[C320-list] First Fuel Filter Change

[Mike Ott]

Bruce,
I am assuming you have a Yanmar engine and it sounds like you succeeded in 
bleeding the system, but it shouldn't have taken that long.  The little pump on 
the Racor is suppose to clear the air from that filter system and the little 
lever at the lift pump should take care of the rest of the air.  The bleed nut 
vent should bleed a only fuel with no air bubbles when the system is clear of 
air. The little handle does take a lot of pumping to accomplish this task.
If you have a 12 volt oil changing pump to change your engine oil, I use that to 
also bleed my system.  My Racor pump broke some years back so I had to come up 
with a way to evacuate the system from the Racor forward and the little lift 
pump lever didn't cut it.  I remove the primary fuel filter vent plug and insert 
the plastic oil-change pick-up tube and turn on the oil change pump.  With the 
banjo bleed fitting cracked, I also use the lift pump lever.  Once I get fuel at 
the banjo, I pull the pick-up tube and replace the vent plug and finish off any 
air while working the lift pump lever.  Once I get a solid stream of fuel from 
the banjo fitting, I tighten everything down and I'm ready to go.  The whole 
process takes a few minutes.
Mike Ott
'Amanda Lu'
#508




________________________________
From: Bruce Hunter <swampcreek42 at yahoo.com>
To: "C320-List at Catalina320.com" <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
Sent: Mon, May 6, 2013 10:06:12 AM
Subject: [C320-list] First Fuel Filter Change




This weekend I decided to try my hand at changing the fuel filters on out boat. 
It was a learning experience for sure. First I had to cut about 1/8" off the 
fuel petcock handle so it would fully close (It was hitting the bulkhead at a 
little past 3/4 closed). Upon taking the Racor apart I found a white plastic 
piece as well as a black rubber piece lying in the bowl. A quick check on the 
smart phone showed it to be parts to the little pump, I snapped them back 
together. We changed the filters with no problem. 


Bleeding the system was another story, I opened the metal vent plug on the Racor 
and utilized the now fixed pump to pump fuel to the top, I replaced the plug 
loosely and gave it a few more pumps and tightened her down. I opened the bleed 
vent on the engine filer (replaced the crush washer) and found the lift pump on 
the motor to be useless (I rotated the motor by hand to get more travel but 
still had no results, maybe I should have pumped faster?), I used the Racor pump 
to move quite a bit of fuel through the system to the bleed vent on the 
secondary and then closed it's bleed vent. I started the engine, it ran for a 
few seconds and stalled out. I had the Admiral close the seacock while I 
attempted to start the engine again, I stopped after about 5 or 6 tries. I then 
remember a dock neighbor saying he experienced the same thing and after waiting 
awhile he tried again and it started. I decided to let it sit about 15 minutes 
and then positioned the
Admiral at the engines seacock with instructions to open it if the engine 
started. I gave a crank it slowly sputtered to life. We ran it in the slip 
for 30 minutes, then another 30 minutes under load to the mouth of our creek and 
back, all seems fine. 


So I guess I didn't bleed the system enough or is this normal procedure?

Whats the final word on the Racor? I bought a 2 micron which is what was on 
there before but now read that it's recommended to go with a 10 or 20 micron. 
Should I go with a larger media an the next change?

Which drain is used to drain the water, the black plug or white one and what 
keeps air from entering the system when I try this?

Thanks,
Bruce Hunter
Nauti Time #719