Racor filtration.....

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Matata

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We currently have a 10 micron primary filter on our Beta 20....The glass bowl is very clean and we have no reason to suspect any major fuel debris or contamination present. It will be due to be changed at the end of this season and have found unopened 30 micron filters I had in the workshop, that I'd forgotten we had. Not keen on throwing the 30 micron away so how does the learned panel feel about using them as our primary filter? ...thanks as ever Nik
 
30 is fine. After all it isnt the primary, there will also be the engine filter.

Some do run 10 or 20s, but 30s will show up any contamination quickly, and you may then want to change both engine and Racor till it passes. If you haven’t got one for a vac to the Racor it is money well spent.
 
ip485 said:
30 is fine. After all it isnt the primary, there will also be the engine filter.

Some do run 10 or 20s, but 30s will show up any contamination quickly, and you may then want to change both engine and Racor till it passes. If you haven’t got one for a vac to the Racor it is money well spent.
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I agree that 30 is fine .... but it is the primary filter under discussion. The secondary filter is the one closest to the injectors. 30 primary and 10, or similar. secondary, is fairly normal.

Richard
 
I would go with 10 on the primary as any debris/contamination will show up sooner. That said, you have the filters and 30 is fine for all the reasons mentioned above so by all means use what you have, you can always buy 10's after they are used up, or get a few 10's and if you have an issue, swap out a 30 for a 10 to give you some early warning.
My time as a marine engineer taught me never to rely on the engine fuel filter - in the same way that you would not rely on the oil pressure gauge to let you know when your oil level is low, relying on the secondary fuel filter to catch any debris is allowing the damage to be done.
The best indicator you already have, and are doing - the mk1 eyeball and frequent checks..
 
Stemar said:
It makes a lot of sense to have a coarser primary and finer secondary. If they're both the same, what's the point of the second one?
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Filters are not 100% efficient. A 10 micron filter will still let a few percent of particles through that are larger than 10. Two 10 micron in series reduces the probability and provides belt and braces. It's never given me a problem.

www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
 
Quite right.

I had a factory visit to Crossland Filters when I worked for Lucas Service UK Ltd.

Crossland was a Lucas Company.

I was expected to be knowlegable on ALL Lucas products and filters and their application was an interesting subject.

At the time, early 80's, 30 micron primary, 7-10 micron secondary was best diesel practice.

I knew a guy who used a 2 micron Racor. It cost him a bomb as they did not last long!

His Narrowboat engine was always failing to reach decent revs. Change the element, away it went for a few weeks.

For some reason he put it where the old CAV filter had been, before the OE Thornycroft filter that was 10 microns.

You cant help those who know all the answers :cool:
 
Coming at it from the angle that what's more important - a filter, or what it's trying to protect, then the finer, the better - though I fully agree that this has limits - a 2mic primary is a mighty fine filter. I wouldn't split hairs between 10 and 30 and would happily use either. Most secondary's (as mentioned) are 5mic.

From a marine engineering perspective, the worst damage I've seen is usually from water that gets through - and no filter will stop that if it's not being monitored. Our filter expert may be able to objectify but in my experience if there is enough debris to block a 10mic primary then there are major issues with what's in the tank, and if a 30 is getting fully clogged it's far too serious to be putting to sea. All IMO.

We have a CAV on ours and one of this winters projects when I re-do some of the engine room is to replace the primary filter and lines. I'll be fitting either a Separ or Racor primary, with a clear bowl and water sensor. I admit I will probably use 10 mic filters, but that's as I know the flow capacity of the 500FG racor or 2000 separ are so high our engine won't get near troubling that.
 
If the 30 blocks you will need to be seriousy ignoring the messages your engine is sending you before I suspect there is much chance of the engine filter becoming contaminated. Check the racor regulalry it will tell you all you need to know. As I said earlier if you cant be as bothered you should fit a vac gauge and at least check where the last tell tail was left. Then fit a water alarm, or at leat check before every trip if there is any water in the bottom. Check especially if you have recenlty filled, and checked especially if it has been rolling around or a long motor. To state the obvious the fuel should always be shiny clear without contamination, if there is any, drain it off, and ramp up your checks. It isnt difficult, but I am always surprised how uninterested some skippers appear to be to what is going on in their engine rooms until they make that harbour approach at 2 am in a F6 and are surprised the engine quit on them. Even with some fuel contamination this is avoidable in 100% of cases and possibly more :)

I recall a chap rafting up to me in Alderney. Almost new 50 foot Beneteau, nice leather deck shoes (nothing wrong in that). Could I look at his Racor? When did you last drain it and change the filter. Well I took delivery about two years ago. He was at the point it could have blocked, not because all the fuel that had passed through was necessarily badly contaminated, but because he hadnt kept up with the most basic maintenance. Did he know how to change the Racor, and did he have a spare (your guess). I carry 6 of each so was very happy to help out.

Cavs are fine, my Genset does. But I will fit a Racor. Why? Again keep it simple, its just nice to have something to look at, nothing more needed to tell you all you need to know, and to feel happy to change in that famous F6 while getting a bit of a kicking. Not long ago I stupidly mangaed to wind on the Cav and mess up the seal, so it a bit. Stupid but easily done while you are getting a kicking in the engine room.

As I said earlier all of this matters a lot less if you are day sailing, having engineers doing scheduled maintenance etc all well and good, it just becomes more important off shore in the dark of night.
 
