Filter Boss Fuel Filter System

[Ian Macrae]

Have any of you P40 guys installed the Filter Boss? Bashing up Baja
to San Diego a couple of years ago on a friends boat I was pretty
impressed with how easy it was to change filters with the engine
running, and with the fuel pressure alarm warning you that the filter
was clogging.

I'm trying to figure out where it would go. The best place would be
where the current filter system is, in the little compartment aft and
starboard of the engine. I'm wondering if it would fit in there....

Or, alternatively, have any of you home built a similar system, so you
can change filters while the engine is running?

Thanks. Ian

[P. Sherwood]

I don´t know the Filter Boss product but have
seen quite a few Racor 500FG dual filter
installations, which Racor and others sell as a r

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[P. Sherwood]

Sorry about the last msg -- I spazzed out on the
keyboard and sent the msg prematurely.

I don´t know the Filter Boss product -- seems
like a bit of a Black Box, from its Web page
image -- but have seen quite a few Racor 500FG

dual filter installations, which Racor and others

sell as a turnkey product. This also lets you
mostly stay ahead of the dirty-filter problem,
switch filters while the engine is running,
replace filters without going into a cold sweat (see below), etc.

You can also assemble and install it yourself
pretty easily, an advantage if you have to
custom-fit it somewhere, already have one Racor
500FG in place, etc. Check E-Bay, even Amazon,
for pricing much lower than the usual retail. You
could probably add in an audible alarm if that
was an important feature for you.

You can probably find a schematic for how to
plumb the dual-filter setup somewhere on the Web.
If not and if time is not an issue, let me know
and I´ll send you the drawings I have the next
time I´m back on my boat, where my main laptop
is. I had the good luck of finding a second
filter at a marine swap meet in Mexico or
somewhere for little more than pocket change and
when am next in a place where I can get good
valves, clamps, etc., plan to install it.

I think it will fit, along with the first filter,
in the place you mention -- in the small cabinet
at the starboard end of the galley counter, more
or less across the passageway from the chart
table. I moved the first filter there from its
previous, impossible-to-reach location in the
engine compartment (what could the people who put
it there possibly have been thinking?) and it´s
worked out very well in terms of being able to
change filters quite quickly and with very little
mess (but now I have to store the liquor somewhere else ;-)

If you do install dual Racors, spend a few extra
bucks and put pressure gauges at the top of each
filter. Then you will be able to keep tabs on the
system and avoid embarrassing situations like the
time my (single) filter clogged just as I was
trying to get past Race Rock outside Victoria in
rough conditions, requiring that I get very busy very quickly.

HTH. Cheers,

Phil
s/v Cynosure
Bahia de Caraquez

At 11:01 PM 4/9/2010, Ian Macrae wrote:

[Gary Wilson]

I'm in the research phase of this same project, after suffering a clogged filter on our cruise last summer.  My clog wasn't so much from bashing, but draining one of the fuel tanks dry and picking up some rusty sediment.

 

I have two Racor 500's to work with, but the local Yanmar dealer suggested I just go with a Filter Boss or turnkey Racor system, because it will be easier, and they are a more compact unit.  I like the easier part, and compact is good, but they are expensive and I already have the filters, so I would rather put something together myself.

 

The turnkey systems have a manifold valve that allows either, both or all off.  I think it would be nice to have the "both" but I understand they put the two filters together in parallel, rather than series.  I can't see a benefit in having two filters in parallel, unless you need less restriction and a higher rate of flow.  From reading the discussion boards, there is a controversy about which is better......two filters in series (10m and 2m), or the ability to switch from one to the other while the engine is running.  I haven't sorted this out in my mind yet, so I want to plumb them together so I can choose either configuration.

 

I haven't found a good schmatic yet on the web.  I thought I would put a full scale mockup together on the kitchen counter with cardboard cutouts to make sure it all fits.  I haven't found a source for an "either-or-both-off" valve, but I found a good source for Racor fittings http://fittingsforracor.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=43&cat=500FG  I understand the threads should be sealed with something like Permatex High Temperature Thread Sealant (not Teflon tape).

 

I like Phil's point about the vacuum gauges.  The alarm would be nice too.

