Changed Fuel Filters-Trying Something New

I changed out my primaries and secondary fuel filters and cleaned the Racor housings. What I like about these old 3208T/As, so long as you fill the Racors and the secondary filters with fuel, I don't have to do any pumping as very little if any air is introduced. Another task done on ASD for the trip north this summer.

I also installed these cool vacuum gages on the primary filters. They work like an air cleaner gage on your diesel truck. You can read more here:

Fuel Fixers - Filter Change Gauges

I had those gauges on our Racors when we bought the boat, and after i changed the filters they never looked right (probably user error )

My compliments on a nice looking ER. What is the ProMariner device on your battery wiring on the rear wall?

KneeDeep said:

My compliments on a nice looking ER. What is the ProMariner device on your battery wiring on the rear wall?

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Thanks.

ProlsoCharge Series | ProMariner

Here was my adventure in installing it:

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s4/6vdc-golf-cart-battery-question-17616.html

Great looking ER, Tom! When the suction increases, does the green/red cylinder become all red?

FlyWright said:

Great looking ER, Tom! When the suction increases, does the green/red cylinder become all red?

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Thanks.

Once your filter starts to get plugged, the gage will start moving to red. Time to change the filter and reset the gage. One thing I am curious about is when I am running 80% (2200 rpms) will that affect the gages....we will see.

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

Thanks.

Once your filter starts to get plugged, the gage will start moving to red. Time to change the filter and reset the gage. One thing I am curious about is when I am running 80% (2200 rpms) will that affect the gages....we will see.

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You will see an increase in vacuum as the engine spools up, the gauge will hold on the highest reading taken. The reset button on the top will return it to zero.

With the recent changes in diesel fuel chemistry, it is a good idea to change fuel filters even more frequently, as the "new" fuel is better able to carry water through the filters and into your injection system, so basing your filter changes on restriction is not such a good idea anymore.
I have added filters to my boats system (now 3 inline), and am now changing them every 100 hrs, regardless of the vacuum reading.

Tom, that's a great looking engine room. Nice layout with the Racors. I have those gauges on my Racors and they never seem to move. I must be getting some very clean fuel. That, and the anti algae stuff I put in when I fill up keeps the fuel clean.

kapnd said:

You will see an increase in vacuum as the engine spools up, the gauge will hold on the highest reading taken. The reset button on the top will return it to zero.

With the recent changes in diesel fuel chemistry, it is a good idea to change fuel filters even more frequently, as the "new" fuel is better able to carry water through the filters and into your injection system, so basing your filter changes on restriction is not such a good idea anymore.
I have added filters to my boats system (now 3 inline), and am now changing them every 100 hrs, regardless of the vacuum reading.

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That sounds like excessive fuel filter changing. 100 hrs? Did you get this advice from a professional?

Not sure what you mean by changes in diesel chemistry that warrants this level of filter changes. Are you finding water in your filters?

kapnd said:

With the recent changes in diesel fuel chemistry, it is a good idea to change fuel filters even more frequently, as the "new" fuel is better able to carry water through the filters and into your injection system, so basing your filter changes on restriction is not such a good idea anymore.

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Are you speaking of biodiesel blends?

The increased hydrotreating of diesel to create ULSD has no implications for water affinity that I know of.

Biodiesel/diesel blends, with the increased esters and acids present in the biodiesel tend to be more polar, and would have a higher affinity for water.

I would not use biodiesel or biodiesel blends in my marine diesel. Or more precisely, fill and store any biodiesel in my boats fuel tanks.

I should have added that the fuel filter interval will hopefully lengthen in the near future, am currently mopping up after an inadvertent tankfull of biodiesel, by mixing it with, hopefully, clean diesel.
Read Nigel Calder's article in December issue of Professional Boatbuilder if you really want the **** scared out of you!
The fuel you buy may look clean, but that's because the contaminants are going right through your filters due to surfactants in ULSD additives and filter ratings shortcomings.
"conventional water-separation techniques fail to remove from 40% to 100% of fuel-entrained water and have no mechanism to warn the operator of this failure" (Donaldson Filtration Solutions)

"conventional water-separation techniques fail to remove from 40% to 100% of fuel-entrained water and have no mechanism to warn the operator of this failure" (Donaldson Filtration Solutions)"

For a gas boat , no problem.

