Racor Fuel Filter Vaccum Guages

[whaler23]

Can someone provide a basic explanation of the necessity for and the proper reading of vaccum guages for Racor Fuel Filters (the large bowl type). Yard is recommending them as part of upgrades to fuel system lines that I'm having done this winter.

 

[Diver Down]

I have found them very useful for showing how the filters are clogging. For example, with a clean filter (10 micron) I typically carry about 3-6 psi (depending upon quality of fuel in tanks). When the pressure gets to about 8.5-9, I start experiencing some flow problems, particularly at start up.

 

[rsmith]

With out the vac gauges there is no way to know when to change them. I run 2 micron filters 2020sm 15in vac the engines will lose r's. I always wanted to put a extra set of gauges somewhere where they could be read with out going in the hole.You need to read them at full tilt boogie.

 

[Avenger]

The new ones seem to have a witness needle, or whatever you want to call it, that is pushed by the gauge needle and stays at the highest reading. The set I just sold a guy had them.

But exactly as said above. Install, run until you detect a power loss, record the reading then in future plan on changing filters when you're approaching that number.

Also note that it only measures restriction at the RACOR, It will not tell you if your secondary is plugged.

 

[bobk]

I too agree, the gages are a necessity. Best bet is to run vacuum lines and mount the gages at the helm. In my case that was going to be a PITA so I put gages on from designatedengineer.com that have drag needles which show the highest vacuum reached. I change when they reach the red line. Designated engineer is the lowest cost supplier that I am aware of and they have a gage that replaced the T-handle of the Racor.

Bob

 

[Boatsb]

I found it cheaper to change the filters every 50 hours.

Since it was too hard to get someone to run back and check them when at WOT I passed on the "Upgrade" and throw a $7.00 filter at it instead.

FWIW I never had a loss of power from a fuel filter clog and I was running 2 Mic racor 900's as the primary for 4 years as a "fuel polisher".

 

[Avenger]

Good point. I think the gauge kits for the 900s went for $100.00 a clip. RACOR is proud of their stuff.

If you looked at MSC or McMaster-Carr you could probably get similar vacuum gauges and fittings for a bunch less. Just make sure you know what you're doing with the fittings. It's an O-ring style and has to be correct.

 

[GJH]

I guess if you don't put many hours on the boat, the 50 hour plan is cheaper. In my case, I don't need to change filters for as much as 200 hours (is it the Algae X's the PO put on? or 30 Micron filters suggested by DD?), at which point I do it even though the gauges are still yellow. I have the luxury of the Racors being mounted right by the forward engine room doors so it is very easy to check them. I can't imagine doing without the gauges. Even with priming pumps, changing the filters is a PITA IMO.

 

[Red Hatt]

I thought you were only to use 30 micron filters on the recors and 10 on the engine filters???? I was told that if you use a 10 micron it good make your fuel pump go bad fast?? Is this true?

 

[Bill Allen]

Before I left for the keys I put drag needle gauges on my racors. I've never had a filter shut me down before since I change them often. On the way down the cheaspeake we got bounced around for three days which broke lose some crude in the bottom of my stb. tank. It was worth every penny I spent to put them on. On my engine room checks I could see the gauges climbing when I shut down for the night and at that point change the filter at anchor or in a marina rather then 3 to five ft seas. The highest vacuum the gauges showed was 26 inchs at which point we did start to lose some rpm. Even now sitting in the keys after another bouncy run, this time from Miami to Marathon, my gauges again show the starts of another issue since when the filters are first changed they show maybe 2 inchs of vacuum right now the drag needle is at 8, I'll chnage the filters again before I leave Marathon. Bill

 

[Boatsb]

I guess if you don't put many hours on the boat, the 50 hour plan is cheaper. In my case, I don't need to change filters for as much as 200 hours (is it the Algae X's the PO put on? or 30 Micron filters suggested by DD?), at which point I do it even though the gauges are still yellow. I have the luxury of the Racors being mounted right by the forward engine room doors so it is very easy to check them. I can't imagine doing without the gauges. Even with priming pumps, changing the filters is a PITA IMO.

I put mine in the rear hatch by the tanks ( where they kind of where when I got the boat) and added valves on the inlets and had valves on the outlets. I can change our 2 filters and refill them with diesel kleen or another additive in less than 5 minutes. By doing it 2 x a year I know I always have clean filters and I run the 2 or 10 microns to keep the fuel cleaner than if I ran the recommended 30's.

I am not sure why so many members think changing the fuel filter is a big deal.

