Islanddreamer is correct. Be sure to turn off fuel to tank line so fuel doesn't drain back into Racor.
Arch
I have never shut off the fuel, ,never had a problem with drain-back.
I have never shut off the fuel, ,never had a problem with drain-back.
I would imagine that would depend on the relative heights of the fuel tank and filter.
Yes. If I don't shut off the fuel valve the filter will overflow into the bilge. However, once I'm finished replacing the element I can let gravity re-fill it. I have CAV on engine filters as well and I added the ABC CAV filter adapter so it can use screw on filters. Worth every penny.
Never shut the fuel off here either. Just made certain there was plenty of diesel in the Racor before I closed it up. Level should be at the top, and a little coming from around the brass handle as you secure it.
There is no need to refill them that high. Within a 1/2" to 1/4" from the top is fine.
Assuming that your system is airtight and that aeration of the fuel is not a problem, then changing the filter remains the only way to introduce air. Some would have you believe that unless you fill the filter to the absolute top, you risk drawing air into your engine, and that is not true. Remember that a tube inside the filter creates the suction that pulls fuel through the element. As long as the fuel level remains above this pick up point, no air will get into the engine.
On a 900 series filter, that spot is about 4 inches below the lid–even if you only have fuel within 2 inches of the top, air will not be drawn in. In boatyards we often replace elements that show contamination from the bottom to within 2 to 3 inches of the top, and which look unused above that mark. This scenario typically arises when the last person who replaced the filter element failed to add fuel to the top. No additional air entered, and the upper portion of the filter remained unused. Cover the replacement filter with fuel, but you need not fill it to the brim. On smaller filters, however, the margin for error is less: On the 500 series, the pick up point is only about one inch below the top of the filter.
Given my curious nature, today I called Parker Filtration, the mfg of Racor. They said, on a dual setup, run one filter until it clogs or for a year, then switch to the second filter and change out the used one. I specifically asked them if a new filter sitting in diesel fuel for a year is compromised in any way and they said absolutely not. Then I asked about the water blocking properties of the filter and they assured me that it remains intact even though it is sitting in fuel for up to 2-years.
Howard
I put a squeeze bulb circuit on mine with qtr turn mini valves. I can change a filter while underway in less than fifteen seconds.
Have you ever done that? Had to change filters underway?
Yes. On three different boats. In heavy weather with no place to hide.
Have you ever done that? Had to change filters underway?
Boat #1. "My" boat during much of my career. I took excellent care of that boat. She had Isuzu 4BD1 powered gen sets. With Baldwin spin ons and OEM block mounted filters. No vacuum gauges. Baldwin and OEM filters routinely changed as a maintenance item. Not cut open and inspected at change. The main engine Cat D379 had Racor 1000 duals with vacuum gauges running 2 micron filters. Vacuum was good, bowls were clean. As Lepke points out, if your engine moves a lot more than it burns you are constantly polishing the fuel. Gens should have been seeing clean fuel. Must have been some crud in the fuel taken on before departure. The reason to change filers on the gens was that the boat required 480 3 phase for electric / hydraulic steering. I put the mate at the manual wheel making for the Columbia River about 40 miles away. That's on 65 ft, 87 tons displacement in heavy weather. Good thing he was a stout young lad. I was in the engine room. Change filters on #1, barely get it up and running and #2 dies. Lather, rinse, repeat. Worth noting is that the boat has skin tanks, sloped fore / aft and athwartships creating a deep 'pocket' in the aft centerline corner where the pick up for a hand stripping pump was placed. Also inspection hatches big enough to enter the tanks for cleaning which happened on a bi annual schedule. Never found more crud than could be taken care of with a few rags every time.Just wondering but did you have vacuum gauges and, if so, in what condition were those filters in before you left port?
No disrespect intended, but those old stories of clogged filters are not relevant to those of us buying our fuel in the US or Canada, and likely all of Europe and SE Asia.
Our fuel meets current standards for Sulphur content, ie not to exceed 5ppm, whie the fuel of 20 and more years ago, when the events described in the anecdotes occurred, was not required to meet those standards. That changed over a couple of steps, first down to 15 ppm, then to 5 ppm. Having clean fuel essentially eliminates clogged filters, no matter how it is accomplished. Nowadays, that is accomplished before we buy it, so all we need to do on our boats is keep it that way. A far easier task. Many now go several years between filter changes, without incident.