Changing Fuel Filters

Tom J

.
Sep 30, 2008
2,301
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
Our boat, hull 65, has valves on both the supply and return. I never close either. For the most part it's a minimal flow and if you change the filter quickly there is no difference in the the amount of diesel that drips when doing the change.

I now have a valve in the engine compartment to stop flow there, that's part of a fuel polishing system I put in after Irma. Once I finish to tweaking the system I will put up a post.

Anyone here ever hear of putting transmission fluid in your fuel filter during changes? A lot of mechanics down here swear by it.
Jesse, I'm looking forward to your post on the fuel polishing system. Over the years, I have picked up some valves and fittings, intending to build a polishing system. I'm curious to see how you fit yours in the limited space we have available.
Do the mechanics down there put tranny fluid in the filters in order to decarbonize the cylinders?
 
May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
@Tom J join your international association. The latest Mainsheet has an article on installing dual filters with polishing and on engine filtering purge. You could do a single filter and use 1/2 the design. Written by a very cool dude (me)

Mahalo
 
Nov 16, 2012
1,037
Catalina 310, 2000, #31 31 Santa Cruz
@Tom J join your international association. The latest Mainsheet has an article on installing dual filters with polishing and on engine filtering purge. You could do a single filter and use 1/2 the design. Written by a very cool dude (me)

Mahalo
Leslie, I quickly looked at the article, but didn’t see a schematic of the layout.
 

Tom J

.
Sep 30, 2008
2,301
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
@Tom J join your international association. The latest Mainsheet has an article on installing dual filters with polishing and on engine filtering purge. You could do a single filter and use 1/2 the design. Written by a very cool dude (me)

Mahalo
Thanks, Les. I'm waiting for the latest issue of Mainsheet to arrive, but I live in Hawaii, and it takes a lot longer for stuff to get here.
 

Tom J

.
Sep 30, 2008
2,301
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
Thanks go to PaulJ for his great photos of the fuel tank. I should have realized that the outboard fitting is the supply line. Once, while motorsailng, the wind picked up and we heeled to port sufficiently that air was sucked into the supply line, and the engine died. It's plain to see now why that happened. Wonder why Catalina didn't reverse the lines so that the fuel pickup was closer to the centerline?
 
Nov 16, 2012
1,037
Catalina 310, 2000, #31 31 Santa Cruz
Finally crawled in the back and took some pictures. Looks like the early C310s had a different tank, mounted differently, but maybe the same manufacturer? Paul's is shifted to port, against the holding tank; ours is centered. Paul's valved return fitting looks to be centered; ours is more to port, with no valve. Paul's is painted; ours is bare. It also looks like access to the sensor is easier on Paul's. I've seen a brochure that says the fuel tank is 27 gallons, but ours is only 19.
Fuel Tank.jpg IMG_1103.JPG
 
Nov 16, 2012
1,037
Catalina 310, 2000, #31 31 Santa Cruz
That is definitely a way different tank than ours. I wonder if it was a replacement done later?
Date on the sticker is 11/99, so it's original. I'll bet the one on Bob's hull #1 looks like ours. I'm sure they switched tank types sometime between #31 and your # 65.
 
Nov 18, 2010
2,441
Catalina 310 Hingham, MA
Date on the sticker is 11/99, so it's original. I'll bet the one on Bob's hull #1 looks like ours. I'm sure they switched tank types sometime between #31 and your # 65.
Maybe. But I also find it interesting that it says "CA" after the Catalina. I am pretty sure that all the 310s were made in the east coast facility. I wonder if they found a problem during commissioning and this was the fix .
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,760
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
What’s your favorite cleaner? Do you then let the cleaner run through the engine?
Rob,

I've used different stuff through the years, no need for anything specific. I've moved around a lot in the last two years, so I read the labels before I buy anything. I have a bunch on board now.
My friend Ken wrote the Transmission 101 topic, or most of them anyway. He actually ran a test with an empty new fuel filter (Racor). All it meant on his M25XP is a longer time to run the fuel pump before the starting the engine, using the knurled knob on the engine as I do with my M25. I believe your engines are self-bleeding; there was some discussion recently about just that here recently. Since I don't have that engine, I didn't get into it too deeply, just remembered that it happened (a first :) for me!!!).
 

leo310

.
Dec 15, 2006
635
Catalina 310 44 Campbell River BC
I have hull #44 with a 19 gal tank and just a side note mine was a west coast made boat it also has a Yanmar 3gm30f engine
 
Jan 17, 2013
439
Catalina 310 St. Simons Island, GA
My fuel tank does look a lot like the pictures. I have noticed that mine is not quite as accessible but otherwise looks the same. Last weekend i followed along in Jesse's "neglected steering system"moves.from 2015 and serviced mine. Parts of my steering system were very difficult to access, in particular when Jesse says he put a wrench on every nut...I could not access the nuts for the wire clamps at all. Could just barely reach 3 of the 4 bolts for the packing gland. Compared to Jesse's pictures I have very little room to access the steering quadrant or the fuel tank down below. Fortunately everything was in great shape but two of the packing gland bolts were loose and it could be moved by hand. I was barely able to tighten them up a little so it no longer moves.

