[C320-list] ENGINE FUEL PRIME

[Jack Brennan]

Hi Graeme:

I should have mentioned this earlier. I didn’t like the stock Racor and replaced it with a 500 model, mounted on the bulkhead in the port stern locker. I thought the original was a pain where it was mounted under the aft bunk. This gives me easy access and viewing.

The gauge replaces the handle on the top of the 500. It has a white all-clear section, a yellow warning zone and a red watch-out section. I’m not at the boat, but my memory is that the red zone is about 10 psi and yellow is more than 5.

I’m not sure whether you can mount this gauge on the stock filter. You can also mount a pressure gauge in the fuel line between the filter and the fuel pump, if you choose to keep the original Racor. 

Jack Brennan
Sonas, 1998 Catalina 320
Tierra Verde, Fl.




Sent from Mail for Windows

From: Graeme Clark
Sent: Friday, May 13, 2022 7:53 PM
To: C320-List at catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] ENGINE FUEL PRIME

Can anyone who installed a vacuum gauge expand on that. Which gauge, what sort of range should it display and at what reading does it indicate blockage?
Thanks
Graeme

Sent from my iPad

> On 13 May 2022, at 16:35, Jeff Smith <svsailmates512 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I can confirm the vacuum gauge is nice. My boat has a dual Racer system. If I notice my vacuum getting into the red, I immediately switch to the secondary Racor. My boat also has the shut-off prior to the Racor. One thing I added was an electric fuel pump between the fuel tank and the Razor. I did this to assist with bleeding the fuel system after filter changes. It is better than using either the Razor plunger or the lift pump to bleed the system.
> 
> Jeff Smith
> 
> 
>> On May 13, 2022, at 11:21 AM, RONALD HODEL <ronandgail2 at me.com> wrote:
>> 
>> I love all the advice and ideas. One thing I did was put a fuel shut off valve right before the racor filter. That way I don’t have to dive down to the fuel tank to turn off the fuel before changing the racor filter. (It just may be that I learned that the hard way).
>> 
>> Ron Hodel
>> 1070 Lokomaikai
>> 
>> Sent from my iPad
>> 
>>>> On May 13, 2022, at 7:14 AM, Jeff Hare <Catalina at thehares.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Troy, 
>>> 
>>> That's a really good list.  There's an alternative to #2 which we did for 20 years in Woodbine.
>>> 
>>> We always ran an R15S filter in the primary Racor and the Yanmar recommended 10u(?) engine mounted filter and changed the Racor every year.
>>> 
>>> The R15S is a 2u filter. If you end up with a clogged filter, you can be fairly certain that you only need to change the Racor to get running again.  The engine mounted filter is intended to be a safety for anything that slips by the primary Racor during fuel line servicing or primary filter change that would be damaging to the injectors. The tech from Mac Boring and our local Yanmar dealer/installer/mechanic at Merri-Mar both explained the same thing to me independently back when we bought our boat.
>>> 
>>> Instead, if you follow the old-timer's advice of going with 15u or 30u filters in the Racor, followed by the stock Yanmar engine filter, you can be fairly certain that if you ever get a clogged filter, you'll have to change both the engine and the Racor filters. Filters don't tend to clog at the dock, so that's a lot more work underway and probably in unkind conditions. You could also find that the engine filter (having so much less surface area) will get fully clogged well before the Racor and you still wouldn't know for sure whether you needed to change the Racor as well or not.  
>>> 
>>> The R15S filter allows a much higher fuel flow rate than the fuel pump can move anyway, so there's little concern of starving the system. Using this approach, we changed the Racor every season and only changed the engine mounted filter every 3 or 4 years and the one we removed appeared just as clean as the one we removed. The Racor was always discolored when changed. In a large Diesel that moves a ton of fuel, this could be more of an issue.
>>> 
>>> We also installed a shutoff valve at the outflow side of the Racor so that we could isolate the Racor when changing it and minimize the chance of getting debris in the line during the change and make it far easier to bleed. Anything that did get in the line during that would either be stopped by the engine filter or is small enough to safely pass. 
>>> 
>>> That's worked flawlessly for us for 20 years owning Woodbine.
>>> 
>>> One thing we had considered was putting an inline vacuum gauge between the Racor and the fuel pump to get a better sense of when the filter needed to be changed, but a bright flashlight through the clear bowl has worked well enough (but decidedly unscientific). Just something I never got around to and never actually needed.
>>> 
>>> -Jeff Hare
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: C320-list <c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com> On Behalf Of Troy Dunn
>>> Sent: Monday, May 9, 2022 7:45 PM
>>> To: C320-List at catalina320.com
>>> Subject: Re: [C320-list] ENGINE FUEL PRIME
>>> 
>>> John-
>>> 
>>> Free advice in no particular order.
>>> 
>>> 1) There are copper crush washers between all the banjo fittings.   These
>>> are super cheap and throw away.   Attempting to reuse and/or tighten them
>>> down rarely works out, or if it does only for a little while.
>>> 
>>> 2) Change the smaller filter on the engine once a year.   Is it 100%
>>> necessary, no but it's super cheap and super easy.  Do not attempt to reuse
>>> the oring.   Seat the filter by hand then just gently put the oring and
>>> filter housing in place, tighten that little band by hand and then gently (very gently) tap the band home with a flathead acrewdriver.  You just need to snug it up, do not over tighten.
>>> 
>>> 3) bleed seal is a nylon like material.   It is reusable so long as you
>>> simply get it snug and then gently 'nip' it a fraction of a turn like maybe a tenth of a turn.  Overtightening will turn that seal into a once and done
>>> as well.   Definitely replace it this time since you probably don’t know
>>> how it was abused in the past.
>>> 
>>> 4)I’m a tad concerned that you are losing as much prime as you are and that you aren’t finding diesel somewhere on your engine or in your engines
>>> special little self contained bilge area.   The fact that you hear air
>>> escaping is not a good sign.   Are you sure it isn’t the diesel return line
>>> you hear?   Probably not since you are saying the noise is on the starboard
>>> side.    The fuel filter is a good candidate for leaks but generally it
>>> will be very ‘oily’ with diesel and should drip noticeable.   Another item
>>> that can leak is the fuel lift pump.   There are two possible mechanisms at
>>> play.    There is a diaphragm that can leak at the seal.    Check that for
>>> sure.  It’s  easy to simply replace the lift pump.  The lift pump diaphragm can also fail and that can be bad news because it could potentially be
>>> leaking fuel into your engine.   I think you can check the oil to see if it
>>> looks funny.  If it does look funny,  I’d get a real diesel mechanic involved.  You can easily replace the lift pump and contaminated oil but I have no idea how one 'rinses' out the engine of fuel contaminated dirty oil…
>>> 
>>> Good Luck
>>> 
>>> Troy Dunn
>>> Hull #514
>>> 
>