Filling/Priming my Racor 500

[Maine Sail]

Hi All,

I change my fuel filters often and have always just used the fuel lift pump to refill my entire Racor 500 turbine filter. I really don't like doing this as I'm concerned about undue wear on my lift pump and also it's quite slow. I know I can just use some clean fuel and pour it into the filter with the top off, and have done so, and it makes bleeding much faster, but it's a real hassle to keep a teeny tiny jerry bottle of diesel on the boat at all times.

Here's my question. I am considering installing an outboard motor priming bulb in between the tank and Racor so with the top still off I could squeeze the bulb and fill the bowl to about 90% full then use the lift pump, after re-installing the lid, to complete my bleeding.

What are the down sides, that you can see, hose ratings etc., to installing a priming bulb for refilling my Racor 500 after I drain it for filter changes? There is probably something I'm totally overlooking and perhaps one of you guys will know what I've forgotten??

 

[Nice N Easy]

Priming the system

Maine Sail,
I think that some of the primer bulbs do not work well with diesel. Not all but some. You would have to check this out to make sure. Why don't you just install an electric fuel pump, and be done with it. On my 3GM Yanmar, you have to be spider man to work the manual lift pump, and even he would have a problem. I have a set up that is laid out thusly. Fuel line out of the tank has a couple of T's in it, On one side I go to a ball valve, and then to the electric pump. After the electric pump, I have another ball valve, than into T #2. This way I can totally isolate the electric pump from the system unless it's needed. Have power ran back to the pump, and a toggle switch to turn the pump on if needed. Works very good for me. The reason for the shut offs is a while back I had a problem getting air into the system if the boat sat for a couple of weeks without running the engine. Don't know for sure that the shut off to the fuel pump worked or not, but the problem is solved. According to all the info. I have found, there should be no need for the shut offs, and if I were to do it again, I would just use a single shut off, on the downstream side of the pump. Let us know how it works out for you whatever way you go, and of course some of your wonderful pics are desired.

 

[Jim Seamans]

I installed a bulb on mine

Installed it between the tank and primary Racor. It works like a charm with no problems. Fills the primary very quickly and when I change the secondary on the engine it pumps the air right out.

Jim
S/V Java

 

[Ross]

Maine Sail, My manual pump is also the primary lift pump.

If my camshaft is in the wrong place the pump won't work. So I turn the engine a half turn and move the cam lobe and then the lever works. my system is also self bleeding. (volvo) If yours is of the same sort you won't live long enough to wear it out.

 

[Maine Sail]

My lift pump

My lift pump is already electric and I usually use a set of alligator clips and a jumper I made to over ride it and turn it in on and off from the engine compartment. The problem is that it is very, very slow to fill the Racor as I always totally drain it when changing the filter. I'm glad to hear Jim's primer bulb works!

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

more connections = more leak sources

If the filter is in a location such that the following is impractical, I would argue a bad design in locating the filter in an inconvenient place isn't a good rationale for adding more "stuff" to compensate.
The fuel system is one of those where the old adage applies - keep it simple.

If the sole purpose of an accessory lift pump is priming, it's alot easier and in my estimation smarter to just gravity drain some fuel from the filter once the new filter is installed (as though you were draining water from the bowl) and pour it into the top of the filter. Adding add'l hose connections serves to add potential sources of leaks, adding extra electrical connections adds more complexity, albeit small, and when done improperly, more corroded connections, more routine maintenance of both, all for arguably very little convenience.

 

[Donalex]

Lazy Me!

I just pour the contents of the Racor into a small container when I take the old filter off.
I fit the new filter on the stem and then, having cleaned any crud from the filter bowl, I carefully decant the fuel from the container back into the bowl.
I reason this fuel is no more contaminated than the next half pint in the line. Invariably it is clean with no water.
Next, without bleeding, I just start the engine. My engine is a Yanmar and these have the capability to swallow air.
The engine starts on the fuel already in the lines and the fine filter and I leave it idling for about 10 minutes.
Never misses a beat and there is no need for bleeding at all - nor am I left with the problem of disposing of the fuel from the filter in an environmentally acceptable way.
Re your thoughts about a squeeze bulb I worry that any resistance in the line from the tank and the main HP fuel pump will cause the bulb to suck flat thus preventing any fuel reaching the engine. Sods law says this will be at the most inconvenient moment so I prefer not to introduce any unnecessary bits in my vital lifeline.

 

[Maine Sail]

How are you..

Decanting the fuel that came out of the Racor. I thought about pouring it through a coffee filter? I just hate to dump the contents of the bowl, though it's usually fairly clean, back into the filter. My boat yard has free disposal so that's not an issue.

In the location I want to add a primer bulb, between my tank shut off valve and the intake side of my Racor, if it were to get sucked flat that would mean my pick up tube, or hose, is plugged and my motor would die anyway.

I am not planning on adding a bypass loop and an electric pump as that is a little overkill for my situation. I just want to pre-fill my Racor with fuel from the tank without having to run my electric lift pump for to fill it and I don't want to go through the hassle of trying to filter my Racor bowl contents and put it back in there..

