I have a Racor 230 fuel filter. I'd like to add a vacuum gauge to the setup but am having problems finding one that will work. My filter does not have a "T" handle. Can anyone recommend a gauge that will work for my filter? Thanks, Joe Mullee
Need Help Installing A Vacuum Gauge
- Thread starter Joe Mullee
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Racor doesn't have a gauge for that model
So what you do is put one in-line. Cut the fuel line between the filter and the engine. Get some fittings to adapt the gauge to the fuel line. Probably a T fitting and and a couple of hose barbs, and a couple of fuel line hose clamps. Mount the thing to a bulkhead, or somewhere you can see it, with some cable clamps, or P clamps. Simple Pimple and allot less than the Racor Gauge. Fair Winds Cap'n Dave
So what you do is put one in-line. Cut the fuel line between the filter and the engine. Get some fittings to adapt the gauge to the fuel line. Probably a T fitting and and a couple of hose barbs, and a couple of fuel line hose clamps. Mount the thing to a bulkhead, or somewhere you can see it, with some cable clamps, or P clamps. Simple Pimple and allot less than the Racor Gauge. Fair Winds Cap'n Dave
Keep in mind..
that in order to read a vacuum gauge you need to be at close to max throttle so place it where you can easily see it to read it. You can not effectively read a vacuum gauge at idle..
that in order to read a vacuum gauge you need to be at close to max throttle so place it where you can easily see it to read it. You can not effectively read a vacuum gauge at idle..
Just add a "TEE" ......
any place between the filter and the engine's lift pump. Install the gage on the tee. To use, monitor the gage while the engine is running at a specified rpm near your normal 'cruise' rpm or at 'wide open throttle' (WOT). Record that vacuum reading with a 'new filter' and use it as a reference for later, etc. When to change using a gage: Go to the Racor (Parker) website, look up the filter cartridge part number, look for the 'operating curve' (flow rate versus differential pressure/vacuum), know your engines fuel consumption at WOT in Gallons per Hour (GPH) in your engine manual .... find the engine's fuel usage (gph) value on the 'curve' (flow versus differential pressure) and read the corresponding 'vacuum' value ..... change the filter when the gage gets to 80% of that vacuum value (or less).
any place between the filter and the engine's lift pump. Install the gage on the tee. To use, monitor the gage while the engine is running at a specified rpm near your normal 'cruise' rpm or at 'wide open throttle' (WOT). Record that vacuum reading with a 'new filter' and use it as a reference for later, etc. When to change using a gage: Go to the Racor (Parker) website, look up the filter cartridge part number, look for the 'operating curve' (flow rate versus differential pressure/vacuum), know your engines fuel consumption at WOT in Gallons per Hour (GPH) in your engine manual .... find the engine's fuel usage (gph) value on the 'curve' (flow versus differential pressure) and read the corresponding 'vacuum' value ..... change the filter when the gage gets to 80% of that vacuum value (or less).
Also note when you change the filter it should be at "0"
and if everything is working right (no clogs or dirty fuel) it should stay that way for a long time at idle or WOT. Mine was staying at "0" for so long I thought the gauge wasn't working, so as a test I pinched the fuel line from the tank and saw the gauge creep up to (3..4...5...7 Hg). Having a gauge is great. It allows you to change the filter when you need to, not on just a guess (i.e. every year or other year, etc). Having a vacuum gauge allowed me to run my Racor 2 Micron (R15S) secondary filter 8 years and 786 hours *pop !! before I started seeing a vacuum drop across the filter . (we must have some really clean fuel around here ...Knock on wood, knock..knock...knock..) I don't know if thats some kind of record but it worked for me. Though its interesting to note that on the side of the Racor filter it actually says change every 500 hours, every other oil change or at the first indication of power loss (I take this as relating to diesel engines in cars/trucks) Just near the end of the season last year I started seeing a very slight movement in the vacuum gauge. Maybe 1-2 Hg. I just changed out the filter this spring and it was reading maybe 3 Hg (well below the yellow level which I think is around 7 Hg). Maine Sail it was interesting, I did not see very much appreciable movement or difference from idle to WOT. There was a difference but in my case not a whole lot. I agree with you though that WOT is when you should see the biggest "strain" on the filter. I think the reason is that the electric pump on my Universal M35B is pumping (sucking?) at almost the same rate at idle or WOT. I think, in my case, at idle the extra fuel just gets recirculated back into the tank. Not sure
