[C320-list] First Fuel Filter Change

Tue May 7 07:28:42 PDT 2013

Good point and I should clarify...I also don't go to truck stops for
that very reason, but I go to one of three principally auto stations
that have truck pumps where I have observed a lot of diesel trucks
fueling.

On Tue, May 7, 2013 at 8:16 AM, Bruce Hunter <swampcreek42 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 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

-- 
Chris Burti
Farmville, NC