Cleaning Hurricane burner nozzle

[JimCasazze]

Recently our Hurricane is doing the flame-out after running for 30 -40 mins perfectly.  I'd like to pull and clean the nozzle as suggested in this thread.

I was unclear about if there is a fuel filter somewhere and where it would be located.  Is it in the nozzle itself or is there an external filter somewhere?  Also - is there an air filter to be checked as well?

Thanks
Jim

[Tom and Pam Brown]

Jim,

The fuel filter should be visible from the outside.  The air filter is inside the unit.  You can go IFR website to look at the owners manual as well as the service manual.

[Gerald Farris]

Jim,
The fuel filter for your Hurricane is located on the exterior of the back wall of the Hurricane compartment. It is accessible from under the coach. A replacement filter can be obtained at any auto parts store.

The air filter is inside the Hurricane case on the left side. It is an inline fuel filter that was used in the hose for the compressor intake to filter the air for the compressor. This filter rarely develops a restriction that compromises normal operation, but if it does a replacement can be obtained at the local auto parts house.

Gerald

[JimCasazze]

I will search for that filter once the rain stops... (although they say when the rain stops here, the snow starts)  Glad to hear it is accessible from underneath and readily available.  With diesel engines the, filter is where I always start and it is the culprit 90% of the time.  I expect the same may be true for my heater.

Thank you for the info.
Jim

[Joel Weiss]

There is another tiny fuel filter inside the nozzle that I didn't know anything about until I had my Hurricane serviced at ITR this spring.  After you have the nozzle removed open it up and tap the shaft on the ground.  A half-inch long cylindrical filter should fall out.  I don't know where you would get this filter except through ITR.

As for flame-outs, I have found removing the nozzle and cleaning it with carburetor cleaner to be the surest fix.  You may see a "beard" of fuel on the outside of the nozzle which indicates that not all the fuel is being properly vaporized and burned.  Before you clean the nozzle remove the O-rings, otherwise the cleaner will cause them to stretch (as I learned).

[Tom and Pam Brown]

Jim,

On occasion I have to bled the system and it corrected the burps without doing anything else.

Don't know why it just seemed to stop the backfiring etc.

Worth a try.

[Gerald Farris]

Tom,
The correction for needing to bleed the Hurricane fuel system on occasion is to install a fuel return line. To install a return line, you run a hose from the bleeder valve to the fuel tank return line. Then install a small orifice, about a 64th of an inch in the hose at the bleeder valve, and leave the bleeder valve open.

There will be a very small, but continuous flow of fuel from the Hurricane, back to the tank. This continuous fuel flow will keep the fuel cooler and return any air that the Hurricane fuel system may develop back to the tank.

Gerald
  

[Tom and Pam Brown]

Gerald,

Thanks,for,the suggestion.  I will look into doing that later this fall when it hopefully cools off.

[JimCasazze]

Quick update on my Flame Out.   I spoke with ITR and we did some fast tests.  Here is what I learned which may be helpful to others with a Hurricane.

First, if you remove to bottom screw on the "control box" and remove the cover, you will find the PC boards and logic for the Hurricane.  There is a jumper inside that will put the Hurricane into "bypass" mode.  I did not get a complete description of what exactly is bypassed, but it was the technicians belief that the optical flame sensor and perhaps the overheat sensor are ignored.

So, with the unit in bypass mode, NO flame outs.  There is a flickering of the LED that is reporting fault.  In my case it was the RUN FLAME OUT LED.  This would suggest that the nozzle is good, the fuel pump and fuel filter is good, etc. and that the Optical Sensor is bad.  I think that is probably supportive of the way the Run Flame Out occurs after running well for some time.  I believe the sensor is heating up and failing once it's hot.

The tech asked me to try a few things with the sensor, (none of which worked) and call him back before ordering the part.  Too bad ITR was closed before I could reach him Friday afternoon.  Anyway, I took it on my own to try to jump out the Optical Sensor, but that results in a Ignition Flame out failure, so apparently there is a certain resistance necessary to make the circuit function properly.  I'll try to find out what that is and test with a few resistors before ordering the part to be sure.

Anyway, I thought it was important to share this "bypass" mode as a good fast way to determine if you have a fuel or electrical issue.

Will post my final findings once this has been resolved.

J

[Joel Weiss]

Jim:

That's useful data to know.  Kevin at ITR is good about suggesting easy tests you can use to diagnose your problems.  Just be aware that the bypass mode is only for testing as you have done.  The owner's manual has strong cautions about not using it for operational purposes.  I'm not sure how many other safety cutoffs are bypassed in this mode.

Joel

[Corey Osborne]

Gerald I am having a similar issue and would like the manual you mentioned, but doesn't seem to exist any longer, can you assist?

http://beaveramb.org/PDF/PDF%20Manuals/Hurricane%20Owners%20Manual/Hurricane_manual_R4.pdf

Also mine is a little different, when mine starts to pop, If I immediately start to bleed the system the it returns to normal operation for a certain period of time, then will start popping again.  Could I have the same issue or something different as I describe it.

[Joel Weiss]

Gerald I am having a similar issue and would like the manual you mentioned, but doesn't seem to exist any longer, can you assist?

http://beaveramb.org/PDF/PDF%20Manuals/Hurricane%20Owners%20Manual/Hurricane_manual_R4.pdf

Also mine is a little different, when mine starts to pop, If I immediately start to bleed the system the it returns to normal operation for a certain period of time, then will start popping again.  Could I have the same issue or something different as I describe it.

If you go to this link you should be able to download the same manual.  https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=502F3E54066E9137!16859&authkey=!APuz-cczaQP4qxI&ithint=file%2cpdf

[Fred Brooks]

             Hi Guys,

    One more technician warning, Please DONOT leave the Hurricane in the By-Pass Mode. It circumvents all safety systems that are engineered into it. It is a real temptation but can't emphasize how dangerous it is.
    When I bought my coach, I found receipts for over a $1000 dollars from 3 different repair shops trying to repair a "Flame Out" on the Hurricane System. As it turned out I inherited the condition. Further investigation revealed that the original fuel filter that Gerald is referring to has 5/16 fuel lines going to it. Unknown had installed a 1/4 inline fuel filter and tightened it. However it was just loose enough to suck air into the fuel pump and cause the flame out. Regards and Happy New Year!  Fred

[Joel Weiss]

Speaking of Hurricane fuel filters, the little plastic one that Beaver installed with it was difficult to access and messy to replace.  I replaced it with a "spin-on" cartridge-style filter designed for home heating systems.  Much larger filter and much easier to replace.

[Gerald Farris]

Corey,
Joel posted a good link to a Hurricane manual. Thank You Joel.

As for what is the problem with your system, there are several possibilities, and only a through diagnosis can determine what it is. The biggest problem with Hurricane heaters in Beaver coaches is untrained/incompetent RV repair shops who through parts at them with the hope of fixing them. The vast majority of "RV Repair Shops" know little to nothing about the Hurricane system because it is primarily used in the Marine Industry, and not in RVs. The Hurricane was used in Beavers and Country Coaches in the mid to late nineties with the 2000 model being the last Beaver to use it. 

Gerald