 

Gary Wilson

P42 Sidetrack

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: P. Sherwood [mailto:p...@witanco.com]
Sent: Saturday, April 10, 2010 06:46 AM
To: 'Ian Macrae', 'Passport Owners'
Subject: Re: [Passport] Filter Boss Fuel Filter System

Sorry about the last msg -- I spazzed out on the keyboard and sent the msg prematurely. I don´t know the Filter Boss product -- seems like a bit of a Black Box, from its Web page image -- but have seen quite a few Racor 500FG dual filter installations, which Racor and others sell as a turnkey product. This also lets you mostly stay ahead of the dirty-filter problem, switch filters while the engine is running, replace filters without going into a cold sweat (see below), etc. You can also assemble and install it yourself pretty easily, an advantage if you have to custom-fit it somewhere, already have one Racor 500FG in place, etc. Check E-Bay, even Amazon, for pricing much lower than the usual retail. You could probably add in an audible alarm if that was an important feature for you. You can probably find a schematic for how to plumb the dual-filter setup somewhere on the Web. If not and if time is not an issue, let me know and I´ll send you the drawings I have the next time I´m back on my boat, where my main laptop is. I had the good luck of finding a second filter at a marine swap meet in Mexico or somewhere for little more than pocket change and when am next in a place where I can get good valves, clamps, etc., plan to install it. I think it will fit, along with the first filter, in the place you mention -- in the small cabinet at the starboard end of the galley counter, more or less across the passageway from the chart table. I moved the first filter there from its previous, impossible-to-reach location in the engine compartment (what could the people who put it there possibly have been thinking?) and it´s worked out very well in terms of being able to change filters quite quickly and with very little mess (but now I have to store the liquor somewhere else ;-) If you do install dual Racors, spend a few extra bucks and put pressure gauges at the top of each filter. Then you will be able to keep tabs on the system and avoid embarrassing situations like the time my (single) filter clogged just as I was trying to get past Race Rock outside Victoria in rough conditions, requiring that I get very busy very quickly. HTH. Cheers, Phil s/v Cynosure Bahia de Caraquez At 11:01 PM 4/9/2010, Ian Macrae wrote: >Have any of you P40 guys installed the Filter Boss? Bashing up Baja >to San Diego a couple of years ago on a friends boat I was pretty >impressed with how easy it was to change filters with the engine >running, and with the fuel pressure alarm warning you that the filter >was clogging. > >I'm trying to figure out where it would go. The best place would be >where the current filter system is, in the little compartment aft and >starboard of the engine. I'm wondering if it would fit in there.... > >Or, alternatively, have any of you home built a similar system, so you >can change filters while the engine is running? > >Thanks. Ian -- Passport Owners Association http://passportyachts.org To post to the group, use "reply all" or send email to Passpor...@googlegroups.com To reply to just the author, just use "reply: For more options, go to http://groups.google.com/group/PassportOwners?hl=en To unsubscribe, reply using "remove me" as the subject.

[Ian Macrae]

Running north up Baja we went through maybe 15 filters. It took about
five seconds to switch filters with the engine running, and just a
couple of minutes to swap out the contaminated filter. There never was
a time when it would have been dangerous to have had the engine fail,
as we had, ahem, sails and were just dealing with standard noserlies
and no rocks nearby. But, imagining what it would have been like to
have to had to shut down the engine 15 times and mess around changing
filters, being able to switch on the fly seems pretty cool. Thinking
about getting a clogged filter when you are dealing with tidal
currents and rocks and no wind, switching filters on the fly seems
like a potential lifesaver.

The controversy about two in series versus switching is easy to
resolve. You want the two in series when everything is working fine
and to be able to switch when all the crap in the fuel tank is
clogging your filters! My boat, Freyja, has two Racor filters in
series. Phil, you mentioned you can change out the dual Racor 500 FGs
with the engine running. I'm not at my boat so can't look, but don't
remember the necessary valves and plumbing being there. I think I
have to shut the main fuel line off to change filters. Am I missing
something, or is there some bit of kit that Racor sells that allows
changing on the fly? Seems like with some more valves and flexible
fuel line material it could be done without too much trouble.

Ian

[Ian Macrae]

Gary, that little black box Filter Boss thing might just plumb right
up, haven't found the Racor turn key system yet. Will keep
browsing.

Ian

[P. Sherwood]

I didn´t follow the explanation of series vs.
parallel and might be missing something crucial
here ... seems to me two in series would give you
some additional filtering (assuming you step down
from a 30-micron to a 10), but that´s what you
essentially get with the Racor stuff, whether a
single or dual arrangement, as the primary filter
and a secondary filter, which in my case bolts onto the engine block.

