One more Lehman 120 mod for RT Firefly

Hey RT----

When you asked what the best modifications one could make to the FL120 were and I posted that list, I left out one of the best mods there is.* I was reminded of it by a post on T&T.

And that is to get rid of the CAV canister filters used as secondary filters on the rear of the engine and replace them with spin-on filters.* The CAV multi-part canister filters are a pain because the O-rings and separate bottom plates promote fuel leaks.* Plus the plastic drain valves in the bottom plates can strip out over time.

The solution is to get rid of the canister filters altogether and replace them with a pair of adaptors made by Parker-Hannifin.* You retain the filter mouting bracket, so no changes are needed to the fuel lines between the lift pump and the filter mount and the mount and the injection pump.

The Parker adaptor mounts in place of the canister filter, and then you mount a standarrd spin-on filter to the adaptor. We*use Baldwin filters on our boat but any same-size spin on from*the manufacturer of your choice will work.* You use the same stock bleed screws in the filter mount to bleed the spin-ons.

A big advantage of the spin-ons is that they can be pre-filled with fuel before you install them.* Which greatly reduces the time it takes to bleed the fuel system if you're using the manual lever on the engine's lift pump.

I takes two adaptor kits per engine.* When we bought ours some ten years ago, they were about $50 per kit.

This same adapter is applicable to some models of Perkins engine, so the kit contains two mounting bolts, a long one and a short one.* The instructions call out which bolt to use on which engine.

Mr Marin,
** Thanks.* Good mod.* I'm running 2 micron filter in the Racor (if I remember rightly) to minimise screwing around with the CAV filters.* I've also got an adapter to turn that silly upside down oil filter.**Less mess every 100 hrs.
*** EDIT...Just looked up P/H and they only list up to Lehman 70 HP.** Will get in touch with them directly and ask about options.

-- Edited by RT Firefly on Thursday 24th of June 2010 07:22:59 PM

RT--- Ignore the 70 hp rating from Parker. I don't know why they put that on there, but the adaptor--- and as far as I'm aware that they only make the one--- works great on the FL120. It was recommended to us by our diesel shop who has installed hundreds of them on their customers' boats over the years. Ours have been on the engines for some ten years now with nary a problem.

And don't forget, at normal cruise rpms the Lehman 120 is not producing 70 hp anyway more than likely.* But I've never heard of anyone having a problem with the Parker adapter on a 120 regardless of what power setting they used.

We run 2-micron filter in our primary Racor 500s, again on the advice of our diesel shop.

We still have the upside down oil filter mounts on our Lehmans--- it's a mod Lehman had to make because of the interference from engine stringers in boats, not a problem on land-based applications. But years ago I was taught a no-brainer technique for avoiding the mess when changing the filter. You problaby already know this but after heating up the oil by running the engine the first thing I do is take a chisel and mallet and whack a couple of holes in the top (bottom) of the filter. The end that's up.

Then I start pumping the oil out of the sump, which with the out-the-dipstick system we use takes awhile. By the time that's finished, all the oil in the filter has long since drained back into the engine. So a shop rag around the bottom (top) of the filter is all that's needed to catch the bit of oil that comes out when I unscrew the filter.

The one thing I don't like about the upside down mount is that I can't pre-fill the filter with oil before installing it, but I figure that since some of the vehicles I own have horizontally mounted oil filters, which I can't prefill either, it's not that big of a deal.




-- Edited by Marin on Thursday 24th of June 2010 09:16:46 PM

Don't know how you found any information on their site for the adapters. Anyone have the part number?

I am surprised that a diesel shop would tell you to use a 2 micron filter on your primary filter
What size are you using on the secondary 1 micron??

2 micron would block a lot quicker than a normal setup of 10 micron for primary and either a 5 or 2 for the secondaries

Allan

Hiya,
** No diesel shop told me to use 2 micron filters on primary.* My decision alone.* The reason is that the CAV filters are SUCH a PITA to change I wanted to keep them as clean as possible for as long as possible.* CAV's are 2's as well.
** Close eye is kept on vacuum gages (every 2-3 hrs.)
** Again, as to the best of my memory, haven't changed a Racor in over 250 hrs.* Works for me and oh ya, buy filters by the case of twelve.* They sure smell some bad new.

Not on a trawler , but the CAV filter on our Benateau has a glass cylinder between two cast end plates.

Years ago( PO) it simply cracked dropping a big chunk of into the bilge , along with what was in the fuel tank.

