T&T: Fuel manifolds

[Brent Hodges]

From: "Albin43SDtr" <Albin43SDtr at comcast.net>
> In short, the manifold simply helps to keep the Celestial in trim
> when the two main tank valves are open by keeping the tank levels
> equal.(endsnip)

That really surprises me. I have exactly the same boat as Wayne, (just a 
couple of hull numbers different) and my crossover has the opposite effect. 
If my Albin gets a little list, opening the crossover just makes it worse. 
Not sure why our boats act so much different in this respect, but they sure 
do. I just have to maintain trim by watching which tanks I'm pulling out of. 
Have  no choice on the return. Port engine returns to port tank. Stbd and 
genset return to stbd tank. These lines are hard plumbed. The feed manifold 
does not allow to pull one engine out of one tank and the other seperate out 
of the other. When you have the feed valves from both saddle tanks open, you 
effectively have a crossover open, just a litte higher up. The mainifold is 
at about mid tank lever. I wish it would "self level" like Wayne's does, but 
it don't.

When I get "a round tuit", I'm going to install a fuel polishing system / 
transfer pump and eliminate the current mainfold.

Brent Hodges
Albin 43, hull #246
Seabrook, Tx (until Friday!)