and if everything is working right (no clogs or dirty fuel) it should stay that way for a long time at idle or WOT. Mine was staying at "0" for so long I thought the gauge wasn't working, so as a test I pinched the fuel line from the tank and saw the gauge creep up to (3..4...5...7 Hg). Having a gauge is great. It allows you to change the filter when you need to, not on just a guess (i.e. every year or other year, etc). Having a vacuum gauge allowed me to run my Racor 2 Micron (R15S) secondary filter 8 years and 786 hours *pop !! before I started seeing a vacuum drop across the filter . (we must have some really clean fuel around here ...Knock on wood, knock..knock...knock..) I don't know if thats some kind of record but it worked for me. Though its interesting to note that on the side of the Racor filter it actually says change every 500 hours, every other oil change or at the first indication of power loss (I take this as relating to diesel engines in cars/trucks) Just near the end of the season last year I started seeing a very slight movement in the vacuum gauge. Maybe 1-2 Hg. I just changed out the filter this spring and it was reading maybe 3 Hg (well below the yellow level which I think is around 7 Hg). Maine Sail it was interesting, I did not see very much appreciable movement or difference from idle to WOT. There was a difference but in my case not a whole lot. I agree with you though that WOT is when you should see the biggest "strain" on the filter. I think the reason is that the electric pump on my Universal M35B is pumping (sucking?) at almost the same rate at idle or WOT. I think, in my case, at idle the extra fuel just gets recirculated back into the tank. Not sure
Rich H. You can't always go by engine fuel consumption at WOT
My engines fuel consumption specs say its ~ 1 Gallon an hour (give or take) but in reality my pump and fuel filter is passing a lot more than that at all the times (2.. 3.. 4 times the consumption rate ?). The excess fuel is recirculated back into the fuel tank. Most diesels I know do the same thing so you need to account for that when it comes to relating to filter fuel flow. The good news is most of our Auxillary diesels literally sip fuel compared to most applications and any of these Racor spin on filters should be able to easily handle the fuel rates . For instance the 215 series should handle 15 gallons/hour before you see any perceptible drop across the filter. Even at max 15 gallons/hour the 215 should only have ~ 0.125 PSI which is only 0.253 inHg ! (PSI x 2.035 = inHg) So an unclogged filter, even at full flow rate is barely perceptible vacuum drop. On most our boats, when one changes a filter it should say "0" and it should stay at zero even at WOT. If it doesn't I would argue that you have an undersized filter for your application. IMHO
My engines fuel consumption specs say its ~ 1 Gallon an hour (give or take) but in reality my pump and fuel filter is passing a lot more than that at all the times (2.. 3.. 4 times the consumption rate ?). The excess fuel is recirculated back into the fuel tank. Most diesels I know do the same thing so you need to account for that when it comes to relating to filter fuel flow. The good news is most of our Auxillary diesels literally sip fuel compared to most applications and any of these Racor spin on filters should be able to easily handle the fuel rates . For instance the 215 series should handle 15 gallons/hour before you see any perceptible drop across the filter. Even at max 15 gallons/hour the 215 should only have ~ 0.125 PSI which is only 0.253 inHg ! (PSI x 2.035 = inHg) So an unclogged filter, even at full flow rate is barely perceptible vacuum drop. On most our boats, when one changes a filter it should say "0" and it should stay at zero even at WOT. If it doesn't I would argue that you have an undersized filter for your application. IMHO
Tom --- youre 'pushing it'
Fuel oil commonly has emulsified water in it, especially from 'marina storage' and 'mixing', etc.. Racor filters are made from resinated CELLULOSE fibers. Cellulose uptakes water on a molecular basis ... and then breaks down/digests - potentially/ultimately having the filter media - 'soften'. Couple the increasingly 'softening' filter media with vibratory 'pump noise' (instantaneous pressure surges causing flexure of the filter pleats) from the diaphragm pump ..... and at 8 years you probably have zero vacuum difference because the filter pleat pack has a large HOLE in it. What you will see when this 'softening and destruction of the filter pleat pack ... is that slowly over time you will note an increase of vacuum (your records), then as the pleat pack gets a hole that plot of vacuum will begin to decrease .... meaning that the filter is no longer intact, its bypassing particles or has a HOLE in the filter media. Change your Racors at least at 1-2 years. The cellulose thats used eventually 'digests' in the presence of water (emulsified water (that doesnt 'settle out' or 'free water' that you can 'see'). With pleats, you can only 'work'/flex them (surges from the diaphragm lift pump) for a short time (maybe one to tow years) .................. and then they fall apart.
Fuel oil commonly has emulsified water in it, especially from 'marina storage' and 'mixing', etc.. Racor filters are made from resinated CELLULOSE fibers. Cellulose uptakes water on a molecular basis ... and then breaks down/digests - potentially/ultimately having the filter media - 'soften'. Couple the increasingly 'softening' filter media with vibratory 'pump noise' (instantaneous pressure surges causing flexure of the filter pleats) from the diaphragm pump ..... and at 8 years you probably have zero vacuum difference because the filter pleat pack has a large HOLE in it. What you will see when this 'softening and destruction of the filter pleat pack ... is that slowly over time you will note an increase of vacuum (your records), then as the pleat pack gets a hole that plot of vacuum will begin to decrease .... meaning that the filter is no longer intact, its bypassing particles or has a HOLE in the filter media. Change your Racors at least at 1-2 years. The cellulose thats used eventually 'digests' in the presence of water (emulsified water (that doesnt 'settle out' or 'free water' that you can 'see'). With pleats, you can only 'work'/flex them (surges from the diaphragm lift pump) for a short time (maybe one to tow years) .................. and then they fall apart.
Good point .....
