Doing The Required Maintenance Or Service That Isn't Required But Really Is

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Wonder why they put that on there? The service guy at Floscan was very helpful. I really like companies like Floscan (Wesmar to name another) that haven't decided to get rid of the people who answer the phone.

So, I had some vacuum (another post) on my port side fuel system. I've been through it all, but still had the problem. Before I started dissembling, I called Floscan. Kevin asked me how long since the cans had been changed.

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"Changed? Why Kevin, it says right there, 'NO Maintenance or Service Required'. You even capitalized 'NO'".

Every dark cloud has a silver lining is what my mom used to say--so true. It was during this conversation I first learned my ex-wives had been lying to me all along--I wasn't anal. Kevin told me that if "You (I) are anal, you might change the cans every three years." With great effort, I spun off the cans. I might not be anal, but that first can had been retaining quite a collection of stuff that wasn't classifiable as diesel fuel. In fact, it had stuff in there that in no way shape of form could have passed through any filter no matter how macro the micronage.

Being items that require NO Maintenance or Service, I didn't have any spares on the shelf. After rinsing with fuel and banging the cans on the dock a hundred times, I reassembled. The vacuum issue cut itself down to almost normal.

I've got a new set of cans coming. This time I believe I'll mark the date and hours on them so I'll know when they don't need maintenance or service the next time.

I am serious about one thing, though. They really are nice people to talk to.

[MVCaprice]

Robert,

How much were the cans? I have long wondered what was inside. Is there actually a filter in there? I'm guessing that ours are probably original from the mid nineties!

[MVCaprice]

It looks like flowscan has the diesel dampners listed for sale here for $50 a piece:

http://www.floscan.com/html/blue/accessories.php

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Paying $45 (inclusive) for each for the blue (homogenizer-input) and black (homogenizer and pulsation damper-return) from a local dealer in Charleston. They are getting from Jerry's Marine who had them in stock. Can't seem to locate the green (pulsation damper-input) yet. But my blue can is first in line in the system and is the one that hangs down. It was where I had all the crap, so I'm hoping that will solve my problem.

From all appearances, they look like filters. I'll see about busting open the blue can when I replace it hopefully Friday or Saturday. You really got your money's worth!

[Bob Bradley]

Interesting thread. I had one blow out on me this past spring as I was preparing to move my boat from New Haven to Westerly, RI. Dumb luck saved me from a serious mess. Somehow I had bumped the lever on the outflow of the Racor filter to the "half off" position. When I saw this and repositioned it, I stupidly put it in the "full off" position rather than "full on". 10 minutes of idling in the slip later, I ran out of fuel and had to reprime the stbd engine. I was sitting between the engines with the secondary filter loosened so I could see when it was full. I tightened the bolt for the secondary and fired up the engine. Right at that point, the canister that hangs in a downward position blew a hole in its bottom due to internal rust, and started spraying a substantial flow of fuel into the bilge.

I shut her down and bypassed the floscan entirely so I could make the trip. If it had blown out 10 minutes later, I would have pumped 200 gal of fuel into my bilge and then run out. My system is 9 years old. I took a vise and nylon strap wrench with a 4' pipe on it to get the canisters off. Biatch of a job. You can bet I'll be replacing them every few years going forward. I'll try to get some pics up tomorrow.

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Interesting thread. I had one blow out on me this past spring as I was preparing to move my boat from New Haven to Westerly, RI. Dumb luck saved me from a serious mess. Somehow I had bumped the lever on the outflow of the Racor filter to the "half off" position. When I saw this and repositioned it, I stupidly put it in the "full off" position rather than "full on". 10 minutes of idling in the slip later, I ran out of fuel and had to reprime the stbd engine. I was sitting between the engines with the secondary filter loosened so I could see when it was full. I tightened the bolt for the secondary and fired up the engine. Right at that point, the canister that hangs in a downward position blew a hole in its bottom due to internal rust, and started spraying a substantial flow of fuel into the bilge.

I shut her down and bypassed the floscan entirely so I could make the trip. If it had blown out 10 minutes later, I would have pumped 200 gal of fuel into my bilge and then run out. My system is 9 years old. I took a vise and nylon strap wrench with a 4' pipe on it to get the canisters off. Biatch of a job. You can bet I'll be replacing them every few years going forward. I'll try to get some pics up tomorrow.

That's impossible. FLoscan clearly states that NO maintenance or service is required. LOL

FWIW, I have rust around the seams of a couple of my cans. Floscan's admonition seems like poor judgment especially in your case.

[MVCaprice]

I've got a new set of cans coming.

What was the final word? Did this fix your vacuum problems? I have been working on getting the cans in. I found that a shaft size channel lock was required to remove the old ones as they were circa 1993 and extremely tight. I'm curious how things went on your end.

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

What was the final word? Did this fix your vacuum problems? I have been working on getting the cans in. I found that a shaft size channel lock was required to remove the old ones as they were circa 1993 and extremely tight. I'm curious how things went on your end.

Thanks for asking. I was hesitant to post until the facts were in. I just returned from a seven day cruise. I am happy to report that the issue is resolved after replacing the cans that state no maintenance or service is required but we all know now that some maintenance and service is required, at least once in a generation.

[MVCaprice]

Thanks for asking. I was hesitant to post until the facts were in. I just returned from a seven day cruise. I am happy to report that the issue is resolved after replacing the cans that state no maintenance or service is required but we all know now that some maintenance and service is required, at least once in a generation.

Glad to hear the good news. We are heading north at the end of the week and I'm hoping that our low fuel pressure issue will be resolved through this fix along with a rebuild of the Racors.

Just out of curiosity, were any of the vacuum leaks obvious around the homogenizer cans?

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Just out of curiosity, were any of the vacuum leaks obvious around the homogenizer cans?

Wasn't having vacuum leaks. Was having high vacuum after having run a tank dry last summer. I shook a lot of crap out of that first down hanging can--stuff that, technically speaking, should have never made it past any Racor ever designed. It's still a mystery how much big stuff got in that can. Maybe filters plugged in the past and tops were punched to get home--never know.