Again, I might be unclear on some important
concept, but you need the in-parallel setup to
switch filters while the engine is running. Yeah,
there are various valves involved, but if you
have two filters in parallel, you open the valve
to the unclogged one, close the valve to the
clogged one, and Bob´s your uncle.

The controversy I´ve encountered is that of which
filter to use as a primary and which as a
secondary. People seem to get as adamant about
that as about their anchors and when and how to
fly courtesy flags. The best info I could come up
with after all the shouting had died down in a
discussion on another list a while ago was that a
30-micron primary (in the Racor) and a 10-micron
secondary (Fram, Napa, or a zillion other
equivalents) were fine. I don´t know what other
engine mfrs say, but Perkins thinks a 10-micron
secondary is fine for the 4.108. Larry Stewart,
of Stewart Marine in Seattle, insists that
running 2-micron filters in a Perkins fuel system
is bad because it restricts the fuel flow too
much. It doesn´t make much sense to have a
2-micron primary and a 10-micron secondary
anyway. Larry might not be the most diplomatic
guy in the world, but he has an awful lot of
experience with Perkins engines that I´m in no position to contradict.

Anyway, the ready-made dual 500 setup is called
the 75500FGX -- it´s a little hard to find on the
Parker Hannifin page. You have to look under
Mobile, not Marine, Fuel Filtration. You can
also see it at
http://www.allpointsmarineco.com/category/251/2/
or get a little more info at
http://www.shipstore.com/SS/HTML/RAC/RAC75500FGX2.html
. The store-bought unit uses just a single valve,
which is nice and clean. My setup, when I get
around to putting it in, will undoubtedly be much
more Rube Goldberg-ish. But as I say, I already
have some of the needed parts and want to get
everything into that small cabinet and so have to
put things and run tubing where it´ll all fit.

You may already have seen this, but here´s a bit
of a discussion and a picture of a home-made
setup: http://morgan38.org/discus/messages/1/15744.html?1148478980

I can´t readily find a plumbing schematic on
line, dang it, but will retrieve what I have when I´m next at my boat.

Phil

[Larry Rovin]

Racor makes a system that is basically two 500s mounted together with a simple switching valve that directs flow to one filter or the other. Changing on the fly is a breeze. Not to difficult to figure out how to plumb two 500s to do the same thing, just not as compact.

[William Ennis]

This is the device, I think. Racor on-the-fly switching of filters.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/66156/377%20710/0/dual%20racor%20diesel%20filter/Primary%20Search/mode%20matchallpartial/20/0?N=377%20710&Ne=0&Ntt=dual%20racor%20diesel%20filter&Ntk=Primary%20Search&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial&Nao=20&Ns=0&keyword=dual%20racor%20diesel%20filter&isLTokenURL=true&storeNum=6&subdeptNum=68&classNum=219

It's an ugly URL.

We've considered installing a pair for our old Nanni for the reasons that have been mentioned. We have had clogged filters and no wind as we entered a non-home harbor and it was not fun. It wasn't just damaging our boat, but damaging other people's boats that was the greater worry. No one has these?

Bill

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It doesn't matter how stupid you are as long as you're lucky.
Romanian Proverb

[William Ennis]

We cruised in the Caribbean with a couple who owned a Hylas 49. They ran their engine on only one tank and filled the other from off-boat sources. To fill the engine tank, they'd run a small fuel pump to transfer the fuel, and that fuel would go through a set of double filters. I guess it was a rudimentary fuel polishing system on-board. He said that the Caribbean fuel was usually contaminated, at least where he cruised.

The Racor that Larry mentioned lists for $1000, so it's not cheap. Filter Boss without plumbing or filters is also $1000.

I'd love to have someone try one.

B.