 

[rsmith]

I guess if you don't put many hours on the boat, the 50 hour plan is cheaper. In my case, I don't need to change filters for as much as 200 hours (is it the Algae X's the PO put on? or 30 Micron filters suggested by DD?), at which point I do it even though the gauges are still yellow. I have the luxury of the Racors being mounted right by the forward engine room doors so it is very easy to check them. I can't imagine doing without the gauges. Even with priming pumps, changing the filters is a PITA IMO.

when I installed the racors I put a shutoff valve on each side of the filter. close both valves and the filter is isolated. top off with a little fuel and open the valves after you put on the lid. no need to prime.

 

[rsmith]

I thought you were only to use 30 micron filters on the recors and 10 on the engine filters???? I was told that if you use a 10 micron it good make your fuel pump go bad fast?? Is this true?

Ive been running the 2 microns in the 1000fg's for over 30 years never a problem. The gauge tells the story of how hard the pump is sucking. when kleen mine run less than 5" at full throttle.

 

[whaler23]

My filters are all the way back between the engines on the aft bulkhead of the ER. I like the idea of remote guages to see what's going on without having to crawl between the engines under a full load run.

 

[GJH]

when I installed the racors I put a shutoff valve on each side of the filter. close both valves and the filter is isolated. top off with a little fuel and open the valves after you put on the lid. no need to prime.

Well, I admit I am overstating it a bit. It is even easier than that for me because of the way my Walbros are plumbed. It is a push button operation. They prime the spin-on secondaries nicely too. I am pretty sure I have absolutely the easiest filter changing situation possible. I still don't like the smell of diesel fuel and draining the Racor to rid of the crud at the bottom of the bowl and disposing of the old filters....picky picky picky!

I use 30's a) because that is what DD recommends and b) I usually buy my fuel from high volume docks or trucks, and then go out and use it!. My injectors have always checked out clean. I suppose if I didn't use my boat much or bought from low turnover suppliers, I might go down to 10's or even 2's.

There was a legendary thread on the Trawlers and Trawlering list about primary filter microns. It can be like one of those arguments about anchors once you stray from the manufacturer's spec.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I run 2 micron filters as well. The point of the 2 micron is so that you don't ever have to change secondaries while out on the water. The vac gauge will tell you when to change the Racor and if you have dual Racors, you can switch to the spare unit when the reading gets high, make it in to port, and then change the filter.


If you run 30 mic filters, you run the risk of changing secondaries while at sea and that is not pleasant in a hot ER with 8ft rollers.

 

[Boatsb]

I use fuel from a high volume dock and run the boat between 150 and 200 hours a year. Lots of low speed though so I treat it well and keep changing filters to keep it clear of debris. On a good year I will do 2 oil changes and 4 or 5 fuel filter changes.

 

[Bill Allen]

My boats a 1973, I've owned it for 6 or so years. Always buy fuel from the best source I can. Last trip to Florida never even had to change the filters. Last trip calm seas, this trip bounced all the way here. On this trip something had to have been stirred up although just in the stbd. Tank, port gauges never even got above four. They've had fuel put in them for what thirty plus years before I got the boat. How much crud did it acumalate over that time? With the drag needle you can go down iin the norning and look at whats been happening and then chose to change them or wait, some of the heats gone and the boats not bouncing all over, I'm sitting here in marathon engines haven't been run in a day and a half and I can go down and see what condition they're in and just change them, cool engine room, no bouncing boat, priceless. Bill

 

[MikeP]

I had the gauges on my racors and, when I changed to the Fleetguard fuel filter system, I installed their gauges. So far I can't say they were helpful as far as determining when to change filters but what the heck - they look cool mounted on the system. Mine usually run around 6-8" vacuum; I have always changed fllters annually and I have never seen the gauges show more than 11" vac. But as noted, it probably depends on your boat's use as to whether the gauges are any real value - last season we put about 100 hours on the boat.

 

[Pascal]

yesterday i did a primary and secondary chagne on the boat i run.

secondaries (3412s have 2) were a year old, primaries were done in the spring when i got up north. so that's about 500hours on the secondaries and 250 on the primaries. the racors were dirty but no symptoms. since the gauges dont' have drag needles and i can rarely get down underway while under serious load i just replace them at set intervals.

that's running fuel from a bunch of sources from Nassau to New england but only 8 year old tanks.

on that boat the racors are lower than the tank level when full so refilling them is as easy as slowly opening the racor selector and let gravity do its thing.