[C320-list] First Fuel Filter Change

Tue May 7 05:36:34 PDT 2013

I may have missed this comment, but to avoid a lot of priming (and associated start-up problems), I fill both the Racor and engine filter bowls to the brim(fresh fuel)  and install them.
Art  #680

-----Original Message-----
From: Bruce Hunter <swampcreek42 at yahoo.com>
To: C320-List <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
Sent: Tue, May 7, 2013 8:22 am
Subject: Re: [C320-list] First Fuel Filter Change

Thanks for all the replies! I now know that I did not use the engines lift pump 
properly since I didn't use any force on the down stroke and I surely didn't 
pump the Racor pump enough times since I probably only pumped it about 20 or 30 
times. I am confused on one thing, the banjo bolt on the engine filter, isn't 
this separate than the bleed vent on the top of the filter?

About using truck stop fuel, I used to use this whenever I got the chance when I 
had my diesel F-250 truck and the first few 5 gallon jugs of fuel that I put in 
my boat were from a truck stop....Then I started reading. I read that although 
truck stops have very fresh fuel it always isn't top quality, in order to keep 
prices competitive they get the cheapest stuff available, the trucks huge 
engines just gulp it down and aren't as sensitive as our small sailboat engines. 
Now I get auto diesel from the regular stations and add Bio Bore to it. Any 
thoughts?

Bruce Hunter
Nauti Time #719

From: Bruce Heyman <bruceheyman at cox.net>
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com 
Sent: Monday, May 6, 2013 2:12 PM
Subject: Re: [C320-list] First Fuel Filter Change

I just rebuilt my injectors and replaced both of the filters.  After
cracking open the larger bleed bolt on top of the secondary filter on the
engine. I pumped the Racor about 120 times before I had filled the lines,
fuel pump and both filters.  I didn't have to use the pump on the fuel pump
but as others have pointed out you do have to push it all the way down to
get it to move any fuel.  If it doesn't move all the way down you need to
rotate the engine until you can move it all the way down.

The manual describes also bleeding the lines to the injector pump and the
injectors.  I ignored this step as Yanmar's are almost self-bleeding.  After
it started it did die but on the next start it worked fine.

As to the question of size of filter I would think that 2 micron is too
small and you should go with 10 or 20 for the first filter.  The second one
could be 2 micron.

And to drain off the water I use the black knob on the bottom with a small
bowl underneath it.  You just open it until the fluid starts flowing and
shut it off when it is just fuel, hopefully not too much water.  I've never
had to bleed the fuel system after draining off the water.

Bruce Heyman
(949) 289-8400
bruceheyman at cox.net

-----Original Message-----
From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
[mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Mike Ott
Sent: Monday, May 6, 2013 7:40 AM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] First Fuel Filter Change

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