"He who behaves like a beast escapes the pain of being a man." Dr. Johnson

[Bill Schmidt]

Maybe I'm missing something here. I was under the impression that the final
filter in the system on all these diesel systems is on the diesel itself
(certainly true for the Nanni and the Yanmar) That last filter is usually 2
micron. The Racor has been used as a "coarse" prefilter, usually 10 micron.
The parallel Racors put in by special order when the boats were
built/commissioned were switchable so you could change filters under way.
Needing to switch 15 filters coming up the Baja bespeaks a lack of fuel tank
hygiene! Tanks need to be cleaned some time in their existence. Billy Manana

[Gary Wilson]

The photo from the Morgan site is just what I was looking for....thanks Phil.  The issue on parallel vs. series comes from some information I saw on the boatdiesel.com website.  One camp says having the ability to switch over from a clogged filter to a clean one is the way to go.  The other camp says having two filters in series, with the sizes stepping down, works more efficiently.  The term "layering" was used.  The first filter in line gets the big stuff and the second gets the small stuff.  With one small-mesh filter, if a large piece of gunk covers many small holes, then they are not available anymore to catch the small pieces of gunk.

 

But, as Ian says, that is all fine and good when everything is working fine.  The more I think about this, the more I think I will want to be able to switch to either filter, rather than have them in series.  However, I am still confused (and perhaps misinformed) about the valve setup on the Filter Boss.  I can see a need for a three-way valve that directs fuel to one filter or the other, but can't see the need to direct the fuel to both filters at the same time (my term for "parallel").

 

My Yanmar specifies a 2 micron secondary filter (mounted on the engine).  The Yanmar dealer here says to use a 2 micron primary in the Racor as well.  His philosophy is that the secondary filter is the last line of defense (like a safety), and protects the injector pump from particles larger than 2 microns, so he wants to basically remove all particles before they can get to it.  There is an abundance of caution in his theory as the secondary filter will only trap particles if something upstream breaks down.

 

Gary Wilson

P42 Sidetrack

-----Original Message-----
From: P. Sherwood [mailto:p...@witanco.com]

Sent: Saturday, April 10, 2010 10:29 AM
To: 'Passport Owners'
Subject: Re: [Passport] Re: Filter Boss Fuel Filter System

I didn´t follow the explanation of series vs. parallel and might be missing something crucial here ... seems to me two in series would give you some additional filtering (assuming you step down from a 30-micron to a 10), but that´s what you essentially get with the Racor stuff, whether a single or dual arrangement, as the primary filter and a secondary filter, which in my case bolts onto the engine block. Again, I might be unclear on some important concept, but you need the in-parallel setup to switch filters while the engine is running. Yeah, there are various valves involved, but if you have two filters in parallel, you open the valve to the unclogged one, close the valve to the clogged one, and Bob´s your uncle. The controversy I´ve encountered is that of which filter to use as a primary and which as a secondary. People seem to get as adamant about that as about their anchors and when and how to fly courtesy flags. The best info I could come up with after all the shouting had died down in a discussion on another list a while ago was that a 30-micron primary (in the Racor) and a 10-micron secondary (Fram, Napa, or a zillion other equivalents) were fine. I don´t know what other engine mfrs say, but Perkins thinks a 10-micron secondary is fine for the 4.108. Larry Stewart, of Stewart Marine in Seattle, insists that running 2-micron filters in a Perkins fuel system is bad because it restricts the fuel flow too much. It doesn´t make much sense to have a 2-micron primary and a 10-micron secondary anyway. Larry might not be the most diplomatic guy in the world, but he has an awful lot of experience with Perkins engines that I´m in no position to contradict. Anyway, the ready-made dual 500 setup is called the 75500FGX -- it´s a little hard to find on the Parker Hannifin page. You have to look under Mobile, not Marine, Fuel Filtration. You can also see it at http://www.allpointsmarineco.com/category/251/2/ or get a little more info at http://www.shipstore.com/SS/HTML/RAC/RAC75500FGX2.html . The store-bought unit uses just a single valve, which is nice and clean. My setup, when I get around to putting it in, will undoubtedly be much more Rube Goldberg-ish. But as I say, I already have some of the needed parts and want to get everything into that small cabinet and so have to put things and run tubing where it´ll all fit. You may already have seen this, but here´s a bit of a discussion and a picture of a home-made setup: http://morgan38.org/discus/messages/1/15744.html?1148478980 I can´t readily find a plumbing schematic on line, dang it, but will retrieve what I have when I´m next at my boat. Phil At 11:33 AM 4/10/2010, Ian Macrae wrote: >Running north up Baja we went through maybe 15 filters. It took about >five seconds to switch filters with the engine running, and just a >couple of minutes to swap out the contaminated filter. There never was >a time when it would have been dangerous to have had the engine fail, >as we had, ahem, sails and were just dealing with standard noserlies >and no rocks nearby. But, imagining what it would have been like to >have to had to shut down the engine 15 times and mess around changing >filters, being able to switch on the fly seems pretty cool. Thinking >about getting a clogged filter when you are dealing with tidal >currents and rocks and no wind, switching filters on the fly seems >like a potential lifesaver. > >The controversy about two in series versus switching is easy to >resolve. You want the two in series when everything is working fine >and to be able to switch when all the crap in the fuel tank is >clogging your filters! My boat, Freyja, has two Racor filters in >series. Phil, you mentioned you can change out the dual Racor 500 FGs >with the engine running. I'm not at my boat so can't look, but don't >remember the necessary valves and plumbing being there. I think I >have to shut the main fuel line off to change filters. Am I missing >something, or is there some bit of kit that Racor sells that allows >changing on the fly? Seems like with some more valves and flexible >fuel line material it could be done without too much trouble. > > >Ian -- Passport Owners Association http://passportyachts.org To post to the group, use "reply all" or send email to Passpor...@googlegroups.com To reply to just the author, just use "reply: For more options, go to http://groups.google.com/group/PassportOwners?hl=en To unsubscribe, reply using "remove me" as the subject.

