Fuel Flow Gauge


S

Spice

Guest
Has anyone installed a fuel flow gauge/meter? Just received a quote for $550 plus labor @ $100 per hour - seems kind of high for labor but that is probably the going rate around here.

If it's a relatively easy install I may try on my own. Thoughts?
 
I HAVE INSTALLED NAVMAN AND FLOSCAN ON DIFFERENT BOATS. THE NAVMAN OR NORTHSTAR IS A COMBO UNIT, WITH GPS, CHARTPLOTTER, AND FUEL MANAGEMENT. \FLOWMETERS NEED A GPS INPUT TO COMPUTE YOUR SPEED OVER GROUND AND CALCULATE YOUR ECONOMY. JUST LOOKING AT GPM DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK.
INSTALL IS SIMPLE. INSTALL TRANSDUCER IN FUEL LINE, SUPPLY A FILTER BEFORE TRANSDUCER, AND RUN WIRING TO DASH AREA. GET POWER TO GAUGE FROM UNDER DASH. DEPENDING ON WHICH MODEL YOU GET, SOME WILL FIT INTO YOUR EXHISTING GAUGE HOLE. WHAT BRAND AND MODEL ARE YOU LOOKING AT?
 
Do you have SmartCraft engines?

If so I bought a little gauge that was pretty inexpensive...plus install was a snap.
 
Volvo engines... I think Smartcraft is Merc. Also, I do not have helmview either.

Still trying to find out the Brand and Model as it didn't say on the estimate. I'll update when I get that information.
 
So, here's my quote:

Floscan Twinscan - $550
Labor to install - 8-9 hours @ $100/hour

The labor hours seems real high. Seriously??? Is this that complicated of an install?

Also, I have a Raymarine C80 display already installed. Will this system allow for a fuel flow connection?

Edit: Just noticed that I am now a Full Member - I'm assuming that's because this is my 100th post??? Finally!!!
 
Thas a full day to install? Seems high.
It probally could take 3 hrs but the manual calls for 7 to 8 hrs.
 
AS OF NOW, RAYMARINE WILL NOT SUPPORT FUEL FLOW. IN THE FUTURE, FLOSCAN WILL PUT OUT A NEMA 2000 COMPLIANT DEVICE THAT IS FOR GAS ENGINES THAT WILL TALK TO THE RAYMARINE, BUT AS OF NOW, ONLY DIESEL FUEL IS AVAILABLE.
 
Per the Raymarine website regarding the C80:

"C-Series Engine and Instrument Data Integration

With support for SeaTalk, SeaTalk NG (next generation), NMEA 0183, NMEA 2000 and J1939, Raymarine C-Series in the center point for all of your vessel's navigation, instrument, and engine data.

Control your Raymarine SeaTalk compatible autopilot right from your C-Series display.
Repeat information from your connected instruments, autopilot, GPS, weather instruments and more.
Customizable data displays support multiple combinations of graphical, digital and analog information.
Monitor critical engine functions like RPM, oil pressure, fuel level and flow rate, coolant temperature, trim tabs and engine tilt, generator electrical data and more using NMEA2000 or J1939. "

So... do I need to find out if my engines are NMEA2000 or J1939 compliant?
 
Holy smokes.... I installed a Lowrance unit on my single engined 26PC last summer, took all of about 60 minutes. I did use the dash spot vacated by a non functioning depth guage. I understand the marina has to make a profit but in this tough economic times, it's tough on the boat owner to to be frugal!

It does help if your comfortable with cutting fuel hose and working under your dash.

Look at the Lowrance units, they have a nice twin setup I thought.

TLR
 
SPICE,
THE RAYMARINE UNIT WILL SUPPORT IT, BUT HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET THE INFO TO THE UNIT?
I BELIEVE THE RAYMARINE IS NEMA 2000, BUT HOW DO YOU GET THE FUEL INFO TO THE UNIT?
NORTHSTAR IS COMPATIBLE WITH MERCRUISER SMARTCRAFT, AND I KNOW THEY CAN DISPLAY THE SAME INFO SMARTCRAFT DOES, BUT NOT SURE HOW TO GET THE INFO TO THE RAYMARINE?
 
