Water seperator upgraded.

[Allure2sail]

Hello:
Has anyone  swapped off their Racor R12 for a bigger model. I just picked up a Racor 500 that I plan to replace the R12 with. More filter selection (2, 10 & 30 micron), bigger capacity, and this one has a vacuum gage to warn you when it needs changing. Interested to know if anyone has done this.
Bruce
S/V Allure

[deisher6]

Hey Allure:
Interesting question.  I went through the entire fuel system on our C-27 not to long ago.  Even took out the fuel tank and cleaned it with muratic acid.  There were two fine screens in the system one at the top of the fuel intake pipe in the tank and the other in the bottom of the fuel pump. They along with the Racor filter and the filter on the engine on the engine provide adequate filtration.  I use fuel from gas stations and add both anti fungus and Stabil for good measure.  Also keep the tank pretty full.

I have considered a fuel polishing outfit, but it has not seemed necessary yet.

regards charlie.

[Allure2sail]

Hi:
Had the tank out 5 years ago to clean (it was a mess). Recently got caught in a bad storm front and really got bounced around. the next day the engine started stalling occasionally. I then changed all the filters including the one in the bottom of the Facet lift pump. Bleed the system out and it seems to be all right now. I did find in the base of the lift pump cap where the filter is a very small amount of fine black grit. It was not magnetic (there is a button magnet built into the bottom cap) so I'm thinking the aluminum tank might have some oxidation issues going on inside of it. I found a Racor 500 with a vacuum gage installed already on Craigslist today. The gage tells you when the filter needs changing (kind of cool). I picked up a 2 micron filter for it as well. I hope the Facet pump is strong enough to pull the fuel through it (time will tell). I did not realize there was a screen on the intake as well, do you mean the fill pipe for the tank or the where the fuel gets sucked out of the tank?
Thanks
Bruce
S/V Allure

[deisher6]

Hey Bruce:  It is at the top of the tube where the fuel gets sucked out of the tank. 
I was having very bad fuel problems.  I thought that the line was clear from the tank to the filter because I could blow through it.  For obvious reasons I don't like to suck on fuel lines more than I have to!  The fuel had snot like stuff in it and the screen at the top of the tube was working like a one way valve. 

Facet pumps are better at pushing fuel than sucking it.  I finally placed it just above the bottom of the boat so that it is as low as it could go in the fuel system.  Here is an earlier thread on my fuel problems....It has been working like a champ since then.

C27 Fuel Information
« on: February 05, 2014, 08:24:00 PM »

regards charlie

[Allure2sail]

Hi Charlie:
Curious about your setup. You mentioned that the Facet pump was better at pushing fuel rather than pulling. All the setups I've seen is setup so that the lift pump pulls the fuel through the filter/water separator. Is that how you have yours? I questioned the diesel guru at the marina about the size Racor 500 and he said once the unit is full of fuel it becomes a mute issue. I would not use the Facet pump to fill the Racor up anyways, I'll always prefill it when I do install it or when I change the filter cartridge. I'm starting off with a 2 micron. If that needs changing to often I'll go to a 10 micron. I questioned the guru if the Facet is capable of pulling fuel through a 2 micron and he insisted it would not be a problem at all, he has setup a number of boats like that.
Bruce

[deisher6]

Hey Bruce:  I just went back and read my old post.  When I mounted the fuel pump (brand new) on the outside of the head wall, starboard side of the engine compartment just behind the engine compartment door, it had to be placed fairly high in relation to the fuel tank.  I was unable to get all the air out of the fuel line.  (I recall on our new '86 this was where the fuel pump was mounted.)  So I placed the pump on the back of the head wall as low as I could get it.....works fine.  The Racor filter is between the tank and pump and is the highest point of the fuel system.  I was pretty tired of screwing around with the fuel system by that time, but concluded that the pump couldn't pull much head.  At the bottom of the fuel system it is sort of self priming once started.

I replaced the filter...the old one possibly leaked, but I do not think so or it would have been apparent when it was downstream from the pump.