An ancient diesel A DE Emulsifier and a bottom drain solves the hassle.

For an Ultra High pressure electric injected engine the de emulsifier and 3 or 4 filters in line might do.

Personally I think this is a fantastic opportunity for the folks that build centrifugal fuel filtration (Alpha Laval) to create a DC powered low cost unit as the modern cars and trucks suffer from dirty diesel from the same pipe line.

GFC said:

Tom, that's a great looking engine room. Nice layout with the Racors. I have those gauges on my Racors and they never seem to move. I must be getting some very clean fuel. That, and the anti algae stuff I put in when I fill up keeps the fuel clean.

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Thank you. I did not have much "crude" in my filters. When I paid to have my tanks cleaned back in 2013 when we bought the boat, the guy doing the work insisted that by adding the anti-alge stuff when we fill up. He said it was an investment and worth every penny.

kapnd said:

I should have added that the fuel filter interval will hopefully lengthen in the near future, am currently mopping up after an inadvertent tankfull of biodiesel, by mixing it with, hopefully, clean diesel.
Read Nigel Calder's article in December issue of Professional Boatbuilder if you really want the **** scared out of you!
The fuel you buy may look clean, but that's because the contaminants are going right through your filters due to surfactants in ULSD additives and filter ratings shortcomings.
"conventional water-separation techniques fail to remove from 40% to 100% of fuel-entrained water and have no mechanism to warn the operator of this failure" (Donaldson Filtration Solutions)

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Are you saying that the water remains in solution??? I have a hard time believing that!!!

FuelFixers also has the same type gauge for air filters too... You install it in the intake between the filter and the turbo intake, or the engine intake manifold and it shows you when it is time to replace the filter.

"Are you saying that the water remains in solution??? I have a hard time believing that!!!"

," but that's because the contaminants are going right through your filters due to surfactants in ULSD additives and filter ratings shortcomings.
"conventional water-separation techniques fail to remove from 40% to 100% of fuel-entrained water and have no mechanism to warn the operator of this failure" (Donaldson Filtration Solutions)"

Since they make filters worldwide and are not promoting their product , and they do have testing labs , you better believe it!

I like your vacuum gauges.


I mentioned this elsewhere:

Consider marking the Racor drain petcock "open" and "close" directions. I would end up with the coffee can too full of fuel by the time I figured out which direction to close the drain. I'm slightly dyslexic and maybe the Racor fitting are backwards.

neworleansrich said:

I like your vacuum gauges.


I mentioned this elsewhere:

Consider marking the Racor drain petcock "open" and "close" directions. I would end up with the coffee can too full of fuel by the time I figured out which direction to close the drain. I'm slightly dyslexic and maybe the Racor fitting are backwards.

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Good idea!!! Thanks

FF said:

"Are you saying that the water remains in solution??? I have a hard time believing that!!!"

," but that's because the contaminants are going right through your filters due to surfactants in ULSD additives and filter ratings shortcomings.
"conventional water-separation techniques fail to remove from 40% to 100% of fuel-entrained water and have no mechanism to warn the operator of this failure" (Donaldson Filtration Solutions)"

Since they make filters worldwide and are not promoting their product , and they do have testing labs , you better believe it!

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Hey FF....you are the only one that quotes things in a weird way! Back to my question.....Is the water held in solution????

Baker said:

Hey FF....you are the only one that quotes things in a weird way! Back to my question.....Is the water held in solution????

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Just a click of the QUOTE button in the post box. Even a neanderthal could do it.

FlyWright said:

That sounds like excessive fuel filter changing. 100 hrs? Did you get this advice from a professional?

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I've found it necessary to change my 2-micron Racor filters about every 100 hours or so to assure sufficient flow to run at near-WOT.

"I've found it necessary to change my 2-micron Racor filters about every 100 hours or so to assure sufficient flow to run at near-WOT."

Great for an old engine , but the new high pressure injectors suffer from rapid wear from UNDER 2 micron gunk..

