frequency of changing racors?

How often, on average, do you have to change your racor fuel filters? *Are you running a single or dual filter set up? *We've put about 25-30 hours on the boat since we bought her in August (and we had her out of the water for about 5 weeks since purchase to get the fiberglass deck repair done) and have not had to change our filters yet at all. *Reason I ask is that we have s single racor primary filter (as well as dual secondary/final filters at the engine) right now. *I am debating whether I ought to go to the expense of setting up a second racor as back up. *In other words, keep running off just one but have a manifold installed so that if it goes down I can just switch the manifold over to the 2nd racor and continue on my way instead of having to change it right then and there in potentially adverse conditions. *Anyone done this recently on their trawler? *What was the ballpark cost?*What say ye?

Woodsong, I've usually seen a dual set on the engine before the OEM fuel filter.* That is the setup I have, with a 3 way valve between.* Not cheap - around $600.00 at fisheries supply with a builder's discount.* Put a vacuum gauge on the top of the filter you're wondering about and change it when it's drawing too much vacuum.

I change our polish/transfer filters annually, after polishing more or less continually underway at 30 microns, transfering fuel to the day tank at 10 microns, then to the 2 micro manifold before it hits the engine filter.* I leave the 2 microns go until they indicate they are getting plugged based on the vacuum reading.

-- Edited by Delfin on Sunday 12th of December 2010 11:32:27 PM

Woodsong wrote:

How often, on average, do you have to change your racor fuel filters? *Are you running a single or dual filter set up? *We've put about 25-30 hours on the boat since we bought her in August (and we had her out of the water for about 5 weeks since purchase to get the fiberglass deck repair done) and have not had to change our filters yet at all. *Reason I ask is that we have s single racor primary filter (as well as dual secondary/final filters at the engine) right now. *I am debating whether I ought to go to the expense of setting up a second racor as back up. *In other words, keep running off just one but have a manifold installed so that if it goes down I can just switch the manifold over to the 2nd racor and continue on my way instead of having to change it right then and there in potentially adverse conditions. *Anyone done this recently on their trawler? *What was the ballpark cost?
What say ye?

Click to expand...

TonyIn the midst of replacing our engine about twelve years ago, I took the opportunity to change quite a few things. One of those was the addition of a second Racor, with a manifold to aid in a quick switch. As much as I appreciate the redundancy, I'm not totally convinced that I needed it. Given the quality of fuel available locally, and the regular turnover of a tank with my fuel consumption, I probably didn't need to go so far. If I had a trawler, with low consumption, it would make more sense, and even more so in a warmer climate. I have never had to do an emergency change, but the peace of mind is priceless. Would I do it again? Very likely!!!

*

The vacuum gauge on top of a filter is GREAT , only if it can be easily seen.

On our lobster boat the filter bank was moved outside the engine room , in an easily seen spot.

So monitoring underway IS A SNAP, EVERY HEAD CALL!

For folks with the filters buried in the engine room, there are two options (besides a TV camera.

A simple vacuum gauge works but even better is a differential pressure gauge , again from Murphy can be had with alarm too.


We use a couple of 3 way fuel rated ball valves, no big expense to swop between Racore 1000's.

We've got a vacuum gauge on our Racors. I need to take a Racor 101 class!

I have read a lot on the web about people adding squeeze valves inline with the fuel line to essentially self prime the racor after changing...read some good and bad stuff on it. Anyone have that set up on their trawler?

Can't speak to the rubber squeeze bulbs for priming, as I had a spare 12VDC S/W fuel pump that I plumbed in.*

Able to prime any part of the fuel distribution system at any pressure regardless of how far away*from the tanks that the priming site is located.* Has to be more convenient than the squeeze bulb.

On the vacuum gauge question, I change the bulk 30mic filter annually, and since installation in 2006, have not seen the vacuum gauge above 1.0" at the 2mic filters primary filters.* That's around 900 engine hours/4 years without a primary filter change coming from 1973 steel tanks that are drained monthly from bottom sumps.

Jay, I've got an extra 12V pump in the engine room mounted on a bulkhead...would love to hear how you set yours up?

Here's an answer from a different Jay. This is what I did and how my electric fuel pump is plumbed. Large Racor is 30 micron, dual Racor is 10 micron.* Pump mainly is for prime if needed, but can be used as a lift pump if necessary.
Might not be the ideal setup but has proven good for my situation.




-- Edited by jleonard on Tuesday 14th of December 2010 09:48:52 AM

How about resizing the picture so it doesn't screw up the page display.

oops

jleonard wrote:. This is what I did and how my electric fuel pump is plumbed.

Click to expand...

Very nice indeed!* I wish I had exactly the same set-up.

