Racor Model 900 Filter Change

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larman

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Livin The Dream
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Sea Ray
I would like to change the filters on my racor model 900. This is my first time doing this. Instead of the T handle I have pressure gauge. Do I remove pressure gauge to get to filter?
 

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larman said:
I would like to change the filters on my racor model 900. This is my first time doing this. Instead of the T handle I have pressure gauge. Do I remove pressure gauge to get to filter?
Click to expand...

Yes, the gauge takes the place of the T handle.

Use a wrench on the hex portion of the gauge. do not turn using the gauge head.

Make sure to shut off the fuel going to the Racor. You might have to drain a little fuel out of the filter so that the fuel doesn't spill out when the lid is removed. After the new element is in, top up the fuel in the Racor and open the valve previously shut.

A lot depends on the orientation of the Racor to the level of fuel in the tank. On some installations, just turning the fuel valve open after element change will fill the Racor.
 
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Racor sells a gauge now with the T handle built in so you don’t need a wrench to get the gauge off. Mine will gravity fill after I open the shutoff. Good luck.
 
I feel it's a good idea to drain a good deal of the fuel from the bowl regardless to get any gunk (which includes any water) off the bottom so it doesn't accumulate. Primer pumps are the cat's meow for refilling them, otherwise a small, say 2 gallon fuel canister of diesel. Mine were above the centerline molded in fuel tanks so no gravity feed. Typically there is a small valve inline right before the filter. Remember replace the O Ring for the gauge stem, as well as the one for the filter top, and lubricating them with some fuel. They should come packed with the new filter.
 
Comodave said:
Racor sells a gauge now with the T handle built in so you don’t need a wrench to get the gauge off. Mine will gravity fill after I open the shutoff. Good luck.
Click to expand...

I bought a pair of those gauges with the T handle.

I ended up taking the gauges off the long nuts on the old style gauge and installing them on the T nuts. There was something about the gauges that come with the T nuts that I didn't like. I don't recall the issue.

The new style T handles is a lot easier to loosen and tighten without a wrench.
 
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I don’t drain mine since I can easily see exactly what is in the bowl because I put an LED light behind the bowl. Now it is simple to see what is in the bowl. I added the builtin Racor primer pump so it is simple to fill both the Racor and the on engine secondaries. Also added a Water In Fuel (WIF) sensor and a metal shutoff valve rather than the plastic plug in the bottom of the bowl.
 

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The Racor priming pump is the black thing above the bowl in my photo. It is pretty easy to add. You replace the short bolts and add the long bolts seen in the photo. It adds about 3” in height to the Racor. But it is beautiful when you go to prime the secondaries especially. Now I push the button switch for the pump and in a couple of seconds fuel is coming out the bleed screws on the secondaries. It used to take about 75 pumps on the fuel pump at the bottom of the engine to get the secondaries primed.
 
I use a fuel additive in my tanks to kill the bugs. I change my filters once a year.

I pull the filter out and drain the filter housing. I remove the drain plug on the bottom. Then I flush fresh fuel from the top to wash out the dead bugs (these are not really bugs, but common terminology). Then I take the "fat end" of a plastic wire tie and scrap the bottom of the bowl. I then again flush fresh fuel to wash it all out. Keep doing this until clean. Reinstall valve ass'y. Install new filter. Fill housing with fresh fuel until full, then install top.

On my system there is no need to pump or prime the system.
 
It’s a good idea to completely drain the canister. When you lift up the filter lots of crap becomes dislodged. Now it’s floating around and can easily get into the ports on the stem. Then right to the engine.
I drain all fuel , pull filter, clean with new fuel , install new filter and then top off.
 
Ok, on our current boat we have never had any debris whatsoever in the filter. So I guess that either my tanks are clean or the crap is solidly packed in the tanks...
 
Comodave said:
Ok, on our current boat we have never had any debris whatsoever in the filter. So I guess that either my tanks are clean or the crap is solidly packed in the tanks...
Click to expand...

You will know the answer if you get into some good beam seas.....
 
Comodave, I’m really curious about that pump on your filters.... My fillers are just high enough in the system that they won’t completely gravity fill even when my fuel tanks are full.

I’ve considered adding a squeeze bulb to the system alla Tony Athens.

I also really like your LED light idea.

My bowls are really clean. A few years ago I stripped down both filters and gave them a good cleaning. At that point they had been uses for 7 years without that ever being done. They were pretty clean.

One tip that I got from TF was to change my primary filters first, then run the engine a bit, and then change the secondary filter. Any debri kicked loose when changing the primary filter is caught by the secondary and then changed.

I installed a stop-cock on the bottom of the filters as they weren’t there when I bought the boat. It makes sampling the fuel to check for debri or water easy.
 