Seems the tiny bits are on the injector seat as it rapidly cycles and a dent or groove is pounded into the seat.

If you use 2 micron filters consider adding another filter at 20 microm ahead of it to do the heavy filtering.

FF said:

Great for an old engine , but the new high pressure injectors suffer from rapid wear from UNDER 2 micron gunk..

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What is the solution for handling under 2 micron gunk?

Methinks grin and bear it.

markpierce said:

I've found it necessary to change my 2-micron Racor filters about every 100 hours or so to assure sufficient flow to run at near-WOT.

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And hence the reason for the gages......

Donsan said:

What is the solution for handling under 2 micron gunk?

Methinks grin and bear it.

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From what I read, filter mfg's are having trouble with this question too!
The only solution available at this time is multi-stage filtration, or stacking filters inline from coarse to fine.
I am currently using Seaboard Marine's dual stage system behind a Racor 1000 30 mic, and although I don't have a laboratory onboard to analyze the product, my final filter (on the engine) shows no visible contaminants when cut open for inspection.
I don't know if 2 microns is even visible to the eye, but I do know that I am doing all that I can to keep my fuel clean.

Feeding your system clean fuel is paramount, so if you have issues with gunk, you need to address the problem at the source. Determine where the water is coming from, correct that problem, and then clean the fuel tanks.
Your filters will thank you!

Leaking deck fillers and faulty venting are probably bigger culprits than fuel vendors, as EPA requirements have significantly cleaned up fuel supplies, at least in the USA.

"Leaking deck fillers and faulty venting are probably bigger culprits than fuel vendors, as EPA requirements have significantly cleaned up fuel supplies, at least in the USA."

Perhaps for selling water in the fuel, but the filtration standards are not near what is required for the new high pressure injection.

A 2 micron filter will pass a few chunks as large as 20 microns , so the Practical Boat Builder article suggested in depth 2 micron filtering,, 3 or more filters in series.

FF said:

A 2 micron filter will pass a few chunks as large as 20 microns , so the Practical Boat Builder article suggested in depth 2 micron filtering,, 3 or more filters in series.

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Not sure where you heard that, but coincidentally while discussing this topic with a knowledgable mechanic, he has the same opinion about filters.
The micron rating is NOT the smallest scale of filtration. The filter micron rating is not absolute. A X micron filter will stop about 90%of the particles flowing. But 5% or so larger will fit through the pores. And another 5% of X micron will flow through. Filters are not completely perfect. The inline theory is the way to go to make sure you have 2 micron achieved. Strangely enough the more a filter gets clogged up )pores filled) the better it gets at filtering. But initially undersized crap gets through. And you don't change both at once. You stagger them so there is a partially used one in the line that has already been pre plugged up. The PO on my boat had installed10 micron primaries, with a 2 micron secondary (before the electric lift pump) and the other on block secondary with another 2 micron filter. So my fuel is filtered 3 times from tank to fuel pump.

What I like about these old 3208T/As, so long as you fill the Racors and the secondary filters with fuel, I don't have to do any pumping as very little if any air is introduced. Another task done on ASD for the trip north this summer.

This only works if you fill the filters with fuel that has been filtered.

Filling with dock fuel defeats the filtration.

Lazy folks use ATF., its clean.

Lots of misinformation and "light on facts" posts abound on this subject. Most older engines are just fine with the OEM on engine's 5 or so micron filters. Only the newer diesels require an on engine 2 micron filter.

Cappy, did your knowledgeable mechanic mention beta ratio numbers? if yes, good. If no, like most of us he needs a bit more education on the subject. Read Tony Athen's filter articles for the real scoop.

BTW, tank cleaning on an older boat can work wonders for fixing clogged filters.

Looking at tony athens article merely confirmed what my mechanic said, Thanks for the confirmation! Fuel Filtration - Seaboard Marine

It's not what the filtration is 'called', it's the knowledge that a filter of any specification allows a certain percentage of larger than the micron rating by. The only way to stop this is multiple filters. One would think that a filter of 10 microns would not allow ANY particles larger than 10 micron through. But that is not the case. This seems to be where the argument over filter size, brand, and medium comes out.