RACOR FILTERS 30 MICRON OR 10 MICRON?

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penpal

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Chaps, thanks for the feed back on Racor fllters. On the pre-filters, would I use a 30 micron or a 10 micron? I have 2 fine filters after the pre filter which I am under the impression would be 10 micron. Would it be right to think the pre filter is 30 micron?
 
I ve been advised both answers!
Seems to me to make more sense that the pre filter is coarser than the fine filter (ie use 30), but a Volvo dealer said use 10, as then you wont block the fine filter.. hmmm....whats the point in having two filters then!
 
Lots of discussion on this with two different views
Firstly the view that the pre filters are easier to change therefore if you have them at 10 microns, you will only ever have to change the pre filters.

Secondly that having pre filters at 10 micron makes a nonsense of having primary filters on the engine as they will never ever perform any useful function.

I did ask MBM this question once and their technical advice was that the primary filters on the engine should have a smaller size than the pre filters

However as manufacturers like Volvo do not publish their primary filter sizes anyway, its all rather confusing!
 
To begin with I used course separ pre filters but found I had to change the pre filters and engine filters at the same time.




I then started to buy the racor pre filters for about £5 each and used the fine filter.
By keeping a 2 L bottle of diesel to top up the filter I could change a pre filter at sea with no need to bleed and be away in 5 mins. knowing that my engine filters were still clear.

Engine filters take longer to change, are not always so accessible, cost more and if they gets lots of fine crap at the same time your pre filters fill up with course crap then they both bung up together so there is not too much merit in the pre filter.

I now have spin on/off lorry engine grade filters that are oversized to last longer and change even quicker. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
you may recall I recently had fuel problems.

VP insist that the pre filters on my engine (D3-160) are 10 micron.
My local VP engineers firmly believe that these are far too fine and infact are filtering out the colourant in red diesel, which was possibly one of my problems.

Picture of diesel from my pre filters

I thought it was bug to begin with but those particles are gritty....
 
Pre filters def. 10micron as per DAKA's answer. I have Racor 500's which are over spec'd for my engines (TAMD 61A) so I let them do all the work. So easy and cheap to change the elements, I usually do them every time I go to sea (boat is 90% river use).

I change the engine fine filters annually as a precaution, but suspect they would last for years with the Racors doing the work.

I like this idea of DIY fuel scrubbing tho (from links in above posts) .. need to get me an ebay'd filter housing and inline pump... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
infact are filtering out the colourant in red diesel, which was possibly one of my problems.

Why would that create a problem the dye does not have any function than as a ........well a dye? to my knowledge
 
FWIW, I use 30 micron elements in my Racor pre filters. If you use 10 micron elements, then the fine filters are doing nothing which makes having them a bit pointless. IMHO, the task of removing debris should be divided between both sets of filters to maximise the capacity of the filtering system. It might allow an extra few minutes of fuel flow in a serious contamination situation which might make the difference between getting into port and not
 
recommendation is 10 on d-series.

to protect the hp pump and injectors and the common rail from grit and dirt.

Any muck in the mprop valve can destroy things.....expensive
 
The OP was talking about the pre filters not the fine fuel filters fitted to the engine
 
the filters on the engine on d3 is 3 micron

was in response to d3b
 
Blimey, I'm surprised any fuel gets through to the engine at all /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
penpal said:
Chaps, thanks for the feed back on Racor fllters. On the pre-filters, would I use a 30 micron or a 10 micron? I have 2 fine filters after the pre filter which I am under the impression would be 10 micron. Would it be right to think the pre filter is 30 micron?
Click to expand...
We use 10 for the 225 hp Perkins and 30 for the fixed 1500rpm Genset.
 
We have clear bottomed Racor 500 pre filters and use 10 micron so that we can see any issue early and change before problems, very happy if the engine filters are doing very little as they are a pain to change and expensive in comparison.
 
10 micron for pre-filters on our Cummins 450hp engines. Discussing this with Parker Hannifin (makers of Racors) I was assured this was correct and that there would be no fuel flow restriction. It's easier to change Racors that the fine filters on hot engines at sea...
 
I must be flukely lucky here judging by the responses so far.

I have never had to change a filter (apart from annual service on my D4) and even then, for the last service I didn't change the pre-filter as it looked spotless (I have spares of course standing by).

Perhaps I'm getting high standard fuel or perhaps the fuel additives I add are helping to keep the filters clean.
 
Jonmendez said:
use 10 micron so that we can see any issue early and change before problems, very happy if the engine filters are doing very little as they are a pain to change and expensive in comparison.
Click to expand...

+1 I can change the pre-engine filter very easily so that's 10 micron, the engine one is a real pain to change; the secret to happy fuel flow is very careful choice of filling site, good quality additive and a clean tank.
 
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