Racor 500 Fuel filter.

[oldgit]

Stop me if get too technical.....
While changing the filters.
Some visible traces of debris on the little plastic swirly thing in the clear bowl at the bottom of filter .
Will the gunge come out on its own when drain bolt removed or does entire bowl have to be taken off.
This looks like a pig of a job in situ.

 

[Greg2]

On a previous boat debris collected in the clear bowls during the course of a season so during the winter I would clean them by removing the bolt and draining, which would remove some of the debris but there was always some left. To get the rest out I would flush them through several times with clean diesel or on one occasion I used meths. I preferred this to removing the bowl and cleaning as getting it back together was a bit of a phaff.

 

[Portofino]

Try draining first .
If it’s sat at the bottom and unable to self drain via the tap , it’s ok it’s not gonna progress into the motor .It will just sit .

 

[oldgit]

Thank you gentlemen. More or less what wanted to hear.
Whoever decided on the location of my fuel filters, should go directly to boating hell. !

 

[Portofino]

Use a babies pampers type nappy underneath when draining if it’s close to a floor making placing a solid receptacle problematic .

 

[Dino]

I have a similar situation with a double set of Separ filters. There is some crud visible in the veins inside the bowl. Might dismantle them over the winter and clean them out.

 

[harvey38]

Use a babies pampers type nappy underneath when draining if it’s close to a floor making placing a solid receptacle problematic .

Puppy pads are great for such things, as are the larger kids versions Dry Nites, £6 from Boots.

 

[Greg2]

Thank you gentlemen. More or less what wanted to hear.
Whoever decided on the location of my fuel filters, should go directly to boating hell. !

The original filters on our Hardy were mounted in front of the engines and whilst they were accessible they were very low and a cartridge type so changing one would have been an nightmare and not doable at sea. I fitted Racor 500‘s and mounted them just beneath a hatch in the wheelhouse deck so now very easy to access. Might be worth moving yours?

 

[Plum]

Stop me if get too technical.....
While changing the filters.
Some visible traces of debris on the little plastic swirly thing in the clear bowl at the bottom of filter .
Will the gunge come out on its own when drain bolt removed or does entire bowl have to be taken off.
This looks like a pig of a job in situ.

Eventually you will need to remove the clear bowl and have a good cleanup in there. Suggest you use a new seal between the bowl and the body to avoid having to dismantle a second time if the old one does not seal. Depends on your fuel quality but mine lasted 500 hours before having to do this again.

www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[Mr Googler]

I always ended up relocating the filters on my previous 4 boats. odd builders dont think about what if you have to change them at sea….which is the only time you’ll actual “need” to ?



You say a bit of crud…..this boat (not mine) still ran ok ish!


for comparison

 

[Portofino]

The perceived and indeed real advantage of mounting them as low as practically as possible is relatively to to the tank height you ideally you need a head of pressure if you have to change them out @ sea .This height difference between the fuel level and the top of the racor lid is beneficial when it comes to purging the air out . It is theoretically a good thing .

 

[Greg2]

The perceived and indeed real advantage of mounting them as low as practically as possible is relatively to to the tank height you ideally you need a head of pressure if you have to change them out @ sea .This height difference between the fuel level and the top of the racor lid is beneficial when it comes to purging the air out . It is theoretically a good thing .

True and the fitting instructions indicate such but I have found that by closing the fuel cocks when changing filters and having a can of diesel aboard so that I can top up the filter housing if necessary has always worked just fine and with such easy access I would be happy to do a change at sea.

I did wonder if I was doing something wrong putting them higher up but my engineer / mate assured me it was okay - in fact whilst I did the fitting he plumbed them in.

 

[oldgit]

I always ended up relocating the filters on my previous 4 boats. odd builders dont think about what if you have to change them at sea….which is the only time you’ll actual “need” to ?



You say a bit of crud…..this boat (not mine) still ran ok ish!

View attachment 143453
for comparison

 

[oldgit]

Mine has basically something the size and shape of a small feather lurking within both bowls.
No intention of doing anything unless run out of other jobs and have already been down the 30 microns or not dark tunnel.

Previous owner purchased a couple of spare 30 micron genuine Parker filters for its journey back from Guernsey to Brighton.
He also purchased
2 x genuine spare Yamar impellers.
2 x Genuine Yanmar alternator belts.
A couple of enormous ceramic fuses (use unknown as yet )
A set of soft wood bungs.
Searches of various lockers produced
1 x New Icom Handheld with AIS.
1 x New starter motor.
....and a brand new 4 man liferaft.
This did present the problem of not much left to squander money on during the short period from buyer elation to when buyer remorse sets in with a vengence ie. when the wife starts to question all those Evri and Amazon parcels left on the doorstep/with a neighbour.

 

[snowbird30ds]

With the filter out would a piece of thin tubing fit down into the bowl past the turbine? If so suck out with pela type oil extractor pump, my drains are tight to get to and you starting this thread has just made me consider this option so thanks, will be looking at mine when next checking the filters.

 

[Portofino]

You “enormous ceramic fuses “ will be bow thruster fuses .

 

[Bandit]

Two of my boats have had fuel bug, the problem of secondhand boats.

Turn off the fuel taps put a bucket under and have rag available.

Drain the bowl, dismantle it all wipe out and wash all components in soapy water , dry thoroughly and reassemble with a new filter element.

Then with full research, carefully dose with proprietary biocides at all refills. Any queries bung me a pm.

 

[oldgit]

to add ...
Did check the bowls/oil in engine/ gearboxes oil / radio(s) /nav kit /back up and back backup / bilge pumps/ dinghy dates /anchor and windlass etc.
*** (first trip unknown boat paranoia)
Before bringing boat back to the Mudway from Brighton , around 120 miles.
Boat has been filled twice since then with around 1000 litres of fuel, dosed with whatever snake oil is used in our club tank.
No obvious increase in gunge over that period.
Will try to flush filter bowl without removing it when next changing cartridges.

*** Might also have been good idea to check water tanks as well . No water for the blimming bog or cups tea .
Good job we had some beer along with the bungs in the grab bag.

 

[Jon4468]

I have a similar situation with a double set of Separ filters. There is some crud visible in the veins inside the bowl. Might dismantle them over the winter and clean them out.

I have a Separ filter, I stripped it down recently to clean it. The glass bulb was really simple to remove, I can’t remember the exact procedure but it certainly wasn’t anything complex and could easily be done in situ as long as you have some elbow space.

 

[Dino]

Good to know Jon. It’s on the list for the winter so.

I have a Separ filter, I stripped it down recently to clean it. The glass bulb was really simple to remove, I can’t remember the exact procedure but it certainly wasn’t anything complex and could easily be done in situ as long as you have some elbow space.