Racor 500 Overhaul - Drain Valve Rubber Conundrum!

[RichardS]

I serviced the first of my two Racor 500FG diesel filters for the first time yesterday and this has raised one or two observations.

1) The rubber gasket which seals the clear plastic bowl to the metal housing (I always thought the bowl was glass but was mistaken!) was fitted slightly off-centre and explains the slight fuel weep from the housing I had noticed over the last 12 months.

2) The flow control valve seal was mounted upside down and presumably explains the occasional back-syphoning of fuel into the (lower) fuel tank.

3) Does anyone have a proven method for removing the rubber seal from the the bowl drain valve. This is on the post-2002 Racors which do not have the two-part drain valve which is removable in it's entirety. On mine, the thick rubber collar has to be removed from the inside whilst it is still positioned at the bottom of the clear bowl.

I removed it eventually with the use of a scalpel, safety pins and a sharp bradawl and without damaging the black plastic valve itself but before I start on the second filter has anyone perfected a simpler procedure which takes less than 30 minutes?

Thanks

Richard

 

[pvb]

Why did you want to remove the bowl drain valve? Isn't servicing basically replacing the element?

 

[RichardS]

Why did you want to remove the bowl drain valve? Isn't servicing basically replacing the element?

I had to take the thing to bits to correct the two suspected faults, which subsequently proved to be correct, so I bought the complete refurbishment kit from ASAP which includes all the gaskets and o-rings, including the drain valve seal. Having bought the new one as part of the kit, I thought I might as well change it. It looks easy on this website:

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/rebuilding_a_racor_

however, whilst everything else looks the same, Racor have changed the design of the drain valve and the new design post-2002 is a real hassle.

Unless somebody has come up with a good replacement method (and if there is one you can bet that someone on PBO has found it!) I will leave this part alone if I ever do the second filter! Once bitten...................

Richard