*

jleonard wrote:

Here's an answer from a different Jay. This is what I did and how my electric fuel pump is plumbed. Large Racor is 30 micron, dual Racor is 10 micron.* Pump mainly is for prime if needed, but can be used as a lift pump if necessary.
Might not be the ideal setup but has proven good for my situation.




-- Edited by jleonard on Tuesday 14th of December 2010 09:48:52 AM

Click to expand...

Looks nice. *Do you have fuel routing through the electric pump all the time? *I don't see a cut off valve to the pump so I assume the pump is online all the time, i.e. fuel continuously routed through it?

Here is my setup for fuel filters.
http://tinyurl.com/2u8t4lg

You need to know that the subject of fuel filtering is like asking which anchor is the best. There are a jillion opinons. Most will be based around the standard canned answer of "always done it this way and never had a problem". Therefore the user convinces himself its good.

Do yourself a favor and go STUDY the concept of multi-stage filtration. Then go build one. I bought used Racor 500s so was able to build mine cheaply. Added a Walbro fuel pump and some hose and turned it into a polishing system. I run it every weekend in the winter on the hard while there working on the boat.

Finally, use vacuum gauges and wirless cameras to constantly monitor them from the flybridge. Wireless cameras can be bought for $40 now. That is so cheap there is no reason not to.

R.

Hi Woodsong,

Basically the same set-up as the other Jay.** Works great.

"Do you have fuel routing through the electric pump all the time? *I don't see a cut off valve to the pump so I assume the pump is online all the time, i.e. fuel continuously routed through it?"

No I have one valve closed which closes the loop thru the pump and does a bypass.
I decided on multi syage filtration after being a member of boatdiesel foe many years.
When I purchad=[sed this Albin I was getting 6 to 8 hours before clogging a Racor 2 micron in the dual 500 setup.
I added the 900 series at 30 micron (I had the unit given to me) and changed the dual Racor to 10 micron.
Haven't had an issue in 4 seasons since the modification. I change elements every spring now but have zero vacuum.

Ralphyost
are the vacuum gauges in the picture marketed by Designated Engineer it looks like they have*the drag needle indicating the highest vacuum seen? If so how are they working?*I bought one several years ago and never got around to installing it.
Steve W.

-- Edited by Steve on Tuesday 14th of December 2010 08:59:25 PM

Woodsong wrote:

How often, on average, do you have to change your racor fuel filters? *Are you running a single or dual filter set up?

Click to expand...

Don't know how often we'd HAVE to change them, but we change them every time we change the engine lube oil.* So every 100 to 150 hours.* We have a single Racor 500 in the fuel feed*line for each engine*between the tank(s) and the fuel lift pump on the engine, and then a pair of Baldwin spin-on fuel filters on each engine between the lift pump and the injection pump.* The spin-ons and their adaptors replaced the original CAV multi-part, leak-prone*canister filters.* We change the spin-ons every couple of years.*

All the filters are 2 micron.

*

Replace the old 500 Racor filtes with dual 1000, 14 year ago.* At the time they didn't sell the duel set up so had to fit/plumb them. At the same time installed an electric fuel pump to transfer fuel from/to the tanks and/or polish the fuel.* Did not actually know what I was doing, just lucked out.* Later added the vacuum gauges.* We have a stand up walk around engine room so checking the engine room is easy.*

*
I have a diagram if anybody is interested.* Send me a direct email with your email address. If you already have the filters, it takes an electric fuel pump two manifolds made of copper pipe fitting and valves for about 150 bucks.**There is a by pass valve so the pump does not need to be running all the time.**Just when the enigine is not running to transfer and polish.**

*I have gone for*2+ years with out changing the filters the vacuum gauges indicated they did not need changing.* Not sure how long they physically can last in diesel?* ****

*


*


-- Edited by Phil Fill on Tuesday 14th of December 2010 09:42:37 PM

Yes the vacuum gauges I use are from Designated Engineer. They work good. I have bought lots of stuff from him.

In fact I bought a larger one last year that I really dont like. Would like to sell it if anyone is interested. Its the 4" with drag needle. It sticks up too high and too close to the ceiling. Would rather have the smaller one.
Sell for $80 plus shipping.
R.



-- Edited by ralphyost on Wednesday 15th of December 2010 10:33:34 AM

I want a vacuum gauge but I don't want it the engine room and I don't want to run a hose to the helm.

Is there a wireless setup where a sender would be at the filter and the gauge would be at the helm?

Doc
Simply use a wireless camera.
Your goal is to be able to monitor the vacuum at the helm. Simplest way I know is via wireless camera pointed at vcacuum gauges mounted on the filters.
R.