Replacing standard CAV with a "Racor" Fakor?

colind3782

colind3782

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Given that Racor copies are so cheap now I'm probably going to replace my standard CAV filter with one to make changes easier. Having had to replace a CAV filter element at sea I'm not keen to repeat the experience! Any recommendations as the best replacement type of "Racor" to fit in a similar space?
 
Why was it necessary to change the filter at sea? Thousands upon thousands of CAV filters have been fitted to all sorts of vehicles over the years with no problem . May I suggest the problem lays not with the filter but basic fuel system management.
 
There are spin-on filters which fit a CAV-type filter head, very easy to change. You still have to bleed, as you would with a Racor. A solution worth considering is to have two filters in parallel with on/off valves, so you can isolate a blocked filter and turn on a new filter without bleeding.
 
Tamarside said:
Why was it necessary to change the filter at sea? Thousands upon thousands of CAV filters have been fitted to all sorts of vehicles over the years with no problem . May I suggest the problem lays not with the filter but basic fuel system management.
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That was, indeed, the case. Fuel system overhauled but that wasn't the question.
 
pvb said:
There are spin-on filters which fit a CAV-type filter head, very easy to change. You still have to bleed, as you would with a Racor. A solution worth considering is to have two filters in parallel with on/off valves, so you can isolate a blocked filter and turn on a new filter without bleeding.
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No space for two filters and I'm aware of the spin on filters for CAV heads but that wasn't the question.
 
Tamarside said:
Why was it necessary to change the filter at sea? Thousands upon thousands of CAV filters have been fitted to all sorts of vehicles over the years with no problem . May I suggest the problem lays not with the filter but basic fuel system management.
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In my experience the fuel bug clogged the filter when at sea. Thankfully, we were able to sail to the morning. Had we been 200 miles offshore with no wind and a big swell it would have been another story.

Most people change a CAV filter once a year, on the hard, I spent a vomit inducing hour changing it on the mooring. An experience I NEVER want to repeat.

Once back on the hard I promptly changed the filtration system for something that could be done in a couple of mins after cleaning the tank and fuel lines of the bug.
 
Tamarside said:
Why was it necessary to change the filter at sea? Thousands upon thousands of CAV filters have been fitted to all sorts of vehicles over the years with no problem . May I suggest the problem lays not with the filter but basic fuel system management.
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‘Vehicles’ ...fine if you are parked up in a workshop, not bouncing around in a boat arse up , head down off the harbour entrance.

Im sure you didn’t intend to sound so condescending...
 
colind3782 said:
For example, this is the unit I have in mind:

R12T Fuel Filter Water Separator Diesels Engine For Racor 140R 120AT S3240 NPT | eBay

At £17.99 it seems to be a very cost efficient solution
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I have the proper Racor version and this version since I bought it thinking I was just buying a clone filter, not the whole thing. I couldn't tell the difference between the housings. Sometimes 'clones' are just the same unit from the same Chinese factory badged differently.
 
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I got my 'Fakor' from ASAP and it has no faults. The castings are good quality, the threads and fittings are tight, the right kind of plastics have been used, it happily accepts genuine elements, it must be an accurate clone.
 
colind3782 said:
That was, indeed, the case. Fuel system overhauled but that wasn't the question.
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I appreciate that. However, it is no matter if you have a Racor, CAV or any other filter, you have an underlying issue which will cause you a problem irrespective of make or design. You are treating the resultant not the issue.
 
We replaced with one which had a built in priming pump which made filter replacement much faster. Useful if your tank is below the filter height. Readily available on eBay.
 
I plan to swap my CAV for a racor copy and will make the choice by using a good supplier ASAP or parts4engines. My local engineer says the very cheap ones can have poor threads. I will use branded racor elements though as I understand they have a hydrophobic coating which helps water separation (might be bs but sounds impressive)
 
When you're doing it, give very serious consideration to fitting twin filters in parallel with taps to switch.

You'll probably never need them, but I've had a filter block. In my case, it resulted in a rather fraught entry into Portsmouth harbour under sail, but they only ever block when you really don't want them to, and I don't want even want to be swapping a spin-on filter on a nasty night while the crew's shouting that the rocks are getting closer.

There are also economies to be had in not throwing away perfectly good filters. I've changed mine twice in the 15 years since I fitted them
 
Commercially we change a filter in two instances

The first is time based 250 hours usually with the smaller racors sub racor 1000's

The second is condition based, using a vaccum gauge. These can even be NMEA 2000 now and linked to your plotter with an alarm! Cummins for instance specify a 5psi max suction on the line.

In any case you can monitor and then change prior to ever having a problem.

If you do have a problem we would record it as an incident which triggers a whole load of paperwork!
 
Tamarside said:
I appreciate that. However, it is no matter if you have a Racor, CAV or any other filter, you have an underlying issue which will cause you a problem irrespective of make or design. You are treating the resultant not the issue.
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Absolutely.
If you make a habit of going to sea with enough crap in your fuel tank to block your filters, you are asking for big trouble whatever filters you have.

It's much better to keep your tank reasonably clean and know your filter will cope.
 
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