Running engine without primary fuel filter?!

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Babylon

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Made a minor error when servicing the engine yesterday - was so tired and dripping with sweat that I forgot to insert the new filter into the Racor unit before screwing the top back on, then ran the engine on idle for a couple of minutes or so! Fuel in glass bowl was completely optically clean, and had already drained off a spoon's worth of crud from the tank's crud-sump (do this regularly as well as using fuel-cleaner and keep the tank topped up whenever possible to reduce condensation), so have I really compromised the secondary fuel filter?

The cautious perfectionist in me says change the secondary filter (again!) to be safe, but the realist in me says a few minutes on idle wouldn't have pumped any more than a few drops of unfiltered fuel into the rest of the system.

Should I lose sleep over this?
 
It's a filter, it's designed to stop stuff and still work, so I wouldn't worry about it. Put the primary filter in and run at high power alongside . If it runs happily at full throttle for a few minutes, I'd say you've got away with it.
 
Babylon said:
Made a minor error when servicing the engine yesterday - was so tired and dripping with sweat that I forgot to insert the new filter into the Racor unit before screwing the top back on, then ran the engine on idle for a couple of minutes or so! Fuel in glass bowl was completely optically clean, and had already drained off a spoon's worth of crud from the tank's crud-sump (do this regularly as well as using fuel-cleaner and keep the tank topped up whenever possible to reduce condensation), so have I really compromised the secondary fuel filter?

The cautious perfectionist in me says change the secondary filter (again!) to be safe, but the realist in me says a few minutes on idle wouldn't have pumped any more than a few drops of unfiltered fuel into the rest of the system.

Should I lose sleep over this?
Click to expand...
No but I suspect you will not do it again!
 
Babylon said:
Made a minor error when servicing the engine yesterday - was so tired and dripping with sweat that I forgot to insert the new filter into the Racor unit before screwing the top back on, then ran the engine on idle for a couple of minutes or so! Fuel in glass bowl was completely optically clean, and had already drained off a spoon's worth of crud from the tank's crud-sump (do this regularly as well as using fuel-cleaner and keep the tank topped up whenever possible to reduce condensation), so have I really compromised the secondary fuel filter?

The cautious perfectionist in me says change the secondary filter (again!) to be safe, but the realist in me says a few minutes on idle wouldn't have pumped any more than a few drops of unfiltered fuel into the rest of the system.

Should I lose sleep over this?
Click to expand...
No.
 
Babylon said:
Made a minor error when servicing the engine yesterday - was so tired and dripping with sweat that I forgot to insert the new filter into the Racor unit before screwing the top back on, then ran the engine on idle for a couple of minutes or so! Fuel in glass bowl was completely optically clean, and had already drained off a spoon's worth of crud from the tank's crud-sump (do this regularly as well as using fuel-cleaner and keep the tank topped up whenever possible to reduce condensation), so have I really compromised the secondary fuel filter?

The cautious perfectionist in me says change the secondary filter (again!) to be safe, but the realist in me says a few minutes on idle wouldn't have pumped any more than a few drops of unfiltered fuel into the rest of the system.

Should I lose sleep over this?
Click to expand...
No
 
Primary and secondary filters are like belt and braces. I bought an old Scottish fishing boat in the 70s, which had been built in '38/39, with a big Gardner engine. The engine mounted filter on these engines is a tiny wee thing, and the primary filter, was a double chamber thing with the sort of gauze that would stop small coal. In her favour, she did have proper fuel tanks with dirt sumps and drain valves, so very little dirt or water ever got as far as the filter.
With the very modest amount of fuel consumed in an average small yacht, and with some care, a second fuel filter isn't really needed, but nice to have.
 
NormanS said:
Primary and secondary filters are like belt and braces. I bought an old Scottish fishing boat in the 70s, which had been built in '38/39, with a big Gardner engine. The engine mounted filter on these engines is a tiny wee thing, and the primary filter, was a double chamber thing with the sort of gauze that would stop small coal. In her favour, she did have proper fuel tanks with dirt sumps and drain valves, so very little dirt or water ever got as far as the filter.
With the very modest amount of fuel consumed in an average small yacht, and with some care, a second fuel filter isn't really needed, but nice to have.
Click to expand...
I remember reading a Gardner hand book, it gave instructions on how to use the waste sump oil after an oil change as a fuel!
 
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