Two other points...the first number of 310's were made in CA. I thinknthey moved them to Florida after hull # 40 or 50 I think. Second point is that I have heard that the 310 was the shortest production run in Catalina history. This is not true because I was told that the 375 was shorter with only 200 some built.
bob
 
Nov 16, 2012
1,037
Catalina 310, 2000, #31 31 Santa Cruz
My fuel tank does look a lot like the pictures. I have noticed that mine is not quite as accessible but otherwise looks the same. Last weekend i followed along in Jesse's "neglected steering system"moves.from 2015 and serviced mine. Parts of my steering system were very difficult to access, in particular when Jesse says he put a wrench on every nut...I could not access the nuts for the wire clamps at all. Could just barely reach 3 of the 4 bolts for the packing gland. Compared to Jesse's pictures I have very little room to access the steering quadrant or the fuel tank down below. Fortunately everything was in great shape but two of the packing gland bolts were loose and it could be moved by hand. I was barely able to tighten them up a little so it no longer moves.

Two other points...the first number of 310's were made in CA. I thinknthey moved them to Florida after hull # 40 or 50 I think. Second point is that I have heard that the 310 was the shortest production run in Catalina history. This is not true because I was told that the 375 was shorter with only 200 some built.
bob
When we bought our C310 three years ago I had the yard replace the rudder bearing and steering cables (based on surveyor's report). Not something I wanted to try myself, especially since it was 90 miles away from home.

Interesting about the first batch being made in California. I'm happy to hear that, actually, and gives a good explanation for the different fuel tanks.
 
May 22, 2017
42
Catalina 310 Lake Carlyle
I have changed the fuel filters on my catalina 310 numerous times. I am familiar with how to do it, but have a new issue. Normally I close both valves on the tank one would be for the supply to the engine and the other for the return. Since the engine is gravity fed from the fuel tank if the valve or valves are not closed fuel would continue to run if you did not close the valve or valves. My question is when looking at the tank, looking toward the stern there are two valves one to the right of the fuel sender and one to the left. The one to the right is easy to get to and turns very easily, the one to the left of the sender is harder to get to and does not turn very easily in fact I am afraid I will break the handle off if I continue to turn it off. The questions are do you have to turn off the return valve and is it the one to the left of the tank.

Thanks for any input,
Mark
 
May 22, 2017
42
Catalina 310 Lake Carlyle
My 310 (#17) is new to me. I've had a 27 for 17 years in which I've changed fuel filter many times and always had to open the knurled bleeder valve to bleed the air out, and open a bolt to let the air out to the high pressure pump.
I have read the posts on changing the fuel filters on our 310s and am a little confused. I was planning on adding a lift pump switch by the engine to easily bleed the air out but a couple of the posts have said that our 310s are self bleeding. I was also going to add a shutoff valve on the Racor filter. My question is : Do I need to bleed the air out if I fill the new fuel filter with fuel? I don't want to crawl down under to close the tank valve.

Frank H
US, Illinois, Lake Carlyle
 
Nov 16, 2012
1,037
Catalina 310, 2000, #31 31 Santa Cruz
My 310 (#17) is new to me. I've had a 27 for 17 years in which I've changed fuel filter many times and always had to open the knurled bleeder valve to bleed the air out, and open a bolt to let the air out to the high pressure pump.
I have read the posts on changing the fuel filters on our 310s and am a little confused. I was planning on adding a lift pump switch by the engine to easily bleed the air out but a couple of the posts have said that our 310s are self bleeding. I was also going to add a shutoff valve on the Racor filter. My question is : Do I need to bleed the air out if I fill the new fuel filter with fuel? I don't want to crawl down under to close the tank valve.

Frank H
US, Illinois, Lake Carlyle
They are self bleeding in that there is a return hose from the injectors to the tank. Fuel in excess of that is used in the injectors gets returned. So when the lift pump is running any air in the lines or filter housings will eventually be purged. Filling the new filter with fuel makes it happen faster, but it will happen eventually no matter what.

The shut off valve on the inlet of the Racor filter may be useful because the tank may be higher than the filter, so fuel may drain by gravity if the Racor bowl is opened. Alternatively the shut off valve on the tank supply can be closed-just harder to get to, maybe.
 
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Nov 18, 2010
2,441
Catalina 310 Hingham, MA
My 310 (#17) is new to me. I've had a 27 for 17 years in which I've changed fuel filter many times and always had to open the knurled bleeder valve to bleed the air out, and open a bolt to let the air out to the high pressure pump.
I have read the posts on changing the fuel filters on our 310s and am a little confused. I was planning on adding a lift pump switch by the engine to easily bleed the air out but a couple of the posts have said that our 310s are self bleeding. I was also going to add a shutoff valve on the Racor filter. My question is : Do I need to bleed the air out if I fill the new fuel filter with fuel? I don't want to crawl down under to close the tank valve.

Frank H
US, Illinois, Lake Carlyle
As you noted on the other thread, the lift pump is wired to the forward portion of the key. I just push that key forward for about 30 seconds 3-4 times and start the engine. That typically bleeds out the air.

As to the shut off, it helps but isn't necessary if you are quick. I really want to find a way to switch to a Racor 500 due to the cost of the filters once you leave the states. Its on my list before we leave STT. But so are some new electronics, an arch and possibly a hard bimini.

Good luck and fair winds,

Jesse
 

Tom J

.
Sep 30, 2008
2,301
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
[QUOTE="Frank H, post: 1439556, I don't want to crawl down under to close the tank valve.

Frank H
US, Illinois, Lake Carlyle[/QUOTE]
I don't usually crawl into the aft compartment to shut off the fuel tank valves. If your arm is long enough, you can reach down from the aft starboard seat to the fuel valves.