Replace spin on Racor...

Jan 12, 2016
268
Hunter 410 Ladysmith, BC
My H410 has a Racor R25T which spins on from below. Changing the filter on this is a a pain but doable on the dock, but I could see it being a real nuisance in a rough seaway as you need to drain, use a strap tool to remove, and refill it each time you change the filter.

Were most big Hunter's equipped with this type of filter? I'm surprised that on an offshore boat they wouldn't make having the fuel filter swap simpler by fitting one of the Racor models where the filter gets removed from the top like a 500 series. I'm thinking I will be swapping this out soon as I hate the idea of not being able to change filters quickly in a seaway without making a mess in the aft cabin.
 
Aug 17, 2010
208
Hunter 410 Dover NH
Mine has a 500FG I think the PO installed it though. Not sure they came with a primary filter at all. I added a vacuum gauge and fuel shut off last year after resolving a clog at the inlet of the filter.
upload_2017-6-8_13-47-12.png
 
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Jan 12, 2016
268
Hunter 410 Ladysmith, BC
That looks awesome!

How tight a fit is it? Do you have a pic zoomed out a little further back so I can see the entire engine as well as the filter? I'm thinking I want to copy that set up exactly the same. My only concern was mounting clearance as it looks tight back there.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Luker. You want to fit it in where ever it is possible. This could mean moving your fuel lines. The gauge is a value added tool. Will indicate when the filter needs replacing. It goes on the engine side of the filter.
The image looks like a clean install.
You can make a filter change away from the dock. Calm water means less mess. Heavy seas would make me think twice as the top of the unit comes off to change to filter. Then you add diesel to top off / displace the air in the new filter with fuel. Bouncing about I could see spillage, but possible if you can't wait. 10 minute change no priming / bleeding in a calm at sea change.
 
May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
Lurker: I've seen him replace and bleed the filter on his 500 series racor in under 10 minutes! In the middle of Juan de Fuca Straight. Only John was on the boat.

Les
 
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Jan 12, 2016
268
Hunter 410 Ladysmith, BC
Luker. You want to fit it in where ever it is possible. This could mean moving your fuel lines. The gauge is a value added tool. Will indicate when the filter needs replacing. It goes on the engine side of the filter.
The image looks like a clean install.
You can make a filter change away from the dock. Calm water means less mess. Heavy seas would make me think twice as the top of the unit comes off to change to filter. Then you add diesel to top off / displace the air in the new filter with fuel. Bouncing about I could see spillage, but possible if you can't wait. 10 minute change no priming / bleeding in a calm at sea change.

I agree, I had this set up on my old boat. Just hoping to see an image of the entire engine from the aft to see how he plumbed it as it's a tight fit and it could save me a few hours of mucking about to end up plumbing it in the same spot.
 
Jan 12, 2016
268
Hunter 410 Ladysmith, BC
Lurker: I've seen him replace and bleed the filter on his 500 series racor in under 10 minutes! In the middle of Juan de Fuca Straight. Only John was on the boat.

Les
Excellent! I had the same set up in our old boat and could change it in about the same time in a rough waterway. I was kind of shocked to see what a PITA the spin on racors are to switch out compared to the top access model. Maintenance that is unnecessarily difficult tends to be ignored, which is why I was curious to see if others had switched this out, or if my boat was an odd ball having this type of racor installed.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Lurker, No your not an odd ball. It is less expensive to install the spinoff filter. It is a reminder of the car filters everyone has experienced. Only issue is that the fuel filter on our engines can be a source of air. Air in the fuel line is a major problem. I do not think all folks think about that when they are buying or building such systems.
A very good reason to be a part of this forum. We who have walked the walk can share our ideas. It is up to each owner to decide for himself what he/she wants on the boat.
I am reminded that:
"There is only one thing more painful than learning from experience and that is not learning from experience.
Archibald MacLeish"​
and learning from others can be painless....
 
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May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
I guess I'm the odd one out a bit here. I'm switching from a DHAL filter to spinn ons. I don't have vertical space for the 500 series. The Dahl has all the bad things of the spinous but uses a band clamp instead of the screw on. On the plus side I'll install two of them and the valves to switch between them or have one polishing the fuel while the other feeds the engine. I can wait till I get to a stable location to change the filter.
 
Aug 17, 2010
208
Hunter 410 Dover NH
I can take a couple pics this weekend. There is enough room I did move the coolant overflow bottle after this picture was taken.
 
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Dan_Y

.
Oct 13, 2008
514
Hunter 36 Hampton
Scottdube, can you say more about the clog on the inlet? Could you figure out what clogged it? I pulled the wema fuel sender in our h36 and with 1/2 tank in our 36 gal tank was able to see clean walls but gunk on the bottom. I made a cheap fuel polisher with a racor 500 fg and ended up extracting a full bowl of water and only a tiny bit of sludge. What looked like gunk on the bottom was water. The filter in the polisher wasn't loaded at all. I think it was the first tank cleaning since '08. Hopefully this isn't a thread highjack...doh.
 
Aug 17, 2010
208
Hunter 410 Dover NH
Scottdube, can you say more about the clog on the inlet? Could you figure out what clogged it? I pulled the wema fuel sender in our h36 and with 1/2 tank in our 36 gal tank was able to see clean walls but gunk on the bottom. I made a cheap fuel polisher with a racor 500 fg and ended up extracting a full bowl of water and only a tiny bit of sludge. What looked like gunk on the bottom was water. The filter in the polisher wasn't loaded at all. I think it was the first tank cleaning since '08. Hopefully this isn't a thread highjack...doh.
It was clogged with what I believe was construction debris from when the fittings were put into the tanks. So when they cut or drilled the holes they didn't recover all of the plastic shavings that result. Over the years a number of them made it to the elbow at the racor, that along with a little bit of sludge began to block the the fuel flow at medium t higher rpm.
This picture shows some of the material that was plugging the elbow.

upload_2017-6-29_20-30-38.png
 
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