[ChinaDoll]

The main thing you need is the specially build 4- way valve. On the
Racor 500 its built onto the handle. My original factory built had two
ball valves that didn't allow one filter to be changed underway
because air entered the system if one filter was opened. What happened
is one of the bowls formed a hairline crack at the very bottom on the
drain that wasn't visable and only pulled air but didn't leak. This
stopped the engine with air and was not isolatable. When I replaced
the unit with a correctly enigeered set of filters building one from
scratch was only a little cheaper than the dual 500 kit with the
compact 4-way valve body. The homemade one was going to also be too
bulky as it needs two sets of 3-ways to work correctly. (The kit
premade one is an interally fed set of three-way valves in one compact
body.) The series is not needed since stepping down from 20 to 10 to 5
with 2 mc at the engine is worthless. 99% of particulate matter in
marine diesel fule tanks is better than 20 microns. Modern HP
Injectors can't have anythine over 2 mc, which pass the 20 mc filter
is less than a 1% probability. But you need that filter because the
injector will get stuck/ plugged fairly quickly. Having dual
swithables --one per tank-- is best since it allow switching one out
underway and it allow the monitoring of each tanks condition and fuel.
When I switch tanks I switch filters and if one plugs (hasn't happen
in years since I started using Marvel Mystery Oil to keep the tanks
pickled -- a few ounces per 100 gals once every year) I can run off
the other and change the first. This would be way more important to me
than staged or stepped down filtering, because all you'll be doing
anyway is changing that first 20 micron filter anyhow. And to me
that's a big waste of filter space.

[John Warren]

Warren Peace has a dual Racor system with a four way valve. Both off, both
on, or either on. I've had it for years and it works great. You can change
a filter with the engine running by just switching over to the other
filter...very simple. I have an electric fuel pump with an on/off switch
plumbed on the entire system which pressurizes the Racors so you can bleed
the air off after changing filters...works great. I have my tanks scrubbed
about every three or four years and always add diesel lubricant and biocide
on every fill up. The filters hardly ever get clogged so much as to even
slow the engine RPMs. I change the filters every year anyway during my
normal decommissioning process when putting the boat back on the cradle in
San Carlos...it's just part of my maintenance procedure. Would highly
recommend the dual Racors.

Take care all.....

--

[P. Sherwood]

What you cited from West Marine is the 75500 max,
which differs from the fgx only in its inclusion
of a stainless steel bowl and its higher price.
The metal is to protect against burn-through
which is not an issue if the filters aren´t in
the engine compartment. It´s also not a requirement for pleasure yachts.

