HELP... again!

[SailFysh]

Hello all and Happy New Year!
Once again I turn to the wisdom on this forum. Here is my issue now. I last ran the engine on Nov 30 2015 for a short trip, all was well. When I checked the bilge this past weekend before taking a short ride, I noticed red in the bilge. Diesel. Not a lot. I have looked all over the engine and in the rear compartments where the fuel tank is located but cannot find a trail of diesel fuel. I did notice some red fluid on the water heater but I think that is engine coolant. Picture is attached. The red fluid is coming from the white fitting at the bottom right of the picture.
So I think I have 2 fluid leaks... coolant and diesel. Still looking for the diesel. Any ideas of where to look would be appreciated. I am stumped. Thanks.
2003 Catalina 310, Universal 25mxp
Neal

 

[weinie]

Diesel smells like ... wait for it... diesel!
Is that a pressure relief valve on your hot water heater? I have never seen one there. Maybe a previous owner put it their to help bleed the system in you ever changed coolant. Is the valve in the open position? I believe those valves may be reversed so that clockwise turn is open and counter clockwise is shut.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Neal, that's the normal place for the PRV for the heater. As weinie says, find out what it is first, 'cuz diesel has an unmistakable smell, and so might the coolant.

BTW, the engine is a M25XP, not as you wrote. It'll help to get it right if you're searching for engine info in the future. Also, many C310s came with the M25XPB, a different engine.

 

[kloudie1]

Looks like a plastic fitting in the engine coolant line to the tank to heat the potable water. The little vent petcock is there to burp the coolant system to get out any air lock.. That plastic tee and the associated little elbows and hose barbs should be replaced with metal since they have the potential to be considerably above their design temperature.. Bronze or brass in coolant service would be fine.

 

[SailFysh]

Thanks all. Now just come down to Alabama and find my diesel leak! It is a small amount in the bilge but you would think I could find a trail. It's almost like someone just poured a little in the bilge.

 

[JamesG161]

I don't know much about a Cat 310, but my boat has engine, fuel tank and genset bilges to collect diesel leaks in a separated bilge (no bilge pump). Generally speaking, any leaks of diesel would not go the the bilge pump area to be pumped to the ocean.
I suggest you open you fresh water/ antifreeze cap and see what color the fluid is in that system. It is hard to conceive a way to have diesel enter you water heater.
Diesel floats on water. Antifreeze does not float on water.
Did you fuel your boat before the trip?
Run hot water in sink or shower. Collect a sample and look/smell for diesel or colored antifreeze.
Jim...

 

[SailFysh]

Nope, have not added fuel for a couple of months. Fuel level is about 3/4 full. I am certain the red fluid in bilge is diesel. I just can't find the source. The red fluid at the water heater is of course coolant. Still searching...

 

[kloudie1]

After a run of a few minutes, take a piece of tissue and touch the under side of each fuel hose connection from the tank to the injection pump. Pay attention to the bottoms of the primary and secondary filter housings and the connections at the fuel pump. The tissue will absorb any errant diesel and you should be able to easily see the pink dye color. Happy hunting!

 

[SailFysh]

thanks kloudie1. I will try that tomorrow!

 

[SailFysh]

FOUND IT!
The racor is leaking. It is a very small leak. It is at the top of the racor where the fuel line from the tank is connected... or on one of the other fittings at the top. I can't tell yet because it is so small but it is definitely in this area. After drying it off it slowly gets wet again and then eventually runs down side of racor and drips down onto the floor of the compartment. Thanks again for your help. Now if I can just figure out how to stop it.

 

[JoeWhite]

AS - I am not sure what your filter looks like - but if it looks like mine, I had the same problem. The leak is due to the fact that the stationary mounting bracket is painted and the paint at the bottom has worn off and now the surface is not smooth any longer, so it leaks. Turn off the fuel tank valve. Remove the bracket and turn it upside down. Use 400 grid sand paper and sand all the paint from that surface. Clean all the dust and reassemble. No more leaks.

 

[SailFysh]

Joe,
I will give that a close look this weekend. I'm not sure I follow exactly what you are saying but maybe when I see the bracket I will understand. Thanks for the tip.
Neal

 

[SailFysh]

OK. After closer inspection here is what I found.
The fuel is weeping from the plastic plunger knob on top of the racor. Very slowly. I tightened by hand as tight as I can but still slowly leaking. When I turn fuel off at the tank the leak stops. Turn it back on... it starts leaking again. Should there be a gasket or o-ring here? I do not have one.
Thanks.
Neal

 

[Stu Jackson]

Neal, turn the fuel off and take the housing off whatever wall it's mounted on. NOTE: this is the second advice to remove it, right? Find and download the installation manual for the Racor filter housing you have (Parker filter website, no doubt). Find out what's supposed to be there. It'd be odd to lose a gasket or an O ring if there was one. Usually when things like that leak, trying to figure it out when it's in a hard to reach place means taking it off makes a lot of sense for starters. This is yet another reason I always suggest using an electric fuel lift pump instead of using that plunger for bleeding engines, besides the fact that from the one time I did that --- because I was too dumb to turn on our electric pump --- my fingers still hurt and that was in 1998!!!. Good luck.

 

[SailFysh]

OK Stu... Thanks. I will remove it and learn more about racor filters than I ever wanted to know!