I have a Yanmar and those have very little 'return flow' back to the tank; other engines have a higher 'return' flow. BUT ... "On most our boats, when one changes a filter it should say "0" and it should stay at zero even at WOT. If it doesn't I would argue that you have an undersized filter for your application. IMHO .... " Partly correct. A clean/new filter is so greatly oversized that the differential pressure across it at 0.5 or 1 gph is 'trivial' to a pressure gage; but, when the filter becomes laden with debris (most Racor spin-on filters can only retain about 50 grams of 'crud') and the differential pressure (by correlation --- see RACOR operating flow vs. ∆P on their website .... sometimes its there, sometimes not ) is more than the corresponding flow rate of the filter When the ∆P on that curve is greater than the combined engine fuel flow rate of the engine .... then the engine stalls.
I have a Yanmar and those have very little 'return flow' back to the tank; other engines have a higher 'return' flow. BUT ... "On most our boats, when one changes a filter it should say "0" and it should stay at zero even at WOT. If it doesn't I would argue that you have an undersized filter for your application. IMHO .... " Partly correct. A clean/new filter is so greatly oversized that the differential pressure across it at 0.5 or 1 gph is 'trivial' to a pressure gage; but, when the filter becomes laden with debris (most Racor spin-on filters can only retain about 50 grams of 'crud') and the differential pressure (by correlation --- see RACOR operating flow vs. ∆P on their website .... sometimes its there, sometimes not ) is more than the corresponding flow rate of the filter When the ∆P on that curve is greater than the combined engine fuel flow rate of the engine .... then the engine stalls.
Yeah I know I was pushing it at 8 years
I did read what you wrote earlier this sping about the cellouse fibers breaking down and I don't recommend to others waiting as long as I did, I was just relating my personal experience. Last year it started creeping up had 2-3 inHg. If it would have dropped to 0 inHg I would have been concerned that it would have "blown through" as you suggested. So I think the maybe I got away with one this time I have the filter right in front of me and I plan on cutting it in half and seeing if I can see anything happening with the filter or the pleats as you suggested. I'll let you know what I find FYI for anyone here is the Racor Catalog with Specs http://www.a-filter.se/files/racor_products.pdf Page 79 has the specs on the more commonly used Filters we have on our sailboats. The Spin On Series 200
I did read what you wrote earlier this sping about the cellouse fibers breaking down and I don't recommend to others waiting as long as I did, I was just relating my personal experience. Last year it started creeping up had 2-3 inHg. If it would have dropped to 0 inHg I would have been concerned that it would have "blown through" as you suggested. So I think the maybe I got away with one this time I have the filter right in front of me and I plan on cutting it in half and seeing if I can see anything happening with the filter or the pleats as you suggested. I'll let you know what I find FYI for anyone here is the Racor Catalog with Specs http://www.a-filter.se/files/racor_products.pdf Page 79 has the specs on the more commonly used Filters we have on our sailboats. The Spin On Series 200
I Don't Know Where To Buy The Guage
Thanks for all the responses. One more quetion though. Can someone recommend a guage. Can I go to any automotive store and buy one? Is there a particular brand someone could suggest? I appreciate any suggestions or comments. Thanks again, Joe Mullee
Thanks for all the responses. One more quetion though. Can someone recommend a guage. Can I go to any automotive store and buy one? Is there a particular brand someone could suggest? I appreciate any suggestions or comments. Thanks again, Joe Mullee
Might as well buy the Racor (aka Parker) vacuum gauge
I think I just ordered it online like from Defender or something . - I am pretty sure West Marine has them too I think the Racor PN was Mfr# RK11-1676 -- then all you need is a 1/4" NPT "L" connector http://www.maesco.com/products/racor/r_access_fit/r_vac_gauge/r_vac_gauge.html or http://www.marineparts.com/mpf/mpf403.aspx I ordered the one from Racor (aka Parker) > I might have found a cheaper generic alternative but didn't want to play around looking Here is one for $75 http://www.go2marine.com/category.do?no=12063&mfrno=316 Here is one for $63 http://www.nationalfleetparts.com/RK-11-1676-Parker-Racor-REPL-KIT-VACUUM-GAUGE.asp
I think I just ordered it online like from Defender or something . - I am pretty sure West Marine has them too I think the Racor PN was Mfr# RK11-1676 -- then all you need is a 1/4" NPT "L" connector http://www.maesco.com/products/racor/r_access_fit/r_vac_gauge/r_vac_gauge.html or http://www.marineparts.com/mpf/mpf403.aspx I ordered the one from Racor (aka Parker) > I might have found a cheaper generic alternative but didn't want to play around looking Here is one for $75 http://www.go2marine.com/category.do?no=12063&mfrno=316 Here is one for $63 http://www.nationalfleetparts.com/RK-11-1676-Parker-Racor-REPL-KIT-VACUUM-GAUGE.asp
Thanks
CapnDave, Maine Sail, Tom, and Rich. Appreciate the help and discussion. I've been wanting to do this ever since I developed a fuel problem last year. This will finish the "fix". Joe Mullee
CapnDave, Maine Sail, Tom, and Rich. Appreciate the help and discussion. I've been wanting to do this ever since I developed a fuel problem last year. This will finish the "fix". Joe Mullee
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