So far I really love the Racor priming pump. I like that it doesn’t take up much space. I don’t have room to fit a stand-alone pump. I had 900FG filters on the boat when I bought it. Found 2 900MAs new and for sale on ebay for a really good price. So last winter when I had the port engine out I added the pump to the new MA filter along with the WIF and metal drain valve. Next winter when I have the starboard engine out I will put the new MA on that side along with the pump.
 
Dave,

I would like to know if the stop-cocks you found were stainless. I would love to have them on my 4 Racor filters. It is not clear from your post, but I would like to point out that the primary filter of any power system is the one on the engine itself and it has the smallest openings. Secondary filters are installed upstream to remove larger particles to ease the burden on the primary filter.

Bill
Double-Wide
 
wfleenor said:
Dave,

I would like to know if the stop-cocks you found were stainless. I would love to have them on my 4 Racor filters. It is not clear from your post, but I would like to point out that the primary filter of any power system is the one on the engine itself and it has the smallest openings. Secondary filters are installed upstream to remove larger particles to ease the burden on the primary filter.

Bill
Double-Wide
Click to expand...

The shutout valves are Racor part #RK19492. The tag on the bag say they are brass.

As to primary and secondary filters. The first filter in the fuel path is the primary and the filters on the engine are the secondary filter. The primary filter is there to catch the majority of crap and the secondaries do the fine filtration.
 
wfleenor said:
Dave,

I would like to know if the stop-cocks you found were stainless. I would love to have them on my 4 Racor filters. It is not clear from your post, but I would like to point out that the primary filter of any power system is the one on the engine itself and it has the smallest openings. Secondary filters are installed upstream to remove larger particles to ease the burden on the primary filter.

Bill
Double-Wide
Click to expand...



Yeah Bill,

The valves are brass.

My understanding has always been that the first filter in the flow is the primary, and the next is the secondary.
 
Comodave said:
The Racor priming pump is the black thing above the bowl in my photo. It is pretty easy to add. You replace the short bolts and add the long bolts seen in the photo. It adds about 3” in height to the Racor. But it is beautiful when you go to prime the secondaries especially. Now I push the button switch for the pump and in a couple of seconds fuel is coming out the bleed screws on the secondaries. It used to take about 75 pumps on the fuel pump at the bottom of the engine to get the secondaries primed.
Click to expand...


Can't make it out in the pic... is it electric?

-Chris
 
wfleenor said:
It is not clear from your post, but I would like to point out that the primary filter of any power system is the one on the engine itself and it has the smallest openings. Secondary filters are installed upstream to remove larger particles to ease the burden on the primary filter.
Click to expand...


Other way around. Primary is first in line, secondary is second in line...

-Chris
 
ranger42c said:
Can't make it out in the pic... is it electric?

-Chris
Click to expand...

Yes, you can get it in either 12 or 24 volt. It it the black portion at the top of the photo. I wasn’t trying to show the priming pump in that photo but rather the LED backlighting.
 
Comodave, do you need each Racor to have a priming pump ? I'm thinking yes but wanted to confirm. Thanks
 
I'm curious. Of what use is a Racor feed electric pump if the Racor is below fuel tank level?
 
CJ
Some say a pressure pump feeding Racor can damage filter if used for more than filter filling. Dock talk or reality?

A filter like Fleetguard is presumably designed for pressure feed whereas Parker Hannifin says suction only on Racor inserts. :confused:
 
I had my Walbro electric pump installed after the Racor. Gravity fed the Racor. As to damaging the Racor if installed before the filter, don't know.
sunchaser said:
CJ
Some say a pressure pump feeding Racor can damage filter if used for more than filter filling. Dock talk or reality?

A filter like Fleetguard is presumably designed for pressure feed whereas Parker Hannifin says suction only on Racor inserts. :confused:
Click to expand...
 
Capt. Carman said:
Comodave, do you need each Racor to have a priming pump ? I'm thinking yes but wanted to confirm. Thanks
Click to expand...

Yes, each Racor will need its own primer pump. I like it even though it is a bit more expensive because it doesn’t take up more room except that the filter is now 3” taller. I don’t have a lot of room to put in valves and mount a separate pump like a Walbro pump.
 
Comodave said:
Yes, each Racor will need its own primer pump. I like it even though it is a bit more expensive because it doesn’t take up more room except that the filter is now 3” taller. I don’t have a lot of room to put in valves and mount a separate pump like a Walbro pump.
Click to expand...


I've used the top-off method out of a can for filter changes but always worry about that being unfiltered fuel. Pump method would get around that.

I'm guessing when using this or any other priming pump you have to open the bleed valve after the on-engine screw on filter and pump? (I have Cat 3208's).
 
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