Dahl model 200 question

The "T" bolt that has to be loosened, how tight should it be when the cartridge is replaced? I am asking as I cannot get it loose by hand and will have to use a cheater bar to get it free.

Hand tight. They do tend to get a bit stuck over time, no big deal needing a cheater.

Report back after you clean up the fuel you invariably will spill, and defy gravity to get the oring in place. Feelin' the hate for those messy things!!!

Which is why sooner or later they get replaced with a Racor.

Had Dahls on the engines of our previous boat. They were a bit of a pain. Spills, slippery O rings and hard to remove bowls.

But the old AC Delco filters that were also on the boat, mounted in line with the Dahls and outboard of the engines, were a real PITA.

Worse spills, worse gaskets.

You had to hold the fuel filled bowl up against the bottom of the housing with one hand while inserting the retaining bolt down through the housing into the bowl and trying to line up the fine threads on the bolt with an unseen threaded socket in the bowl with the other hand, all the while bent like a pretzel over and around an engine.

The Dahls were the lesser of the two evils.

Well, it needs to be done so I am jumping in this weekend.
At least I have a lot of room around them, as they are on a bulkhead in the rear of the engine compartment. I can place a drip pan/small bucket under them.
I will let you know how I do.

Capt.Bill11 said:

Which is why sooner or later they get replaced with a Racor.

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I agree with you there.I only dealt with one of those Dahl units.I hope I never have to again.

I have the model 100 Dahls and have not noticed any problems when changing them. Shut off the fuel, drain the bowl into a container, loosen clamp, remove bowl and swap out the filter. Not as easy as a Racor but not worth the time or expense to change out.

River Cruiser said:

I have the model 100 Dahls and have not noticed any problems when changing them. Shut off the fuel, drain the bowl into a container, loosen clamp, remove bowl and swap out the filter. Not as easy as a Racor but not worth the time or expense to change out.

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I guess access has a lot to do with it,when changing Dahl filters.Racor are just easier when contorted into a pretzel.

River Cruiser said:

I have the model 100 Dahls and have not noticed any problems when changing them. Shut off the fuel, drain the bowl into a container, loosen clamp, remove bowl and swap out the filter. Not as easy as a Racor but not worth the time or expense to change out.

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As I recall 100's and 200's are different animals with different styles of element retention.

Capt.Bill11 said:

As I recall 100's and 200's are different animals with different styles of element retention.

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They may be I've never been around the 200. Mine are fairly easy to get to, they're on the bulkhead just forward and between the engines and below the fuel valve bank. The Racor elements are cheaper than Dahl elements, I'am getting ready to add vacuum gauges to the system this week so I don't throw away good filters.