I too carry half a dozen Racor elements, three pattern replacements for the engine filter - the Yanmar cost is 50 quid ish! - and two of each for the genset.

I made my own filter manifold for that, deep sixing the tiny OE secondary and using two very modern 'Collar Lock' types - 30 micron primary, 10 micron secondary -
meant for JCB's. Filter change on those is, like Racor, clean and quick. Due to my placement of the genset filter manifold, easy to carry out too :cool:

Both my Island Packet purchases had contaminated fuel tanks.

Dealing with that taught me regular maintenance is key!

I use InLine filters for sensibly priced replacements for filters. Yanmar prices are a joke.

IMHO, of course :cool:
 
I do, although I have found you can get genuine Racors if you search hard enough at not much more.

Is it thread drift, or what engine spares do you carry?

I have three impellers, three oil filters, the Racors, both main engine and Racor, spare belt, full oil refill and antifreeze, water pumps, a raw water filter, some spare water pipe of differing sizes and tape, I dont bother with an alternator as I have a Genset and solar and pretty large bank so figure this wouldnt be the end of the world. Seems to cover most of the disasters?
 
Most alarming, on our new to us boat, is that the electrical contractor “professionals” (who shall remain nameless) who fitted the 4 KVA genset, didn’t bother fitting any filter at all between the tank and the OEM inline filter attached to the genset. So, in reality, no sensible filtering whatsoever. So I have a wet day job of fitting a filter that should have been done by the professional fitters.
 
Dreadful.

My Genset did come installed with a CAV and secondary disposable on the engine. It was the first and only part that has gone, stupid little filter not much bigger than one you might fit to an Ebber. In the bin and at the moment a nice large clear disposable to back up the Cav, with a 10 Micron. The Genset may not eat up as much fuel but you had better look after it as well as your engine. What was odd is this was the part spec'd by the Genset manufactuers or, as they would say, their OEM part. No thanks.

Hopefully I am afraid the CAV will go as well, I do like Racors, particulary as my Racos are all in the engine room, open the main door and all in sight without even stepping in, whereas the Genset primary is actually in the sound proof enclosure, wrong on so many counts, but acceptable with a Racor first, and to be fair my Yanmar is a solid case as well and not a barrel of fun to change at sea.

To also be fair most people would not be changing Genset filters underway but it is noce to feel you could.
 
I like about the Racor FG500 that its easy to swap the element, what I dislike is that the element is small, so has limited crud capacity. I'm going to look for something different on mine.
 
ip485 said:
I do, although I have found you can get genuine Racors if you search hard enough at not much more.

Is it thread drift, or what engine spares do you carry?

I have three impellers, three oil filters, the Racors, both main engine and Racor, spare belt, full oil refill and antifreeze, water pumps, a raw water filter, some spare water pipe of differing sizes and tape, I dont bother with an alternator as I have a Genset and solar and pretty large bank so figure this wouldnt be the end of the world. Seems to cover most of the disasters?
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I do use genuine Racor elements - it is the Yanmar engine secondary filters that I use pattern ones for. £6.00 each plus VAT. Yanmar engine oil filters ditto, £6.00 each.

Check out the Yanmar price. Yanmar dont make oil filters, they buy them in from elsewhere. The ones I use are German TUV approved.

We carry lots of engine spares too. Impeller, drive belts, fuel and oil filters, anti freeze and oil, selection of hosepipe and clips.Full pro toolkit, cordless and mains power tools, full electrical terminal kit with pro stripper/cutter and pro crimper. Several types of terminals and connectors including glued shrinkfit types. Selection of tinned cable.

First Mate alleges I could build another boat with the tools and spares on board!

A tip. Two years ago the engine intake became plugged with fine bright green filament weed. The filter screen was clear, it was in the skin fitting/seacock. I cut the black reinforced pipe off, found the problem and tried to dig it out with a screwdriver. No chance, would not push or pull more than a few strands in or out. We have a posh corkscrew kit on board. It has a particularly long screw piece. Clamping the spare in a mole wrench and twisting soon cleared the plug of weed. I now have a longer length of clear reinforced pipe on the inlet seacock/filter wound in a circle so I can see what is going on. :cool:

Good thing Island Packets have plenty of storage for tools and spares ?
 
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Yep, been there bl**dy eel grass. :) Tip I learned from an engineer in a eel grass estuary, carry a piece of hose that fits in the seacock (ideally the types with the scew off clear covers as it is lazy not to have to remove the clips, shove the pipe on, with the tapered end that fits into the tender pump, couple of sharp pumps, job done. If you carry tanks even easier.

Next top tip, dont fit sea cocks that have those nice little grills on the hull side, you would think they would help bunging up with weed, but you would be wrong, and to add insult to injury, they charge more for them.

Last top tip, fit the biggest raw water filter your boat can take, make sure it has a plastic filter, even bronze wire fiilters will end up releasing bits straight into the engine, more than likely the pump or the heat exchanger galleries, unless you check for damage regulalry and carry a spare, and fit so it can be accessed and changed without bloodied knuckles and fancy tools.
 
burgundyben said:
I like about the Racor FG500 that its easy to swap the element, what I dislike is that the element is small, so has limited crud capacity. I'm going to look for something different on mine.
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I don't understand. The throughput capacity of the 500FG is so huge compared to a typical sailing boat engine that the capacity must be an order of magnitude oversized. :unsure:

I'm sure you could find something suitably specified for twin V8 behemoths but I'm sure that is not necessary.

Richard
 
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