CAV filter issue

[Daydream believer]

My CAV filter has some rusty adaptors on it, and I want to tidy up the diesel system a bit.
I'm looking at the R12T type filter heads.
Only problem is, the filters are £7 or more each?
And of course, not as available as the CAV 296 type which is everywhere.
£7 is not a lot of money, but the CAV filters are so cheap in a pack of 10 that you can change them 'just to check' and don't mind throwing one away clean.

Being a bit more compact and not needing spanner access, I should be able to mount the filter in a better place, and still change it more easily.

I will also have simple glass bowl/gauze water trap like this:
Glass Fuel Sediment Residue Filter Bowl Assembly for Fordson Super Major Tractor | eBay
between the tank and the priming bulb.
That should protect the priming bulb from any gross lumps and give a visual check of what's coming out of the tank.

I have a Beta engine, which has a big fuel filter on it, compared to the little old Yanmar filters.

A small leak will let air into the fuel and your engine will stop.

I had a leak for months & it never stopped mine. Fuel out does not mean fuel in

 

[rogerthebodger]

I had a leak for months & it never stopped mine. Fuel out does not mean fuel in

That will depend on if the CAV filter is in the suction side of the lift pump or the pressure side of the lift pump.

My primary CAV is on the suction an would leak air in if the filter was not fitted correctly.

My secondary filter is on the lift pump pressure side and would leak fuel out

When I change the primary filter I use a primer bulb to check for any filter leaks as shown by fuel leaking out when the prime bulb is pressurized

Tis is one reason I don't have any issues with CAV filter change

 

[srm]

I had a leak for months & it never stopped mine. Fuel out does not mean fuel in

A fuel leak is not a problem if you have gravity feed from the tank (tank above the engine) or, as said above, filter is downstream from the fuel pump. With these set ups a leak is under pressure and fuel dribbles out into the bilge. However, any leak on a suction feed from a tank below the engine fuel pump will draw air into the fuel line and stop the engine.

 

[rogerthebodger]

A fuel leak is not a problem if you have gravity feed from the tank (tank above the engine) or, as said above, filter is downstream from the fuel pump. With these set ups a leak is under pressure and fuel dribbles out into the bilge. However, any leak on a suction feed from a tank below the engine fuel pump will draw air into the fuel line and stop the engine.

Even if the tank is above the lift pump air can still be drawn into the fuel line depending on the level of fuel in the tank and relative to the level of the lift pump

 

[ghostlymoron2]

Come on chaps, there's countless applications for CAV type filters and most perform adequately , the secret's in putting rubber rings in the right place. I admit that the Racor type are better but they are also much more expensive, as are the filter elements.

 

[Freebee]

Come on chaps, there's countless applications for CAV type filters and most perform adequately , the secret's in putting rubber rings in the right place. I admit that the Racor type are better but they are also much more expensive, as are the filter elements.

and fitting the CAV or the Racor where its easy to see and easy to service.

 

[Poignard]

What is about this forum that labels anyone who fails to scrap his perfectly satisfactory CQR anchor and replace it with a new type as a luddite, whilst at the same time labelling anyone who replaces his CAV filter with a much more satisfactory Racor as someone with more money than sense?

 

[rogerthebodger]

I have changed filters in both Racor 500 as well as CAV filters

The Racor requires access to the top to change the filter and to the bottom to drain any water. It is therefore important to have access to both top and bottom.

The CAV neds access to the top to undo the centre bolt and to the bottom to remove and refit the filter.

To me its all about access where the configuration of the Racor requires better access than the CAV so it's a temptation for the CAV to be fitted in a much confined space than the Racor and that is possible the issue with the inexperienced filter changing nd the reinsrt of the seal under the CAV top fitting.

 

[Roberto]

To me its all about access where the configuration of the Racor requires better access than the CAV so it's a temptation for the CAV to be fitted in a much confined space than the Racor and

+1
I have no place for a Racor so I keep the CAV It just needs a bit of care during reassembly, but never had leaks in/out. Spilled diesel in the bilge yes, it quickly socialize with the oil leaked from the 4108.
Besides, I clean the tank once or twice a year, I'd say it practically impossible to clog the filters, I change the cartridges every 100 hours and the topof the cartridge is barely dirty.
I bought the spin on kit but haven't fitted it yet, I still have plenty of 296 cartridges left (which btw are a fraction of the price of Racor ones).

