Yanmar filter micron size?

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Jul 12, 2006
85
- - nc
I have an 2003 Hunter 356 with a Yanmar 3gm30f-yeu. Can anyone find what the secondary fuel filter (the one on the engine) micron rating is? I can only come up with 10 to 15 and only found that once. It seems a bit large, I was thinking it was a 2 or 3 micron. I am changing my filters and --assumed-- the best set up was a 10 micron for the primary(a racor 230R) and a 2 micron for the secondary. I cannot find a choice of micron sizes for the secondary and if it is 10-15 then I think the primary should be a 30 as Racor does not offer anything between 10 and 30. Thanks-
 
Sep 25, 2008
7,341
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
The Yanmar secondary is 2 micron filter. Conventional wisdom says the primary Racor should be 30 although there is a 20 micron size if you prefer.
 
Jan 2, 2005
779
Hunter 35.5 Legend Lake Travis-Austin,TX
At the Mack Boring "Hands on Diesel Maintenance Seminar" I took back in '07, Larry Berlin who has taught the course for 40 years now said 30 for primary and 10 for secondary. We were working on 3GM30, and 2 different 4JH3s, one turbo the other not. These are factory specs. from the largest Yanmar distributor in the US.
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,471
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
I took that seminar and echo that. He was negative re the 2 micron but I don't remember his reasoning.
 

druid

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Apr 22, 2009
837
Ontario 32 Pender Harbour
I think the "issue" with the 2 micron is that it clogs too easily, and stuff that will damage an injector will still be caught by 10 microns. I used to go 10 and 2, now I go 30 and 10.

druid
 
Jan 22, 2008
1,483
Hunter 37 C sloop Punta Gorda FL
I have used 2's in my Racor primary for 20 + years. Wirh a vacum gauge, there are no surprises. Buy filters by the case thru my local Ace hardware. Not Gonna do any different. Deisels only need three things to run forever. Clean Fuel, clean air and fresh lube oil. Perkins 4-154 in my O/I 41 had 7,000 hours on it when I sold it. Purred like a sewing machine.
 
May 11, 2005
3,431
Seidelman S37 Slidell, La.
Yanmar Filter

The Yanmar filter, mounted on the engine is a 2 micron. I have never had one get plugged up, but I use a 30 and a 10 micron in front of it. I purchase the Yanmar filter from a local distributor, and as far as I know, it is only available in a 2 micron. I have never been given a choice when ordering. Others are correct though, if you don't have a good system in front of it, will be plugged up pretty fast.
 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
Ditto to Honeyman and Shemandr and the instructor I had all say the same thing. His further input was unless you have an electric fuel pump, you should not use a 2. Reasoning was the 2 puts strain on the engine's fuel pump. Those that have an unglogged 2, it's safe to say the 10 is catching everything; and as Druid points out, anything less than 10 is not an injector-clogging size anyway.

I can't help but wonder in a 30/10 setup, does the 30 EVER get clogged?
 
Mar 2, 2008
406
Cal 25 mk II T-Bird Marina, West Vancouver
My YSM-12 secondary filter (mounted on the engine) uses Yanmar filter element #104500-55710. The Yanmar manual calls it a 3-micron filter. I use a 10-micron Racor #R15T with a vacuum indicator for my primary filter. I don't think there are any choices for the Yanmar secondary filter element.
 
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Nov 6, 2006
10,049
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
Interesting.. My official Yanmar shop manual (from 1985) gives that filter mesh for the 104500-55710 as 10-15 micron. I know that NAPA sells a "will fit" (#3262) that is listed at 19 micron.. I think I'd stay with a real Yanmar part for that one.. (I think the NAPA one is almost twice the price of a Yanmar element)
 
Oct 14, 2005
2,191
1983 Hunter H34 North East, MD
Mike...

see my reply on the "Hunter Owners" forum. Apparently most people replied to this posting, a problem when you post the same inquiry on two or more forums.
 

Shell

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Sep 26, 2007
138
Catalina 30 standard JC/NYC
I don't think the Yanmar filter is a 2. Almost positive they at 10.
 
Feb 6, 1998
11,701
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
I think there is confusion, because, well, there is.........confusion..:confused:

This is the Torresen description today:

Category:

Manufacturer: Yanmar
Part Number: 104500-55710

Description:
FUEL FILTER / ELEMENT FOR MOST GM AND HM SERIES ENGINES AS WELL AS SOME QM ENGINES SEE DESCRIPTION FOR DETAILS
104500-55710 ~ According to the Yanmar service manual, this filter is rated as a 10~15 micron fuel filter. Use this genuine Yanmar fuel filter for 1GM, 1GM10, 2GM, 2GM20, 2GM20F, 2QM15, 3GM, 3GM30, 3GMF, 3GM30F, 2QM20, 3QM30, 3HM, 3HMF, 3HM35, 3HM35F, SB8, SB12, YSB8, YSB12


This was the Torresen description from 5/5/2009

Manufacturer: Yanmar
Part Number: 104500-55710

Description:
FUEL FILTER / ELEMENT FOR MOST GM AND HM SERIES ENGINES AS WELL AS SOME QM ENGINES SEE DESCRIPTION FOR DETAILS104500-55710 3 Micron Fuel filter. Use this genuine Yanmar fuel filter for 1GM, 1GM10, 2GM, 2GM20, 2GM20F, 2QM15, 3GM, 3GM30, 3GMF, 3GM30F, 2QM20, 3QM30, 3HM, 3HMF, 3HM35, 3HM35F, SB8, SB12, YSB8, YSB12


Westerbeke uses a similar secondary filter and it too is rated as a 15 micron and used to be a 3 micron. Perhaps the manufacturer of the original filters stopped making them in 3 micron or they were all misprints and were 10-15 mic rated all along..



