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Old 04-29-2015, 02:49 PM   #1
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What micron fuel filters do you use?

I'm flying out to work on and test the boat we bought. I'd like to bring filters with me so I don't have to buy them when I arrive. I have twin cummins 6BTA 5.9's that have a fuel filter on the engine as well as remote mounted racors. The engine filter is a 10 micron and I was wondering if the remote racor should be the same or should I go to the 30 micron.
Thanks
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Old 04-29-2015, 04:27 PM   #2
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Most of the boats with Cummins 6BTAs around this area, including ours, use Racor 30 microns.
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Old 04-29-2015, 04:34 PM   #3
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Thanks David, do you have an engine mounted fuel filter also? Mine has a R24T (24 bucks ea) on the engine and 2010's ($7.59) on the remote racor.
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Old 04-29-2015, 05:00 PM   #4
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Use what the engine manufacturer specifies. "How many microns" can easily turn into an anchor, one vs two, galley up / down. type thread.
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Old 04-29-2015, 05:15 PM   #5
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Use what the engine manufacturer specifies. "How many microns" can easily turn into an anchor, one vs two, galley up / down. type thread.
Hey, I could use a little distraction from all the recent anchor discussion.
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Old 04-29-2015, 05:44 PM   #6
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Hey, I could use a little distraction from all the recent anchor discussion.
Fine. So here's some more distraction for you. We use 2 micron filters on everything fuel-related. If our anchor used a fuel filter, we'd use a 2 micron on it, too.
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Old 04-29-2015, 06:12 PM   #7
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Fine. So here's some more distraction for you. We use 2 micron filters on everything fuel-related. If our anchor used a fuel filter, we'd use a 2 micron on it, too.
That should stir the pot quite nicely.
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Old 04-29-2015, 06:17 PM   #8
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I use 10's if fuel tanks are known clean, 30's if tanks are dirty.
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Old 04-29-2015, 06:21 PM   #9
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I use 5738987655 micron filters for what it's worth. Also have a 46388373 on my Rocna.
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Old 04-29-2015, 06:26 PM   #10
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Thanks David, do you have an engine mounted fuel filter also? Mine has a R24T (24 bucks ea) on the engine and 2010's ($7.59) on the remote racor.
Fleetguard FF5285 on engine. Confusing info as to whether this is a 10 or 20 micron.
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Old 04-29-2015, 06:33 PM   #11
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Fine. So here's some more distraction for you. We use 2 micron filters on everything fuel-related. If our anchor used a fuel filter, we'd use a 2 micron on it, too.
Now THAT'S what I'm talking about
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Old 04-29-2015, 06:51 PM   #12
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If my engine used more than 1.9 GPH...I might care....for now..2 micron all around....
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Old 04-29-2015, 07:03 PM   #13
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I see no reason to go larger micron rating than the secondary filter. It makes the secondary's job easier and provides the needed level of filtration for the engine. My old mechanical Perkins 4.236 calls for 2U, so 2U it gets. For me, it's a no brainer. That's what mfr specs are for.

If your engine calls for 10U, use what the mfr recommends. Takes out the guesswork and doubt.
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Old 04-29-2015, 08:41 PM   #14
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Here's a good explanation of why progressive filtration makes sense, and why virtually all engine mfrs. recommend it. Yes the guy is making a case for a product he sells, (and is duplicatable by other vendors and most standard primary/secondary set ups) but it helps explain why you don't want to put a primary filter the same rating as the secondary. By the way, he also explains in the second article why mere micron ratings are not always relevant when comparing one filter to another. Note the quote from the Lugger/Northernlights guy at the end.

Marine Fuel Filtration - “The Seaboard Way”

Fuel Filters

And if you want a more neutral party's opinion, consult Nigel Calder's discussion on fuel filters on page 370 of hs excellent"Boat Owner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual".
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Old 04-29-2015, 08:51 PM   #15
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Using two-micron on the engine filters and the filters between engine and fuel tanks, but I've a small collection of ten-micron filters I'm tempted to use on the tanks-to-engine filters.
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Old 04-30-2015, 05:42 AM   #16
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To my mind the question is where are the filters located , how easy is it to swap out the filters.

IF the filters are a bank with a switching lever , installed OUTSIDE the engine room where a filter change is easy , the 2 micron would be first choice.

Even the 2s will pass a percentage of bigger crap, so the 10s on the engine will still need changing , but not as often.

If the filters are buried in the engine room , the use of 30s and the 10 on the engine is usual , with a filter DP (differential pressure) gauge on the dash , you can at least know when to switch over , and change the plugged one.

Remember Otoole sez , "Murphy was an Optimist", so you may have to change filters underway, sometimes frequently.

With 30s first , the 10s will need more frequent changing..
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Old 04-30-2015, 06:33 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by roguewave View Post
I'm flying out to work on and test the boat we bought. I'd like to bring filters with me so I don't have to buy them when I arrive. I have twin cummins 6BTA 5.9's that have a fuel filter on the engine as well as remote mounted racors. The engine filter is a 10 micron and I was wondering if the remote racor should be the same or should I go to the 30 micron.
Thanks

Our 6CTA 8.3s want 30 micron elements in the primary filter/fuel-water separators (Racor, in our case), and 10 micron elements in the on-engine spin-on secondary. Latter is the Fleetguard product specified in the service manual for these engines.

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Old 04-30-2015, 07:43 AM   #18
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Same for me with the 2 micron all around

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Old 04-30-2015, 08:37 AM   #19
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A few early morning thoughts on this anchor debate type subject --

In our lightly used vessels provided the fuel is reasonably clean to begin with, the "what micron filters to use" discussion seems best answered by "whatever." Once the engines start seeing many hundreds to thousands of hours per year, multi stage sequential fuel filtering is common (30u, 10u and on engine) often coupled with good high volume on board fuel polishing systems.

As often noted by FF and others the higher the volume the better when moving fuel around the tanks and through polishing filters. Once into larger vessels Alfa Laval type centrifugal filters are common. The old DD 2 strokes are wonderful in this regard as they move so much filtered fuel through their recirculation setup, not uncommon to hear of100 gph.

A few years ago a reasonably new Nordhavn 55 spent much of its time sitting at docks. With a combination of bad/wet "new" fuel and low turnover the entire fuel system became green. No amount of polishing or store bought additives would cure this issue so all tanks and systems were emptied and cleaned, thank goodness for sizable tank ports.

I'd venture a guess that most recreational boater fuel problems are from lack of turnover and once the bugs start growing in old fuel the list of issues skyrockets. So on vessels that only have about 50 to 150 hours per year on the engines, this could mean lightly used or maybe lightly abused.

Conflicting advice on how full to leave tanks each fall contributes to the issues. Leaving them full but with 3 or four years of fuel onboard can occur. Or leave them low with only a year or so onboard can lead to condensation say some. Oh what to do?
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Old 04-30-2015, 09:24 AM   #20
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I have same engines. Mine are mechanical injection. Cummins standard filter (on the engine) is 10 micron. I also use 10 micron as a prefilter. You will very soon pass all of your tank's volume through the filters with that engine. If you use 30 or 20 as a prefilter it will soon be doing nothing as the 10 on the engine will have treated everything in the tank.
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