draining fuel filter

[Serenity]

I decided to drain the water, if any, from my Yanmar primary fuel filter. IN the process of backing out the drain plug, I backed it out to far and the plug fell into the bilge. I couldn't see the plug and forget about getting my arm down into that abyss to feel around for it. I got out my 5 gallon wet/dry vac and try to vacuum it out. That didn't work. Next I tried blowing it out with the vac, aft to forward and forward to aft, again no results. The plug has a non-standard thread. I tried both sae and metric, just to plug up the hole in the bottom of the bowl. I spoke to my local Yanmar dealer, and they only thing they sell is the filter. Mac Boring wanted $175.00 for the filter assembly. I contacted Freeport Marine and they were able to get me the bowl and plug the same day. The Yanmar filter is made by Racor. The racor equivalent filter bowl assembly is the same bowl on the Yanmar filter. The bowl cost $55.00 including the $6.00 plug. The Racor part# is RK21113 if drop your plug and can not locate it. I believe my plug fell into the keel. After all was done. I had no water in my filter bowl.

[Tree]

Similar here. I buy all my racor parts from a company that make hydraulic hoses.

[RobS]

The only way I would think you'd have water there is if you totally neglected your racor turbine filter.

[Serenity]

Rob I have the Air Sep filter on the turbo intake. I would think you might pick up some water from contaminated fuel from the dock or gas station if you use theirs. How would water get into the fuel before the fuel entered the engine? Am I missing something?

[RobS]

How would water get into the fuel before the fuel entered the engine? Am I missing something?

From water in your tank - condensation, leaking fill cap, improperly oriented vent, water in the fuel you take on, a bad fuel cooler, etc..

That plug is actually a drain valve (petcock), no? In other words, just loosen it a bit until it drains the filter then snug it back up, no need to remove it.

[Serenity]

The only way I would think you'd have water there is if you totally neglected your racor turbine filter.

What I meant was how would water get into the fuel system by the turbine filter?