I have no clue how to make the connection. I made the assumption that a NMEA 2000 compliant engine has a connection to plug directly into a NMEA 2000 compliant electronic device. In fact the C80 comes standard with a NMEA cable. I'm probably way off base here and my engines probably aren't even NMEA 2000 compliant, but I saw it noted on the Raymarine website so I thought - "why do I need a seperate unit to tell me my fuel flow if my C80 can do that on it's own with a simple connection to something else." I thought the "something else" just might be the engines themselves - I had to ask.

Perhaps what I'm finding out here is that you still need to install a fuel flow device and that might be able to connect to my C80?

Seems to me they could design engines to already have that capability - which is what I thought the NMEA 2000 standards may have been implemented to set.
 
SPICE,
CONTACT FLOSCAN TO SEE IF THEIR GAS VERSION FOR NEMA 2000 IS AVAILABLE YET, OR WHEN IT WILL COME OUT.
 
Waiting for a response from Floscan about gas NMEA 2000 connection.

By the way... is it NEMA or NMEA? All sites I've visited indicate NMEA 2000. Just trying to make sure we are talking the same thing here.

What about this application:

Garmin GFS 10: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=11561#featureTab

Anyone use this? Looks like one GFS 10 would be required for each engine but should be able to connect to my C80.

Any thoughts?
 
SPICE, YOU ARE CORRECT. THE ELECTRICIAN IN ME IS COMING OUT. NEMA STANDS FOR NATIONAL ELECTRICAL MANUFACTURERS ASSOC. SORRY.
 
ITS ABOUT TIME GARMIN GETS INTO THE FUEL ECONOMY BUSINESS. YOU CAN CALL THEIR TECH SUPPORT TEAM, AND GET ALL THE INFO YOU NEED. 1-800-800-1020. LET ME KNOW IF IT WILL WORK FOR YOU. WHAT GARMIN UNIT DO YOU PLAN ON BUYING? THE TOUCHSCREEN?
 
No big deal... I thought NEMA was something else and I just wanted to make sure we were talking the same thing.

The link I supplied takes you to the Garmin GFS 10... it's simply a fuel flow sensor that connects into a NMEA 2000 network backbone - which ultimately connects to devices such as a Raymarine C80. I'll still need to install the 2 GFS 10 sensors (one for each engine) but the device has a NMEA 2000 connection so it will tie right into the network.

I'll have to build the NMEA 2000 network using the appropriate cables and t-connectors but it doesn't look that difficult.

Very informative NMEA 2000 paper on the Garmin site as well: http://www.garmin.com/manuals/GPSMAP4008_NMEA2000NetworkFundamentals.pdf

I still need to do some more research, because even though the C80 states it supports this type of connection - I want to be 100% sure before I start ordering my supplies. I'll have to contact Raymarine directly to verify my plan will work.

I'll keep you posted.
 
I'm getting closer to an answer.

After checking with Raymarine, they indicate that if my engines feature support for interfacing with NMEA 2000 devices them I'm good to go once I build my NMEA backbone network. If my engines don't support NMEA 2000, then I have to add a device that does support NMEA 2000 - such as a fuel flow sensor. They were careful not to state that all NMEA 2000 fuel flow sensors will work.

So I now need to check with Volvo or my dealer to verify my engines and if they aren't NMEA 2000 compliant (which I'm thinking they are not) then I'll need to check with Garmin regarding the GFS 10 to see if it will interface with Raymarine - which is should since it's NMEA 2000 compliant, which is why standards are set - so they can all interface with each other.
 
SPICE,
I WILL AWAIT YOUR FINDINGS. LET ME KNOW WHAT WORKS WITH WHAT.
I BELIEVE MY 2005 8.1 VOLVO ENGINES ARE J1939.
 
Hmm, the fuel flow sensor is a mechanical sensor that sits in-line, it's not any computer, so wether or not an engine is NMEA doesn't matter...Right? the computer or raymarine C80 just needs a NMEA 2000 conection/backbone, which is super easy to install. Somewhere on the Lowrance site they have diagrams too.

TLR
 
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