Fuel System on Catalina 380 w/Yanmar 3JH2BE

[Sid Sytsma]

Hi GordonI have several related questions on the fuel system for the Yanmar 3JH2BE engine in my 2000 Catalina 380.(1) What fuel element should be in the RACOR500 filter, 2 micron, 10 micron, or 30 micron?(2) The engine has 60 hrs on it. Should either the RACOR primary filter or the secondary filter be changed (given a new engine, tank, et al)?(3) Could you explain in simple terms how the fuel gets pumped from the tank, through the primary filter, secondary filter, etc., please? Are there two pumps? When changing the RACOR filter element, how does one bleed the air from the RACOR, or doesn't that have to be done? I understand how to bleed the secondary filter with the little flipper lever on the injector pump.The 3JH2BE Owners Manual, and the Service Manual (that I got from Diesel Direct!) are not clear to me on these points. Many thanksSid SytsmaPS Your keel guy [at Torresens] did a beautiful job installing the keel on my 380 this spring...

 

[Gordon Torresen]

JH bleeding

Thanks for the compliment, Syd. Our guys are proud of their work and like to hear from happy customers. Yanmar recommends that the primary filter, your Racor, should be 30 Microns. I would thing that a 20 might be better. The primary filter should be changed at the end of this season because of the new tank etc. You probably have any foreign matter that was left in the tank and hoses pulled into the filter by now. Also, you want to remove the filter to check for signs of water that gets there regardless of the time line. Your 3JH is termed a self-bleeder. Operating the little flipper on the lift pump will fill the Racor, but quite often even that is not necessary. There are two pumps. The lift pump moves the fuel from the tank to the inlet of the high pressure pump at maybe 4 PSI. The HP pump, or injector pump, takes the fuel, pumps it to very high pressure and then sends the right amount to each injector at the right time.