Good input so far guys keep it coming!

 

[ahansom]

Racor Bleeding

On Our Hunter 380 the filter is below the fuel tank so I just put the lid on and only tighten up the T nut half way then I open the fuel valve and I can watch the diesel siphon in and fill up the filter. When the filter is full diesel will start to bubble out around the threads on the T nut then just tighten it up with very little mess.

Andy Hansom

 

[Ross]

I have a fuel funnel with a very fine bronze screen

that will stop water. I just put the fuel back into the tank minus any crud at the bottom of the bucket.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Injector cleaner

in the bowl.

 

[Maine Sail]

I wish..

Quote: " the filter is below the fuel tank so I just put the lid on and only tighten up the T nut half way then I open the fuel valve and I can watch the diesel siphon in and fill up the filter. When the filter is full diesel will start to bubble out around the threads on the T nut then just tighten it up with very little mess."


I can only wish for that. Unfortunately there is no way to mount my filter low enough that would also allow draining of the bowl and that would let it self siphon. The fuel tank sits very low in my boat. I have been able to do that on some other boats. It's a great feature and in a ideal world every boat would be set up like that but not this one unfortunately..

 

[Nice N Easy]

I don't have a Racor

I have two large Wix filters. First is a water seperator, and primary 30micron filter. Second is a 10 micron. The benefits are they are large, easy to get to and compared to a Racor, the elements are pretty cheap. Elements for both filters cost about 15 bucks from NAPA. Drawback of course it the large size, which requires quite a bit of fuel to fill them up. With the location of the lift pump on the 3GM Yanmar, and the way the engine compartment is laid out, very difficult to use the lift pump to prime. Like Main Sail, no way to mount the filters low enough to siphon for bleeding. Different setups, different solutions. But lots of good ideas.

 

[Jim]

Ross has a good idea

fuel funnel with a very fine bronze screen. I am not sure it it will stop water but it should keep the dirt out. I like this idea.

 

[Maine Sail]

I just searched

For a funnel with a bronze screen and can't seem to find one. Where does one secure one of these? It just may be easier to clean than a paper coffee filter and a second container and I would not have to install a bulb. Of course installing the bulb will take all of about five minutes, once, and I'd have to clean the funnel every time to prevent diesel odor on board..?

Keep the ideas coming..!

 

[ahansom]

Bulb

I think one of the problems with using a bulb is it could restrict the flow of fuel and colapse. The amount of diesel recirculating through the system is quite a substantial flow

 

[Steve Dion]

man-o-man

Don's comments are exactly what I was thinking. Just another place to leak. I doubt that these bulbs are CG certified for diesel fuel either.

Here is a link to a PS article on funnel filters. This would be just the ticket for filtering out your fuel.

 

[John Van Wagoner]

Priming bulb

I have used squeeze bulbs on the fuel lines between the tank and the first fuel filter on Yanmar 1, 2, 3, and 4 cylinder engines on the five boats I have owned over the last 25 years. The bulbs are simple and effective. I have never had any problems.

 

[Maine Sail]

I actually

Quote: "I doubt that these bulbs are CG certified for diesel fuel either."




I actually researched the USCG hose/bulb assembly ratings before even posting this as that was my first thought. The Tempo Ultimate hose/bulb assembly I am looking at has a USCG B1 rating and according to both the USCG and ABYC is fine for both diesel and gas for the location I am thinking about installing it.

My thought is that I will buy a complete assembly in 3/8 with the factory mounted and installed bulb so I still have the same amount of owner installed clamps as before.. two..

Keep the thoughts coming! Good info so far.

I plan on calling Tempo once they Open in Ohio. I've been through all my back issues of Professional Boat Builder and other than one good article by Nigel Calder on hoses, that confirms what I found out about B1 rated hose, there is not much info out there other than just what A1, A2, B1, B2 classifications mean..

So far we have two guys using bulbs with no issues. I'd like to hear of a few more as I've never seen this discussed before and I did a search on a number of boating forums. Wow a subject on a sailing forum that has not yet been beaten to death yet.;D

 

[Brett]

Over 10 years with one

I've had a bulb installed for over 10 years wiuth absolutely no problem. On my YSM-12, it would not run with even a slight amount of air, so bleeding was critical. If I left a little air in the system, the engine would start to stumble. A quick squeeze of the bulb would get it running smoothly again.

It saved me a lot of trouble when I had to change a filter in heavy chop, due to sludge being stirred up. The last thing you want is to be huddled over a hot engine, smelling diesel fuel from the filter you had to replace, and tossing up and down in a nice chop, while trying to stroike the lever on the lift pump.

I have since replaced the YSM with a new Kubota, which is not finicky about air in the line. I still installed a bulb between the new tank and the primary to ease bleeding the entire system.

As far as the bulb collapsing, think about fuel flow rates for a 200 hp outboard versus a 20-30 hp diesel.