Hope that this makes some sense.

regards charlie

[Allure2sail]

Hi:
My Facet pump is mounted on a board that sepurates the engine compartment and the lazeret compartment on the port side. It is on the engine side face of that board about even with the transmission and the top of the pump is about level with the top surface of the tank. The racor is slightly higher than the pump on the inner wall that forms the head compartment. Wish I had a picture, worth a thousand words.
Bruce

[deisher6]

Hey Bruce:
I think that I have some mounting holes where my fuel pump may have been mounted there also.  I would not put it back there though, It is very handy to be able to take the boards that separate the lockers from the engine out.  I do not bend as well as I used to so I wind up taking those partitions out pretty regularly to work on stuff.

I would say that any fuel pump mounting position that is lower than the Racor filter and the top of the rule tank is probably good.

regards charlie

[Allure2sail]

FYI:
The old lift pump, racor setup and the spin on filter unit was mounted on a board and turned into a fuel filtering system (fuel polishing). Came in handy a few year back. I was surprised when I took it out of the storage shed and unwrapped it and discovered a hole rusted through the side of the filter. Needless to say it confirmed to me the fuel I had run through it a few years back had water in it. Also learned that unless you intend to use the setup again that season take the filters off and toss them. The remaining diesel in the setup had turned into the ugly nasty looking goo. I will be installing the Racor 500 this week. I purchased a 10 micron filter element yesterday just in case the 2 micron filter is to fine for the Facet pump to pull the fuel through it to keep the engine supplied. Anyone out there use 2 micron filters in their filter systems?
Bruce
S/V Allure
Swansea, MA

[doug]

Yea, my 26rk uses a 2 micron filter which supplies a Yanmar 14 about about 5x times the amount the motor requires. One of our boat yards couldn't believe hake installed a 2 micron filter as a primary, he was thinking a 30 primary and a 10 secondary was about right. If. Memory serves, the 2 micron will handle well in excess of 5 gallons (I want to say 10; but I'm lazy) per hour. The Yanmar 14 sips less than 1/4 gallon per hour wide open (I never get through a 7 gallon tank in a summer unless I am forced to motor across the chesapeake bay and back).

Look and see your fuel consumption and compare to the 2 micron capacity.

[BobK]

You might consider running an outboard fuel line with a primer squeeze bulb from the fuel tank to the filter.  When you have to change the filter, especially away from shore in rough weather (this seems to be the time they clog from stirring up the crud in the tank), simply install the filter and squeeze the bulb.  This fills the filter and purges the air.  This is not my idea but I copied it after seeing how easy it makes a filter change.
BobK   

[Allure2sail]

Hi Bobk:
I've seen this bulb setup before and just want to make sure how it is setup. I assume it goes before the racor water separator/filter and the lift pump (I don't believe Yanmars have an electric lift pump). Do Yanmars somewhere have a little plunger button to prime the system after changing the filters? I do have a few question for a universal engine setup for anyone.
!. I assume the "primer bulb goes between the tank and water separator?
2. Does the lift pump have to be turned on to push the diesel Through it with the primer bulb?
3. Do you open the bleeder screw on the spin on primary filter (the one between the injector pump and the electric lift pump)?
4. Do you need to open the bleeder screw on the injector pump?
5. Do you need to crack open the metal line at the injector itself?

I'm hoping the primer bulb eliminates the need for all the bleed points to be opened to let out the air.

Thank you
Bruce

[BobK]

Bruce,
1.  The primer bulb does go between the fuel tank and the water separator.
2.  The lift pump does not have to be turned on.
3.  Yes you do open the bleeder screw on the primary filter.  Squeeze until fuel just starts to come out the hole.  A quick dab with a paper towel will keep diesel smell away.
4.  By following step 3 you should not have introduced any air into the system.
5.  Same as 4.
Using this system I can change a filter and have the engine running un just a couple of minutes.  Prior to this I had to carry a small container of fuel to fill the filter and always seemed to need to crack the injectors.
BobK

[Allure2sail]

Thank you !!!
I will make sure the primer bulb takes 5/16" line. That will match the rest of the plumbing already there.
Bruce

[Allure2sail]

Hi:
Took off the Facet lift pump yesterday to see if it was the recommended model. The part number is stamped on the mounting ear of the pump. Luckily it was the electronic version recommended by Moyer Marine in CT. Part number is 477-060E. It is five to six years old.
Bruce