 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
My service manual for 3YM20,30, 2ym15 calls for a 10 or 15 for the engine filter.
 
Mar 2, 2008
406
Cal 25 mk II T-Bird Marina, West Vancouver
I think Maine Sail has found the source of the confusion. Yanmar only offers one element for each style of fuel filter.
 
Mar 8, 2009
530
Catalina 22 Kemah,Texas
how much vacuum indicates a clogged filter?
are there variables?
distance from tank?
height of lift?
size of supply line?
I realize my diesel pickup is not a boat but I would like the knowledge of oa problem before it happens in my truck also.
and where in the system do you mount connect the guage in order to get the best reading? between the filter(s) before the pump on the suction side?
 

zeehag

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Mar 26, 2009
3,198
1976 formosa 41 yankee clipper santa barbara. ca.(not there)
my engine filter is 2 micron as are many others--they come from yanmar---i get my 30 and 20/15 micron ones from other sources for the racor bodies......but the engine one is a 2 micron from my yanmar distributor in shelter island, san diego.........
 
Jan 22, 2008
1,483
Hunter 37 C sloop Punta Gorda FL
how much vacuum indicates a clogged filter?
are there variables?
distance from tank?
height of lift?
size of supply line?
I realize my diesel pickup is not a boat but I would like the knowledge of oa problem before it happens in my truck also.
and where in the system do you mount connect the guage in order to get the best reading? between the filter(s) before the pump on the suction side?
Racor makes a gauge that replaces the "T" handle on the lid of 500fg's. (That would be after the filter.) I look often enuff to remember where the needle is at cruising rpm. Usualy just a couple of marks off 0. I change filters when the needle moves up. The Racor gauge has a red zone, but I don't let the vacum get that hi.
In a truck, you would have to check at idle speed. Might not have much vacum to start with , but you could still see increased vacum as the filter begins to clog.
 
Feb 6, 1998
11,701
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
my engine filter is 2 micron as are many others--they come from yanmar---i get my 30 and 20/15 micron ones from other sources for the racor bodies......but the engine one is a 2 micron from my yanmar distributor in shelter island, san diego.........
This is a correspondence I had directly with Yanmar's largest distributor in the US. It should put to bed the question of currently available on engine filtration ratings.




Mack Boring said:
Torresen was correct when they told you the Yanmar 104500-55710 fuel
filter has a micron rating of no less than 10 micron and no greater than
15 micron.


Attached is a page from a Yanmar parts catalog showing the 104500-55710
"fuel element". The second page is from a Yanmar service manual showing
the fuel filter and the micron rating of the "filter mesh" at 10-15
micron.

We hope this information will be helpful to you.

Regards,

Bob
Service and Parts Coordinator
Mack Boring & Parts Company

The filter element above is a 10-15 micron rated not a 2 or 3, Westerbeke's on engine filters are the same range of filtration...
 

RichH

.
Feb 14, 2005
4,773
Tayana 37 cutter; I20/M20 SCOWS Worton Creek, MD
At the Mack Boring "Hands on Diesel Maintenance Seminar" I took back in '07, Larry Berlin who has taught the course for 40 years now said 30 for primary and 10 for secondary. We were working on 3GM30, and 2 different 4JH3s, one turbo the other not. These are factory specs. from the largest Yanmar distributor in the US.
Good info. However these are NOMINAL ratings so if you use brand-X the NOMINAL µM may be entirely different - the NOMINAL µM rating is entirely 'arbitrary' by the actual manufacturer and bears NO reltionship of the ACTUAL (µM @ 100% efficiency removal ) retention rating.
One must remember that those ratings are ARBITYRARY and represent a GENERAL recommendation - your tankage may particulate at much different µM needs.

The SPEC engine guard filter (the small one that is OEM supplied and is mounted on the engine is ~17µM @97% wt. efficiency retention .... the 'universal' rule-of-thumb' being the MOST DAMAGING p0article in a diesel engines fuel supply is 20µM (abs., 100%). 30µM ----->10µM----->17µM (engine guard) is proper for most Yanmars. Id avoid most info from YANMAR ***distributors*** ... as they have an economic interest in selling filters (filters that carry an EXTREME markup; yet, are made (private branded) by actual filter manufacturers.

Ive been deeply involved in 'filtration engineering' for over 40 years. Its very difficult for the 'layman' to correctly follow 'filter speak' due to the industry 'jargon' .... where because of the NOMINAL ratings applied by the manufacturers a 3µM nominal rating may be actually 20-25µM rating on an ABSOLUTE or 100% removal basis.
 
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