Fuel Filter questions

[RicM]

As my first season with my 2003 28 TE draws to a close I am doing some routine maintenence and have a question about the Racor fuel filter. I changed the element today for the first time. I bought the boat in Jan 07 with 320 hours and now have 550 and it's running fine. The element was jet black and the black material rubbed off easily but not copiously on a rag. Is this normal? We tried to look at the site glass to see if any water, but the position it's mounted in make this impossible, am I missing soemthing here? The assembly has a stainless steel looking dish on the bottom that would appear to be there to catch liquid, what is it for? There is a small petcock on the bottom of the assembly which we opened but nothing came out. What's that for?

[Cape Codder]

Rick,
I had the very same questions when I was at Standish Boat Yard yesterday.
Ken Hilton said that the clear bowl is impossible to see, and that everything appears black anyway. So having all the black on the filter might be normal. I'll let you know as soon as I pull mine.
The drain at the bottom should release any water that has been separated, but Ken stressed that lots of sediment can accumulate, and strongly suggested to agitate with air pressure if possible. Does not sound like an easy procedure getting anything in the bowl agitated.
He showed that you CAN take the bowl off with 5-6 hex bolts, however there is an o-ring that must be re-seated properly, again not all that easy.

I can't wait to give this a try myself!!

[RicM]

I'm thinking that a paper clip might open up the drain at the bottom of the filter. If there's that much goop in there it might be good to clean the whole thing out, but that sounds like a winter project. Going to look for some tautog today, last trip of the season.

[RicM]

So now that I'm thinking about it, I guess I should clean out that whole filter assembly if there's so much sediment in the bottom. Previous owner might have never really done so. Anyone have a clever way to empty the bowl? Should I just wipe out the goop with a rag? I'm scared to death I'm going to get something in the motor and toast it!

[Russell]

I have had a similar experience with the ten year old boat I purchased last year. To make matters worse, the previous owner moved away leaving the boat to sit for almost a year. Lots of black particles came out of the drain on the Racor filter and I purchased the stopcock to make it easier to do before each use of the boat. Just a small amount to get the particles out. The first filter change was really black. It is getting better over time and the filter did not look too bad when I changed it a month ago.
Let me know if you have success cleaning the bowl. I have thought about doing that too but somehow these projects turn out to be catastrophes with bolts shearing off, etc. I have read that some people refer to the Racor primary filter as a mud filter, so the black gunk is probably a common problem.

[Pitou]

The black on the filter is normal. That's what happens when it is doing it's job. When I pull the Racor filter I pull it quickly and let it drain outside of the Racor housing in a small pail as to not let too much of the black which is particulate drain back into the housing. I've also used a small hand pump to drain the Racor housing and wiped up inside with a rag. Fooling around with the bottom drain by braille I figured would only bring disaster.

[N4QC]

For agitating the fuel in the Racor bowl when servicing from the top, I use a gravy syringe. Pump out manually and repeat a couple of times depending on the amount of crud. Use a rag to cover the top of the housing so that the fuel does not spray all over. Doesn’t get it a 100% clean, but I am comfortable that the on engine filter will collect that which passes…

Good luck,

[RicM]

OK, now the next step, how do I change the filter on the engine? Is there a procedure for that? How often do you change that filter?

[Pitou]

The Cummins manual says "every 300 hours or 12months".

Remove the filter (remembering it is "FULL" of diesel fuel) by spinning off. You may need a filter wrench. Be sure to use ample absorbant pads beneath the filter. On mine there are 2 rubber gaskets / one is on the threaded post coming off the filter head on the engine and an O-ring on the filter. Be sure to lubricate both with engine oil to ensure a tight seal. Fill the new filter with diesel fuel / this prevents introducing air into the fuel system. Spin it on hand tight only "do not use a wrench" as you will have an impossible time removing later. Usually once you feel the O-ring snug, tightening 3/4's of a turn is what I call hand tight. It's great to hear you're doing some of your own maintenance. There is nothing like crawling around and looking at and experiencing your boat to learn what she is all about.

[Russell]

When I changed the spin-on fuel filter I did what the Cummins mechanic recommended. Put it on empty and use the thumb operated pump to fill it before starting the engine. This makes all the fuel pass through the filter. Other brands my not have this pump but it sure makes service easy on the Cummins. The danger of filling the filter first is introducing a particle that could clog or damage an injector. So if you do that be sure that the fuel is absolutely clean.

[TopCat]

I think maybe the best way to determine when to change the Racor element is to install a vacum gauge on the filter. They are cheap and easy to install, they just replace the T-handle on the top of the filter. When the gauge gets into the red zone, replace the element. That could be at 300 hours or 30 hours, depending on the cleanliness of the fuel.

What I would like to install is the dual switchable Racor set. When the gauge says change, just flip the lever to use the other filter. Beats trying to change filters rolling around out in the middle of nowhere in a hot engine room. (been there once on a horrible night off Pt. Conception, when the violent rolling agitated all the junk in the tank of an old trawler and clogged filters one after another).With 2 micron filters, the on-engine filter would last virtually forever.

A trick I heard for draining the water bowl at the bottom of the filter is to plug an outboard motor fuel line onto the drain fitting, open the drain, and pump the ball. That pumps out the water in the bowl without having to crack the fitting on top and introduce air into the line.

[Mariner]

We had one of those dual filter setups on our last boat. Been thinking about installing one on our Albin. It was great to have, although the one time I found myself out in rough water with a clogged fuel filter, I didn't know what the lever was for, and limped back home on emergency power. If only I'd known!

[N4QC]

I concur with Topcat that the frequency of filter change should be more inline with the operating conditions of the fuel system. My engine filter is recommended for a 500 hour change interval, but I change it at 100 hours when I change the engine oil. I change the Racor when the gauge reads between 7 and 10. I use a drag pointer gauge as it is difficult to read a regular gauge (due to the gauge location) while under way. The pointer stays at the maximum reading encountered during the run.

Make sure that you have the room to install the gauge as there are various configurations. A site that is very helpful in this regard, and you can call them up and ask questions is: http://www.designatedengineer.com/

I would also recommend the reading of the fuel filtering article by T. Athens over on Boatdiesel.com.

Have fun,