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08-15-2012, 06:37 PM
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#1
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Veteran Member
City: Poulsbo, WA
Vessel Name: Serenus
Vessel Model: Tollycraft 44
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 77
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Vacuum Gauge for Racor Filters
Has anyone used the R2D1 (Fuel Fixer's Inc.)T-Handle vacuum gauge for their diesel Racor systems? If so, were you satisified with them? How do they compare with the "Red Dial" vacuum gauges?
Thanks
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08-15-2012, 06:41 PM
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#2
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Guru
City: Montgomery, TX
Vessel Name: Encore
Vessel Model: Whitby 42
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 844
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I just bought two vacuum gauges from McMaster-Carr for $20 each. Same range as the Racor ones, liquid filled, but without the red area on the gauge.
Bob
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08-15-2012, 07:13 PM
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#3
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Scraping Paint
City: -
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 13,745
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When we had the boat's original twin-Fram primary filter sets replaced with single Racor 500s we had the shop install the vacuum gauges in place of the T-handles. These are the Racor-supplied gauges (don't know who actually makes them.
With an FL120 it's something of a pointless excercise because unless the filter element clogs up the gauges never read anything because the engine's fuel flow is so low. I can get the needle off the zero peg if I shut off the fuel flow to the filters for a moment but every time I do an engine room check underway the gauges are always sitting on zero.
I have talked to other FL120 operators with the same gauge setup and they've said that if the filter elements begins to gather gunk the vacuum gauges will begin to show a bit of a reading. But most of the time, theirs too, just sit on zero.
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08-15-2012, 08:25 PM
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#4
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Guru
City: Thibodaux, Louisiana
Vessel Name: Gumbo
Vessel Model: 2003 Monk 36
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,882
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Years ago at a boat show I bought a vacuum gauge with a drag pointer which is pulled up by the gauge needle and remains a the the highest, or lowest, indication since the last reset. So when you check it in the evening or next morning you can tell just what point was reached during the day. Then you reset and carry on.
It has been sitting in the boat in my spares bin for a few years, there was already a vacuum gauge on Gumbo when I bought her so I haven't gotten around to installing it. I am thinking of relocating my Racors before my next cruise so may do the gauge swap then. Anyway it seems like a convenient feature. Anybody using one of these now or in the past?
Steve W
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08-15-2012, 08:40 PM
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#5
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Master and Commander
City: Vallejo CA
Vessel Name: Carquinez Coot
Vessel Model: penultimate Seahorse Marine Coot hull #6
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 12,559
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It sure would be more convenient/useful if my Racor gauge was in the pilothouse instead of the engine room.
unlike the primary/Racor gauge, my gauge for the fuel polishing system is in the pilothouse.
__________________
Kar-KEEN-ez Koot
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08-15-2012, 08:58 PM
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#6
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Enigma
City: Slicker?
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 16,566
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Greetings,
Mr. markpierce. You can mount the Racor vacuum gauge in your PH. I've seen it done in several vessels.
__________________
RTF
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08-15-2012, 09:08 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
City: Boerne, Tx
Vessel Name: HEY JUDE
Vessel Model: Kadey Krogen 36 Manatee #46
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 258
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Steve...my similar gauge has rested in its box on a shelf for over a year without once moving off "0", still looks new. I've been fighting bigger fires unfortunately.
RTF...please elaborate how to mount the vacuum gauge in the PH? I assume via small dia tubing but want to verify.
__________________
HEY JUDE, a 1986 Kadey Krogen 36 Manatee, #46 of 99. After 13 yrs on Lake Travis she's on Clear Lake TX being prepped for coastal cruising.
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08-15-2012, 09:29 PM
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#8
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Enigma
City: Slicker?
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 16,566
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Greetings,
Good golly Mr.Jude I can't remember exactly BUT to the extent of my memory, the gauge I recall the best was surface mounted and connected by a small nylon tube to somewhere on the filter housing. Now what I can't remember is if the gauge nipple came off the back or the bottom of the gauge fitting and how it was mounted to the bulkhead or how the hose was affixed to the filter housing. Very sorry to be so vague...
Racor lists a T-handle vac' gau' and a vac' gau' kit as well as a couple of others but no pictures so nothing to jog my memory.
__________________
RTF
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08-15-2012, 09:43 PM
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#9
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Guru
City: Hailing Port: Charleston, SC
Vessel Name: Moonstruck
Vessel Model: Sabre 42 Hardtop Express
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 8,276
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I have two with a drag needle that stays at the highest point and a red zone. I got them from a guy who calls himself the Designated Engineer. Thus far they have proved accurate, and saved a lot of money in filters. If the bowl is clear with only a little vacuum showing, there is no need to change on a schedule.
Here is a link to his home page.