As a "racer" the tank was only 14 G and only 5-8 went into the bilge , where the bilge pump pumped most of it into the canal.

BIG DEAL! Sheen on the water!!! Send in the choppers!!

While the glass primary Sock fuel filters that are a fine woven cloth in a screw on jar never seem to fail, the CAV stuff seems to be designed an built by Lucas Electric Prince of Darkness .

Primary or secondary I would dump any CAV filter and simply get a Fram in the steel case for the secondaries and Raycor for the primary set.

The selection of 2 10 or 30 for the primary should be based on the engine and tank setup.

With out DD the flow rate is huge 35 thru the filters 3 for the engine burn (slo cruse) so fine 10* primaries are just fine , after a day or two of running every drop has been filtered many times.

And on a cheapo , unmaintainable fuel tank the 10 would be first choice , esp if the engine had no or low return.

Most engine secondaries* (non common rail) are 10 and it should be far easier to switch the set to the unplugged filter and swop the plugged unit.

Particularly if the set has been relocated OUT of the engine space.



-- Edited by FF on Friday 25th of June 2010 04:25:36 AM

RTF

With all your filters being 2 micron your secondaries will not be doing anything

I suggest you up the primary to at least 5 micron then at least the secondaries will be doing a job

ATM everything is stopped at the primary and you could remove the secondaries without any problems

With fuel filters at least the primary I change every 100 hours

Allan

CAV spin on adapters:
http://www.abcprecision.com/index.html

Keith wrote:CAV spin on adapters:

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

Click to expand...

I did this conversion, couldn't have been easier.

*

Here is the Parker link, i cant find them online any less that $80 each.

http://www.parker.com/portal/site/PARKER/menuitem.de7b26ee6a659c147cf26710237ad1ca/?vgnextoid=fcc9b5bbec622110VgnVCM10000032a71dacRCRD&vgnextfmt=EN&vgnextdiv=687630&vgnextcatid=3472971&vgnextcat=IN CAV

IN CAV Filter Adapter Kit
Filter adapter kit IN CAV converts old C.A.V. filter head canister and glass bowl units into a spin-on filter assembly. This kit allows the use of Racor B32008 or B32016 spin-on filters that feature patented clear spin-on contaminant collection bowls and self-venting drains.
Fits:
Ford
Perkins
Massey
Saab
Volvo-Penta
Ford Lehman engines, up to 70 HP

OK, So this is an adapter for the existing filter mounts and not a replacement. Chuck

AllanY wrote:

I am surprised that a diesel shop would tell you to use a 2 micron filter on your primary filter
What size are you using on the secondary 1 micron??

Click to expand...

This is one of the favorite dispute topics on the T&T list.* We run 2-microns on everything--- main engine primary and*secondary, generator primary and secondary.* I don't hold with the notion (nor does our diesel shop) of "let's stop some of the stuff at the primary but send everthing else on through to the secondary on the hope it will stop it before it gets to the injection pump."

I adhere to our shop's idea of "let's stop everything we can right now, and on the slim chance that something manages to get through, the secondary is there to stop it."* I believe that the farther away from the pump and injectors all*the crud gets stopped the better.

I've heard all the opposing views aobut using coarser filters first, then finer filters second--- they've been discussed ad infinitum on T&T over the years--- but I don't buy into that logic at all.

Other people do and that's fine--- they're not running my boat so I don't care

-- Edited by Marin on Friday 25th of June 2010 12:15:05 PM

Capn Chuck wrote:

OK, So this is an adapter for the existing filter mounts and not a replacement. Chuck

Click to expand...

Yes.* Our stock*CAV canister filter setup*did not have glass bowls below the filter elements, they had metal bottoms, but I guess some have glass.* In any event, the adaptor kit installs to the filter holder in the same way as the canister filter did (but using a different length bolt) and then the spin-on filter attaches to the adaptor plate.* Very simple, takes ten minutes to install each one, foolproof.

I put ours on some ten years ago at which time they were $50-something each but I'm not surprised their price has gone up since then.* So has everything elses.* Still a bargain in my opinion to eliminate the hassle of changing the multi-part CAV filters with their O-rings and leak potential.

*

A similar dialog regarding the Parker spin-on filter adaptor for the FL120 has been going on over on the T&T list, with the same question raised about the stated 70 hp limit for the adaptor. Somone on the T&T list contacted Parker and got this reply....


"With the s3208 filter it will handle up to about 160 h.p. or 30 gph."