Lessons Learned When Changing Racor Filters

Great things to remember! Thanks for sharing!

My racor 500 filters have guages on top where the average has the T handle. I've never changed the filters myself, so assuming the guage on top turns in the same way the T handles do. Am I on the right track?

Thanks ASD

I learned about number 5 after a late night checkover to ensure all was ready prior to a big family cruise the next day
Ten minutes into the journey, a loud bang from the engine, then screeching and smoke. Major disaster! Shut down engine and inspect.

I found my dolphin flashlight which I used the previous night had fallen off the top of the engine and wedged itself next to the alternator pulley, now chewed up and half melted.
A big relief after expecting the worst.


Catina,
99% of all threads found on a boat would be counter-clockwise to loosen, looking at it with the threaded end facing away from you. There are a few exceptions, (one end of a turnbuckle) but not many.

I slide a good quality plastic bag up over the filter body to catch fuel dribbles, then empty the bag into a container. Menards has the best plastic bags for the task, Home Depot and Harbor Freight are so, so, grocery stores and Walmart the worst. Always grab a fistful of extra Menards bags at checkout and make a run for it.

Racor 500's (x3) --- I use a mustard squeeze bottle (pressure wash) and a long zip-tie (agitator) to clean the inside of the glass with a super-size ZipLok baggie underneath the drain. Baggie is also where the old filters go.

**The only problem I have is that I have to have fresh fuel to refill. I'm still working out a way to retrieve it from onboard (planning a spigot off my manifold) so I don't have to carry a 1-gallon container of fuel everywhere we go.

One more Racor tip:

Being slightly dyslexic I could never remember which way to turn the drain fitting to open (then close) it. I finally took a marker and wrote "Open" and "Close" near the drain on the appropriate side.

It's so nice to know which way to turn the drain fitting to shut it off while fuel is quickly filling the cup.

Some really funny stuff! Happens to all of us. Changing my engine mounted filters was such a disaster yesterday that I'm going to eliminate them!

neworleansrich said:

Being slightly dyslexic I could never remember which way to turn the drain fitting to open (then close) it. I finally took a marker and wrote "Open" and "Close" near the drain on the appropriate side.

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Ahhh... Good one! The weird thing is that the old 500's and the newer ones are different... And I have one of each! It's a bit maddening.

skidgear said:

I slide a good quality plastic bag up over the filter body to catch fuel dribbles, then empty the bag into a container. Menards has the best plastic bags for the task, Home Depot and Harbor Freight are so, so, grocery stores and Walmart the worst. Always grab a fistful of extra Menards bags at checkout and make a run for it.

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Great idea!

Keep a stack of diapers handy to make the job much cleaner. Many stores charge a buck a piece for them. A pack of 100 can be purchased online and delivered to your house for 30-50 cents per diaper.

FlyWright said:

Keep a stack of diapers handy to make the job much cleaner. Many stores charge a buck a piece for them. A pack of 100 can be purchased online and delivered to your house for 30-50 cents per diaper.

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Hey Fly, I have to hugh bags of these back at my dock......I own a Sea Ray!!!

The trick I use is to have a couple Gatorade bottles full of clean fuel. Makes it easy and clean to add the fuel and top it off.

FlyWright said:

Keep a stack of diapers handy to make the job much cleaner. Many stores charge a buck a piece for them. A pack of 100 can be purchased online and delivered to your house for 30-50 cents per diaper.

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Al, that looks to be a decade's worth. Or does someone have leaking engines?

On my Lehman 135, I replaced the on engine fuel filters which were a pain to replace with an additional Racor 500. Now not only can I replace the filter in less than a minute but the vacuum gauge warns me if it needs changing. In addition I eliminated one type of fuel filter.

Marty

Tom, it's been interesting to see the various responses between the threads you posted this on. I'd have to give TF the first place medal for having the best quality of comments.

markpierce said:

Al, that looks to be a decade's worth. Or does someone have leaking engines?

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That's good, Al. I see they are not onto what you really use them for.

It made changing the genny filter a lot easier. But in CA the trouble comes when trying to depose of the dirty fuel.

markpierce said:

Al, that looks to be a decade's worth. Or does someone have leaking engines?

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That IS a large supply, but they make great party favors at the dock parties. Every boater loves free and every boater needs oil diapers at one time or another. If you play it right, you can paylay a couple of diapers into a free night of drinking!

We all have leaky engines, Mark. Oh sure, your engine might not be leaking externally yet, but given enough time, it will. And when that day comes, you'll be wishing you had a few diapers to lay down.

Moonstruck said:

That's good, Al. I see they are not onto what you really use them for.

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I'm not that old yet, Moon Man. But like I said to The Coot, we'll all get there eventually, so I'm prepared!

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

It made changing the genny filter a lot easier. But in CA the trouble comes when trying to depose of the dirty fuel.

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Tom, most landfills in the state can take 'hazardous waste', but it's supposed to come from residents, not out-of-state aliens like you. Of course, if you were an illegal alien, then we'd probably pay you to drop it off.

ESP Coldform2 Oil - Only Cellulose Sorbent Pad, 18" Length, 16" Width, 29 Gal/Pkg (Pack of 200) on Amazon for $38.

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

It made changing the genny filter a lot easier. But in CA the trouble comes when trying to depose of the dirty fuel.

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Most working boatyards I've been around have a tank for recycled oil... and most of those accept modest quantities of diesel (as from filter changes)...

-Chris

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

It made changing the genny filter a lot easier. But in CA the trouble comes when trying to depose of the dirty fuel.

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...

Search for Used Oil Certified Collection Centers

My yacht club has a couple of 55 gallon drums for disposing of used oil. They also will give you an exchange of absorbent pads for your contaminated ones at no charge and they accept used filters as well.

FlyWright said:

Tom, most landfills in the state can take 'hazardous waste', but it's supposed to come from residents, not out-of-state aliens like you. Of course, if you were an illegal alien, then we'd probably pay you to drop it off.

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LOL that is right, although the delta seems to be a nice place for the winter. I was born in Victorville, so I am a desert rat. Does that count?