 

[B27]

I have changed filters in both Racor 500 as well as CAV filters

The Racor requires access to the top to change the filter and to the bottom to drain any water. It is therefore important to have access to both top and bottom.

The CAV neds access to the top to undo the centre bolt and to the bottom to remove and refit the filter.

To me its all about access where the configuration of the Racor requires better access than the CAV so it's a temptation for the CAV to be fitted in a much confined space than the Racor and that is possible the issue with the inexperienced filter changing nd the reinsrt of the seal under the CAV top fitting.

The R12T type I've just got is more compact vertically , just needs space to get a container under it.
And being a spin-on, it will need space to swing a strap wrench to undo it.
The 'clear bowl' is pretty much the colour of 'white' diesel so good luck seeing if there's water or diesel in there.
On the positive side, it has a threaded fitting which looks like I can fit a water sensor into.

The supplied hose unions are the wrong size for the hoses I've got, naturally.
Still, £30 for unit plus two spare filters inc P&P is pretty good IMHO.

 

[penberth3]

......The 'clear bowl' is pretty much the colour of 'white' diesel so good luck seeing if there's water or diesel in there.....

You should still see a water/diesel boundary, if you ever have that much water which is unlikely.

 

[PaulRainbow]

71 posts about a CAV filter and the OP hasn't returned, did the question actually get answered ?


Joined Sunday at 15:03
Last seen Sunday at 18:19

 

[Daydream believer]

.

 

[Daydream believer]

71 posts about a CAV filter and the OP hasn't returned, did the question actually get answered ?
Joined Sunday at 15:03
Last seen Sunday at 18:19

His enquiry fueled some debate so he filtered out all the dross & made a decision from that

 

[tillergirl]

71 posts about a CAV filter and the OP hasn't returned, did the question actually get answered ?


Joined Sunday at 15:03
Last seen Sunday at 18:19

On a previous thread I have warned that clone filters - i.e some cheap CAV imposters aren't very good. I inherited some clone CAV filters and I found with the glass bowl I couldn't seal properly. Simples. The clone filter was a couple of mm in size so the central bolt 'bottomed out' of the thread BEFORE tightening the whole assembly properly. And the rings were also poorly sized. I dumped the clone filter and used a proper one and it was as expected perfect. Cheapo clones I'm afraid.

CAV filters don't have those holes in the top. The one on the right is correct, the one on the left is a clone. You makes your choice.

Does that answer the questions?

 

[Freebee]

CAV filters don't have those holes in the top. The one on the right is correct, the one on the left is a clone. You makes your choice.

actually you are wrong....... cav filters always had those holes in the top, because in original form they had one pleat rolled and joined top and bottom and filtered top to bottom or bottom to top. the base of the cav can had louvres

 

[Daydream believer]

actually you are wrong....... cav filters always had those holes in the top, because in original form they had one pleat rolled and joined top and bottom and filtered top to bottom or bottom to top. the base of the cav can had louvres

They are Delphi CAV now
some have metal bowl conversion, as required by the boat safety scheme that does not accept glass bowls.

 

[Minerva]

I have bought hundreds of the Facors and never had a problem, if you are squeamish about the chinese elements the housings will readily accept a genuine Racor element with out issue.

Perhaps if you bought the genuine ones, you wouldn’t have had to buy so many fakes!

In all seriousness though, where are folk locating their F/racors? Our Cav is in the most inaccessible but necessitating the emptying of a cockpit locker, climbing into the locker tomb and dealing with the filter. A pain on the mooring let alone at sea.

Bypassing this filter and mounting a racor in the engine bay with good access would be desirable, but sure I read somewhere that having them in the engine bay was a risk in the event of an engine fire…?

 

[PabloPicasso]

Easy to replace the cav filter set up with an easier to change one. I found I was increasingly over tightening the bolt on my cav to get it to seal. Eventually the glass bowl started to crack.

So I replaced with the drop in filter housing type as others have said.

I cannot imagine how hard it would be to change a cav filter when sailing, let alone doing it in rough seas in the dark at 3am!!

 

[PabloPicasso]

I presume when people refer to the ‘Facor’ this is actually a fake Racor. Do these copies work just as well as the real thing ?

Yes.