Home
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08-15-2012, 09:56 PM
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#10
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Guru
City: Thibodaux, Louisiana
Vessel Name: Gumbo
Vessel Model: 2003 Monk 36
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,882
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Designated Engineer, that is who I got mine from at a boat show in Stuart FL.
Steve W.
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08-15-2012, 09:56 PM
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#11
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Scraping Paint
City: -
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 13,745
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You can also T-off the fuel line feeding the engine and run a hose from the T to a vacuum gauge mounted at the helm. Bob Munro, founder of Kenmore Air, put this arrangment in his twin-Cat, steel-hull deFever and it worked great. The vaccum gauges were off-the-shelf automotive types I believe.
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08-15-2012, 10:23 PM
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#12
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Guru
City: Hotel, CA
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 8,323
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There are many materials that would work for running the vacuum line to the helm. My personal choice would be 1/4" stainless steel tubing with flare joint connections, but then instrumentation piping is more than just a hobby for me.
__________________
Craig
It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they've been fooled - Mark Twain
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08-16-2012, 12:21 AM
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#13
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Master and Commander
City: Vallejo CA
Vessel Name: Carquinez Coot
Vessel Model: penultimate Seahorse Marine Coot hull #6
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 12,559
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RT Firefly
Greetings,
Mr. markpierce. You can mount the Racor vacuum gauge in your PH. I've seen it done in several vessels.
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I know. It's on my next scheduled costing-less-than-six-BOAT visit to the boatyard whenever-it-comes year.
__________________
Kar-KEEN-ez Koot
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08-16-2012, 05:07 AM
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#14
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Guru
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 22,553
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A gauge on the filter is a quick add on , but it only measures what the suction is AT the filter.
No way of knowing what is causing the restriction.
The better way , (Murphygauges ) uses two lines and just shows the restriction across the filter
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08-16-2012, 06:02 AM
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#15
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Guru
City: North Charleston, SC
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 4,870
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Racor sells a restriction indicator which is not a "gauge" as such, but measures restriction and maintains the highest indication until it's reset.
There are green, yellow, and red indications. Green is fine, yellow is indicating some restriction, red indicates it's time to replace the filter.
Here it is installed:
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08-16-2012, 08:06 AM
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#16
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Guru
City: Montgomery, TX
Vessel Name: Encore
Vessel Model: Whitby 42
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 844
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I tee'd into the fuel lines leading to each engine and ran 1/4" fuel line to each gauge. The settee is right above the filters in the ER so I mounted the gauges in the side of the settee next to the genset panel. Not as convenient as on the instrument panel but at least I don't have to move furniture and pick up floor panels to peek into the ER.
Bob
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08-16-2012, 09:17 AM
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#17
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Veteran Member
City: Poulsbo, WA
Vessel Name: Serenus
Vessel Model: Tollycraft 44
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 77
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The restriction indicators that rwidman shows in his pictures are the ones I was referring to. I always see them advertized in Passage Maker and was curious if anyone had used them. I was not aware that they were sold by Racor.
Thanks
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08-16-2012, 09:39 AM
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#18
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Enigma
City: Slicker?
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 16,566
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Greetings,
Not to Denigrate Mr. rwidman's system (looks funky) the "restriction indicator" is simply another type of vacuum gauge. Easier to see at a distance perhaps. I'd go with the cheapest gauge. I think last evening I recall the dial gauges were in the $50-$60 range.
__________________
RTF
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08-16-2012, 11:29 AM
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#19
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Scraping Paint
City: Fort Lauderdale
Vessel Model: CHB 48 Zodiac YL 4.2
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,804
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You guys are way overspending and overcomplicating this ... how about buying one of these for half the price of a cheapo vacuum gauge and set it to switch on an LED on the panel when it gets to 5" HG or 10".
If you really splurge and spend almost 2/3 of what Racor wants for a T mount gauge, you can have three of them and a green LED for when the filter is clean, a yellow for when it starts to get dirty, and a red for when it makes you nervous.
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08-16-2012, 11:37 AM
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#20
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Guru
City: North Charleston, SC
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 4,870
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RT Firefly
Greetings,
Not to Denigrate Mr. rwidman's system (looks funky) the "restriction indicator" is simply another type of vacuum gauge. Easier to see at a distance perhaps. I'd go with the cheapest gauge. I think last evening I recall the dial gauges were in the $50-$60 range.
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Of course it's type of vacuum gauge but it holds the highest reading until it is reset. A cheap gauge doesn't do that so unless you're in a position to examine the gauge while operating at WOT, it does the trick just fine. The actual vacuum reading is unimportant, what's important is that you can tell if there's a restriction (typically it's time to replace the filter).
As I recall, it was about $40 and I think I bought it from defender.com
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