Relevant thread
at
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f54/racor-500-series-questions-37577.html
Cheers,

Phil

At 12:33 PM 4/10/2010, William Ennis wrote:
>This is the device, I think. Racor on-the-fly switching of filters.
>

>http://www.westmarine.com/etc

[Bill Schmidt]

Phil, Bill & all,
Well, I went to the cited website and read up on all the "fuel polishing
" systems, especially the Algae X system (incredibly expensive), and have to
say that this whole area reminds me of polishing one's shoes when you are
standing in pig shit.
I say this consequent to having had Wind Witch's fuel tanks aggressively
cleaned (and I do mean aggressively) a few years ago. I had the delightful
opportunity to see and feel the stuff that was removed from the bottom of
the tanks. This stuff, a mixture of tektite, asphaltite,algae, water and
thick guck is what clogs filters. But I have to tell you, NO filtration
system would ever "cleanse" or "polish" this stuff out. It is dense, solid,
gummy and chunky. It is the chemical consequence of the fuel and
condensation interaction over time (plus whatever is dumped in from dirty,
rusty fuel depots). It must be removed or...stirred up when a boat has been
dockside for a long time before pitching and rolling in the seas of a new
adventure. Pricing all these fuel filtration systems - which smacks of too
little too late- it is cheaper, much cheaper, to pay for a fuel tank
cleanout once in awhile and for diesel fuel additives with each fillup. We
have over 90K miles on the knot log, a majority accumulated under power I
would have to be honest to say. We have bashed, bounced and rolled up and
down the west coast of North America since 1983. We have NEVER had a clogged
fuel filter and never changed a fuel filter under way. We have a final fuel
filter on the engine and a Raycor 500 10 micron prefilter. That's it. I
change out the filters about every 18 months. It's a little like brushing
your teeth before bedtime - preventative maintenance.
Billy Manana

[Gary Wilson]

Bill, your point about cleaning the tanks is well taken.  After my little mishap last summer, I borrowed a friend's portable fuel polisher and cleaned both tanks.  All together, I removed about a cup of rusty, scaley, gritty debris.  Most of it was caught by the coarse filter screen.  There was no water, but I assumed the rust was from rusting of the inside of the iron tanks.  Perhaps it was introduced into the tanks at sometime in the past from a primitive fuel source.  I have spot-checked the fuel docks I use (Washington state) with a Baja filter and never found any contaminants.

 

I once got a quote to clean my tanks and polish the fuel and felt it was surprisingly high (like $1,350).  The portable fuel polisher is a fairly simple device with an electric fuel pump, debris screen and fuel filter.

 

Gary Wilson

P42 Sidetrack

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Schmidt [mailto:bi...@windwitch.com]
Sent: Sunday, April 11, 2010 09:08 AM
To: 'Passport Owners', 'P. Sherwood'
Subject: Re: [Passport] Re: Filter Boss Fuel Filter System

Phil, Bill & all, Well, I went to the cited website and read up on all the "fuel polishing " systems, especially the Algae X system (incredibly expensive), and have to say that this whole area reminds me of polishing one's shoes when you are standing in pig shit. I say this consequent to having had Wind Witch's fuel tanks aggressively cleaned (and I do mean aggressively) a few years ago. I had the delightful opportunity to see and feel the stuff that was removed from the bottom of the tanks. This stuff, a mixture of tektite, asphaltite,algae, water and thick guck is what clogs filters. But I have to tell you, NO filtration system would ever "cleanse" or "polish" this stuff out. It is dense, solid, gummy and chunky. It is the chemical consequence of the fuel and condensation interaction over time (plus whatever is dumped in from dirty, rusty fuel depots). It must be removed or...stirred up when a boat has been dockside for a long time before pitching and rolling in the seas of a new adventure. Pricing all these fuel filtration systems - which smacks of too little too late- it is cheaper, much cheaper, to pay for a fuel tank cleanout once in awhile and for diesel fuel additives with each fillup. We have over 90K miles on the knot log, a majority accumulated under power I would have to be honest to say. We have bashed, bounced and rolled up and down the west coast of North America since 1983. We have NEVER had a clogged fuel filter and never changed a fuel filter under way. We have a final fuel filter on the engine and a Raycor 500 10 micron prefilter. That's it. I change out the filters about every 18 months. It's a little like brushing your teeth before bedtime - preventative maintenance. Billy Manana -- Passport Owners Association http://passportyachts.org To post to the group, use "reply all" or send email to Passpor...@googlegroups.com To reply to just the author, just use "reply: For more options, go to http://groups.google.com/group/PassportOwners?hl=en To unsubscribe, reply using "remove me" as the subject.

[Michael Moradzadeh]

What I found is that polishing the fuel is only the start.  If you have not done it before, it is very helpful to open the inspection port, empty the tank, and scrub it.
I collected 5 gallons of scaley sludge that way.

I would never advise this, but fuel can be filtered through a coffee filter and put back into the tank.  Of course, it makes your coffee taste funny.

