[C320-list] First Fuel Filter Change

[Jack McDonough]

Allen:

Thank you. I just eavesdropped on this discussion but you made my day. I was 
afraid I was the only one in the world who pumped that little handle up and 
down for a looooong time before I figured out that I needed to pump it ALL 
the way down.

Jack
"Sure Bet"



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Allan S Field" <allan.field at verizon.net>
To: <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
Sent: Monday, May 06, 2013 11:15 AM
Subject: Re: [C320-list] First Fuel Filter Change


Bruce - The little banjo pump handle on the primary filter (the small one)
is not intuitive to use.  When you pump it up and down, on the down stroke
you need to go ALL the way down; you should feel a slight resistance when
you bottom out.  If you just sit there and pump the thing up and down,
nothing happens (don't even ask me how I know or how much up and down
pumping I did to figure that out...).  In other words, you go down and then
down some more, past where it seems like you went down enough!  Make sense?

Allan S. Field
Sea Shadow - #808
Columbia, MD

-----Original Message-----
From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
[mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Bruce Hunter
Sent: Monday, May 06, 2013 10:06 AM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
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