Hi Guys,
I'll admit - I'm stumped. In doing my second oil change (since I bought the boat in December), I decided to change the primary fuel filter in the Racor 500FG. I've drained the water a number of times - no biggie. But - I went to crack the t-handle and fuel started pouring EVERYWHERE (of course, I already had "diapers" down to catch anything...)
I read from others that they don't use the shutoff valve to change this filter (because, a)The fuel system isn't pressurized without the engine running) or, b)It's just pain to get to via the access port in the port-cockpit hatch...) Is the only shutoff valve really the hidden one on the top of the tank?
What am I missing here? I cycled the t-handle a few times, just to see if it was a "pressure" thing that needed to be released, but it just kept flowing and flowing... Even if I turn the shut-off valve, that's a few feet away and
"up-hill", so all of that fuel is still going to leak out, right?
What do you do? Clamp the hose?
Thanks!
__________________
Steve Ramsey - Puget Sound
S/V Manonash - '96 C36 mkII (#1586) - M35B
I used to just open the little inspection port in the cockpit locker and shut the fuel off then drain the filter and change it. Since I put in dual parallel Racor filters I don't have to do that I can isolate either filter from the fuel system and change it on the fly if necessary. I don't have FG500s though, my fiters only hold about a yogurt container of fuel.
I did that too when I was trying to replace the fuel filter for the first time - I though the fuel will eventually stop - but after it continued to drain and I ran out of containers to fill up the fuel then I put everythinhg back together and discovered the valve at the top of the fuel tank the hard way - I removed the wood cover at the aft birth! So - yes you have to turn off the valve at the port locker first. Now I know how to do this.
Haro Bayandorian, 1999 C36 MKII, Sail La Vie #1787, M35B,
Coyote Point, San Mateo, CA.
Yeah, I got that figured out... Shut off the fuel valve on top of the tank, and gently clamped the hose just before the filter housing... ta-da...
Though, I'll definitely be adding an inline-shut-off valve there, as it's a bit of a pain to remove all of the gear from the lockers, etc... Especially in an emergency, if you've got diesel flowing into the bilge...
Thanks, guys!
__________________
Steve Ramsey - Puget Sound
S/V Manonash - '96 C36 mkII (#1586) - M35B
Steve,
Sounds like you got your filter changed but when I was reading your original post my real concern is that you have had to drain water out of your filter two times since December. You might want to check into why you have so much water infiltrating your fuel system. Maybe replace your deck cap. I have had my boat since February and have changed the filter once but have never seen a drop of water in the bowl of the filter.
Good Luck.
"Lori Lee"
San Diego, CA
1983 C36
Hull # 0083
Don't be too quick to replace the whole cap. It usually requires only a new Q ring.
Mike Ogline
SHADOW #1831
2000 SR/WK
Deltaville - Chesapeake Bay
I have had Caprice for nine years and never found any water in the Racor, a little sludge collected, but never any water.
__/)__/)__/)__Capt Mike__/)__/)__/)__
Punta Gorda Florida
1990 Std WK M35 Hull #1050
Hi Guys,
I should clarify - I'm not *actually* draining water - just going through the motions of regular maintenance, opening the drain valve to check for the presence of water, etc... (A tiny bit of sludge the first time, dead clean the second time...)
All in all, since the boat is still new to me, I wanted to make sure there was a brand new filter in there...
Oh - helpful hint: If you enlist the help of a dock mate to sit in the cockpit to turn the key to "on" to re-bleed the system while you are down below, it helps to have them disengage the "kill" puller, once you are ready for them to actually start the engine... (Spent about 30 minutes in a bit of a panic, wondering why she wouldn't start again...)
Thanks!
__________________
Steve Ramsey - Puget Sound
S/V Manonash - '96 C36 mkII (#1586) - M35B
Reply #7, [url]http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6429.0.html[/url] Click on the link in that message, too.
If you install the simple toggle switch on the fuel pump ground wire, you won't need a second hand in the cockpit to stop the fuel pump.
When or if you clamp the fuel hose, use leather or something else between the vice grips and the hose. Avoids breaking the hose.
If you install the fuel shutoff at the primary, you can find fittings that will allow you to screw it right into the body of the filter.
FWIW, I think ALL of us have been there, done that. I put it off for two years after we got our boat until I learned how easy it is to bleed our M25, which is not really self-bleeding. There are links to our bleeding in the reference link.
Have fun.
Stu Jackson, C34IA Secretary, C34 #224, 1986, SR/FK, M25 engine, Rocna 10 (22#)