[C320-list] ENGINE FUEL PRIME

[Stephen Cox]

The Racor gauge is a standard vacuum gauge with some fancy markings but all the action takes place in a very restricted area of the dial.  If you are going to install such a gauge you might like to think about using the one from Dent Marine.  It is a 0-15in Hg gauge compared to the Racor 0-30 in Hg.  Much easier to read and generally see what is going on.  See https://dentmarine.com/products/0-to-15-in-hg-vacuum-gauge-model-dm-15v

Stephen Cox
Tegwen #1141

> -----Original Message-----
> From: C320-list 
> [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of 
> Graeme Clark
> Sent: Saturday, 14 May 2022 19:15
> To: C320-List at catalina320.com
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] ENGINE FUEL PRIME
> 
> That’s great thanks. I have just found a photo of the racor 
> gauge and can see the markings as well thanks. Useful to see 
> that you can get a panel mounted gauge too so a t piece 
> between the filter and engine would enable a remote gauge 
> which could be mounted somewhere visible when bunk mattresses 
> still in place. 
> Graeme
> 
> Sent from my phone. Excuse typos! 
> 
> > On 14 May 2022, at 02:05, Jack Brennan 
> <jackbrennan at bellsouth.net> wrote:
> > 
> > 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
> >>>> 
> >> 
> > 
> > 
>