CAV Filter Adapter

Marin and others have mentioned the single best mod they've made to a Ford Lehman was installation of the CAV adapter which allows use of screw on filters.* Well, this weekend I figured I'd change the filters to see if it is worth it to spend $135 on a double adapter... I'm buying one tonight from ABC precision.* Anyone with an old Lehman or Perkins should do the same, especially if you got twins.

I read the Perkins manual on bleeding the system and changing the filters and figured "how hard can it be?"* *After spewing fuel everywhere, yelling every curse word in the book, pissing my wife off, then apologizing to her and putting her on "crank the motor some" duty, and using about 8 different sized wrenches and pliers, I finally got the thing started.* It took almost 3 hours and a call to my mechanic who gave me a few pointers over the phone.* I figure I can probably do it again in under an hour, but Dang what a mess!* Having cracked connections and opening bleed screws at every stage of the system I ended up with fuel everywhere.

On the plus side, I now know the fuel / injection system intimately.* My engine is dirt simple...* No fuel = no go.* Once I got fuel flowing out at the injector* it started right up.* I made the mistake of attempting to crank the engine too soon and sucking air into the high pressure system.* Another lesson learned.

Thanks for sharing Woody.

You are still married = successful project.

A fix,, , IF you have the room is a small GRAVITY day tank.

Then bleeding is all gravity , no cranking so the system can be bled easily.

I ran a perkins for many years and agree that changing that filter (or filters) is a real PIA...MUCH sloppier than changing the Lehman elements.

However the Perkins is cake to bleed in my opinion even with the lift pump lever and very forgiving with respect to air, whereas the Lehman is a bear.

Egregious wrote:
Marin and others have mentioned the single best mod they've made to a Ford Lehman was installation of the CAV adapter which allows use of screw on filters.

Click to expand...

*Woody:

You can see the ABC adapter in this photo.* The conversion took only an hour or so and the engine fired right up on the first try.* I'll admit, I may have just gotten lucky.

- Darrell

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Here is the one I did over this past winter. It had a few clearance issues with the raw water hose for the oil cooler, but I have a shorter one I'll replace eventually. Not sure how it was $135? Mine was $40.

One of the advantages of having a fuel polishing system with an electric pump is that it can prime and/or bleed the lines.* Make sure you fill the filter to the top with fuel before you screw it on. I have a ½ gallon plastic container in the engine room for that purpose On the 671 filter there is a bleeder valve to get the last bit of air out.*
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Its very important for a good realtionship is to have the enginr room well sound proof.* so all those nasty word stay in the engine room.* (-;
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GonzoF1 wrote:
Here is the one I did over this past winter. It had a few clearance issues with the raw water hose for the oil cooler, but I have a shorter one I'll replace eventually. Not sure how it was $135? Mine was $40.

Click to expand...

*From whom did you purchase yours?* Here's what ABC charges, and I have dual filters.

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

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I just replaced the old CAV assembly with a single Racor spin-on. 2 micron of course. Sold the old CAV assembly almost instantly. Lots of people who have them have stripped out threads trying to tighten the bleed and other screws.

Egregious wrote:GonzoF1 wrote:
Here is the one I did over this past winter. It had a few clearance issues with the raw water hose for the oil cooler, but I have a shorter one I'll replace eventually. Not sure how it was $135? Mine was $40.

Click to expand...

*From whom did you purchase yours?* Here's what ABC charges, and I have dual filters.

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

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*$48 at Tran Atlantic Diesel for adaptor... $12 for filter at diesel shop

GonzoF1 wrote:
Here is the one I did over this past winter. It had a few clearance issues with the raw water hose for the oil cooler, but I have a shorter one I'll replace eventually. Not sure how it was $135? Mine was $40.

Click to expand...

*$48 at Tran Atlantic Diesel for adaptor... $12 for filter at diesel shop

Gonzo--* I called TAD and they asked me how long my fuel lines were?* They said their unit was a bulkhead mounted adapter.* Sounded to me like it more or less completely replaces the CAV filter head.* My understanding is that this device would mount*under the CAV head just like the ABC adapter, only cheaper.

I see your picture too, but mine is a double filter so I don't think I want the same exact item that you had.* How difficult was your installation?

Thanks, Woody

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On my Lehman 120, the CAV filters were gone when I bought the boat in 2007.

IT has a single Racor spin on, seen here, with a water bowl and drain.

[url]http://tinyurl.com/4y6zyp3[/url]

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R.

Took about 10 minutes.