Michael
Cayenne
Passport 40

[John Baudendistel]

I have the dual 500 Racor as other on the list do.  They work great.  It has a vacuum guage on the top to show the amount of clogging if any for the filter or filters in operation.  You can easily switch from one to the other.  On the P42 the tanks are in the aft end of the boat and gravity feeds the filters.  One simply opens the top, drops in a new filter, crack open the valve until filter is full, then screw down the cap.  I run the brown filters.  I think 2 micron.  I use either one filter or the other on the 500, not a stepped approach.  The engine filter is a 2 micron which does the final polish.  Gary mine is mounted on the backside of the engine compartment wall.  The Racor 500 has one handle for a, b, both or off.  Accessable from the aft cabin. 

 

John B.

Dream Keeper.

[Gary Wilson]

The portable fuel polisher works kind of like you describe, Michael.  It has a suction hose connected to a debris filter connected to a fuel filter/water separator (8 micron I think) connected to vacuum gauge connected to an electric fuel pump connected to a pressure/output hose.  I opened the inspection ports.  One tank had about 5 gallons and the other was about half full.  Then I inserted the suction hose at the low point of the emptier tank, then used the pressure hose to rinse (squirt) all surfaces of the inside.  After a few cycles of cleaning out the filters, I pumped the fuel from the fuller tank into the emptier one, except about 5 gallons and cleaned it the same way until the filters quit clogging.

 

It was a messy job, and there was always a risk of an accident (spraying fuel all around the aft cabin), but it was very satisfying when it was all over.

[Michael Moradzadeh]

Well, squirting by the professional did not do it.  I had to get in there with a scraper to take care of it.

Also satisfying when over, but I had a ring of bruises on my arm from working though that darned hole.

M

[John Warren]

Oh Billy Manana...you do have a way with words. As you said..."It's a
little like brushing your teeth before bedtime...preventative maintenance."
You're so right on!

We're back in San Carlos finishing the decommissioning on Warren Peace for
this season...lots of sand on the deck from sitting at Marina Seca.
Tomorrow we cover the boat with canvas, run the engine, genset and
refrigeration with Salt Away and disconnect the battery bank till next
November.

The Sea of Cortez is blowing like stink...but, I'm sure as we get into late
April and May...the sea will calm down and be totally delightful. Temps
here are in the 80s+ and even with the sea blowing...it's absolutely
gorgeous. Sharon caught three 25 pound yellow tail yesterday at the island.

All you Passporters...come to Mexico and enjoy the Sea of Cortez...you will
love it!

Take care all.....

--

[Bill Schmidt]

Gary, That quote was WAY HIGH! We got both tanks done, a job that took about 4 hours for about $400. Had a coffee can full of crud. Incidentally, the water is likely condensate from air pulled into the tank as the fuel is consumed, especially in damp climates.

Billy Manana

[Gary Wilson]

Now you're talking.  I assumed my $1,350 quote was the going rate.  Next time I will check around for a more reasonable company.  I hear what you are saying about the condensation.  I always try to keep my tanks full, but I'm also working on a project to put moisture traps in the tank vents.

 

They are 2.5" acrylic tubes about 4 feet long filled with silica gel dessicant.  The dessicant turns from blue color to clear as it absorbs moisture.  I'll have to remove the dessicant and bake it occasionally in the oven to dry it out.  If it gets saturated too quickly and becomes a maintenance headache, I'll give up on it.  Of course, if the tank vents take in any seawater, the dessicant is worthless.

 

Gary Wilson,

P42 Sidetrack

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Schmidt [mailto:bi...@windwitch.com]

Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2010 09:24 AM
To: 'Gary Wilson', 'Passport Owners'
Subject: Re: [Passport] Re: Filter Boss Fuel Filter System

Gary, That quote was WAY HIGH! We got both tanks done, a job that took about 4 hours for about $400. Had a coffee can full of crud. Incidentally, the water is likely condensate from air pulled into the tank as the fuel is consumed, especially in damp climates. Billy Manana

--

[Michael Moradzadeh]

I'd sure like to see Rick Cooley weigh in on the adsorbent.  He knows all about that stuff.
I wonder what happens if you accidentally squirt diesel through it.  Ruins it, I bet, and I'd sure not want to bake it.

Michael
Cayenne (Now considerably drier thanks to a dehumidifier) P40