noelm]

Yes, if possible, have the motor side of the primer pointing upwards, if you're not able to, it needs to be at least flat, not dangling with the outlet pointing down.

[Crunchy]

This has come up before and I can't remember why but I thought the consensus was after.

[Fed]

Before the filter will always work better Crunchy.