FL 120 secondary fuel filter

[Fotoman]

Wondering how to remove those filters to change them. Do I unscrew them? Looks like there is a drain plug at the bottow of each but when I removed it nothing came out. I'm a bit puzzled.

 

[BaltimoreLurker]

Some folks have replaced them with these:

http://www.abcprecision.com/index.html

 

[Fotoman]

BaltimoreLurker wrote:

Some folks have replaced them with these:

http://www.abcprecision.com/index.html

Yes, I've seen those and they look great but for now I'm going to stick with the original filters as I have about a dozen in stock from the PO!

*

 

[jleonard]

Fotoman wrote:

Wondering how to remove those filters to change them. Do I unscrew them? Looks like there is a drain plug at the bottow of each but when I removed it nothing came out. I'm a bit puzzled.

Open the bleed screws and they will drain. The elements are held in place with a long bolt from the top of the housing.
I take it you do not have a manual?
*

 

[Marin]

If you need an FL120 manual it's in the "Manuals" section of the Grand Banks Owners forum. You have to be a member to access the manuals but membership is free. There are probably other on-line sources, too.

The stock CAV secondary filters are a pain the a*s. Because they are multi-part, you cannot pre-fill them with fuel before installing them. Some people fill them with fuel through the bleed hole using a straw but that's a pain in the a*s, too. And filling them with the manual priming lever on the fuel lift pump is HUGE pain in the a*s. Plus they always seem to seep fuel around the gaskets.

The slickest solution I've seen is the Parker-Hannifin spin-on adaptor for the FL120 and Perkins engines. The adaptor takes minutes to install in place of a cannister filter (you need two per engine) and from then on you use standard spin-on filters from whoever you like (we use Baldwin filters on our boat). You can prefill the filter before installing which greatly reduces the time it takes to bleed the fuel system after a filter change.

The spin-on secondary adaptors are one of the five best "mods" you can make to an FL120 according to Bob Smith at American Diesel.

 

[Keith]

If you're keeping the CAV filter assembly, a 1 liter wash bottle from a lab supply will make quick work of pre-filling the cartridges through that vent hole.

If you decide to replace them, sell the old housing on E-bay... there's a good market for them from people who have stripped out that vent hole trying to stop leaks!

 

[BaltimoreLurker]

Marin wrote:

The spin-on secondary adaptors are one of the five best "mods" you can make to an FL120 according to Bob Smith at American Diesel.

What are the other 4?

*

 

[Daddyo]

My guess on the other best mods are:
The new tranny and engine cooling hoses are 1/8" larger diameter then the originals
Replace raw water cooling pump with new one piece design
Relocate oil filter for inverted design
Replace original Motorola alternators

 

[jleonard]

"If you're keeping the CAV filter assembly, a 1 liter wash bottle from a lab supply will make quick work of pre-filling the cartridges through that vent hole. "

Awsum idea. Thank you. I'm going to get me one.

 

[Keith]

I bought a pack of 6. One has diesel, one has alcohol and one has napatha. I sold the other ones down the dock for enough to pay for my three.

 

[Marin]

BaltimoreLurker wrote:


Marin wrote:

The spin-on secondary adaptors are one of the five best "mods" you can make to an FL120 according to Bob Smith at American Diesel.

What are the other 4?



This has been discussed in a previous thread somewhere--- RT Firefly asked the same question awhile back.

But the other four are:

**Replace the original Jabsco pump/Lehman drive raw water pump setup with a new one-piece Johnson pump.

**Replace the stock neck, cap, and overflow tube on the coolant header tank with a kit* that turns the simple overflow system into an automotive-type coolant recovery system.* The kit includes a new neck insert and cap that allow the coolant to be pulled back into the header tank as the engine cools, and also the recovery bottle and necessary tubes to connect it.

** Block off the stock banjo bolt breather/overflow on the Simms/CAV/Minemec (sp?) injection pump and drill a tiny hole in the middle of the oil fill plug on top of the pump to serve as a breather.

** Replace the stock oil hoses between the oil filter and the oil cooler and the engine with larger diameter hoses.* This last has been the subject of mild debate on the GB owners forum---- we haven't done it.

*

 

[BaltimoreLurker]

Marin wrote:
This has been discussed in a previous thread somewhere--- RT Firefly asked the same question awhile back.

But the other four are:

I was sure you were going to say, "Dump the dinosaur and get a modern engine."*

 

[Egregious]

I have the same twin CAV filters the OP was asking about.* I was about to order the adapters from ABC, but after measuring the clearance, I don't think the adapter and new filter will fit.

I'm going to try to stick with the CAV filters for now and try the squeeze bottle technique to prime the filter through the bleed valve.* I too have several unused CAV filters.

 

[jleonard]

** Block off the stock banjo bolt breather/overflow on the Simms/CAV/Minemec (sp?) injection pump and drill a tiny hole in the middle of the oil fill plug on top of the pump to serve as a breather.


This I have never heard of. Can you explain a little more?

 

[Keith]

You may have to fabricate a new bracket. Here's my installation when I replaced the dual CAVs with a Racor. You can see where a new piece was welded onto the original mounting bracket.

 

[Marin]

Egregious wrote:

I have the same twin CAV filters the OP was asking about.* I was about to order the adapters from ABC, but after measuring the clearance, I don't think the adapter and new filter will fit.

If you have a stock FL120 the Parker-Hannifin spin-on adaptors and the proper size spin-on filters fit just fine.* The adaptors were made for this application (and a Perkins engine but I don't know which model).

From your photo it looks like you have something other than an FL120, which does not have the pump or whatever that round thing is below the secondary filters.* So you may indeed not be able to use the PH adaptors, which is too bad as they make life very easy.* But Keith's setup which replaces the entire CAV secondary system with a Racor on a bracket would serve you just as well and the bracket can be fabricated to provide whatever clearance you need.

 

[Egregious]

I have a Perkins 6.354.* I have been talking with the guys at ABC and currently the adapter/filter won't fit.* My Perkins has the oil/gear cooler just below (see the pic) and also a nut/bolt from the stopping solenoid sticking out below the left-hand filter with even less clearance.

It might be next year before I get anything modified under there since I'm coming under the shock of a rebuilt marine gear.* 'nuff said.