[C320-list] ENGINE FUEL PRIME

[Jeff Smith]

Ron,

Good question. I do occasionally switch just to ensure the mechanism still
works, then I switch back to the primary.

I also switch when I change my filters annually. I go from one to the other
and then only change the one filter.

Jeff
#121

On Fri, May 13, 2022 at 5:36 PM RONALD HODEL <ronandgail2 at me.com> wrote:

> Jeff,
> How long can diesel remain in the unused filter that is sitting in waiting?
> Ron Hodel
> 1070 Lokomaikai
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On May 13, 2022, at 8:35 AM, 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
> >>>
> >
>