My Racor is a finer filter than the 10 micron filter on the engine. 4 micron if I recall, which is contrary to the normal process. It is a screw on element with a clear plastic bowl on the bottom. Inspection of the bowl will show water, and discoloration if there is any contamination being filtered out of the fuel. I have about 700 hours on the engine since installation in 2011, and so far no indication that the filter needs to be replaced. Turning on the lift pump will do no good, since the filter is on the suction side of the pump. On my Racor, you put the bowl on the bottom of the element, put clean fuel into the element, install on the filter head. There is a bleed screw to be cracked on the output side of the filter head, and a plastic “knob” in the top of the filter head. Unscrew the knob and it becomes part of a small piston pump you use to pump fuel into the filter from the tank until fuel comes out the bleed screw.
I know that some on the list have put a fuel squeeze bulb in the fuel line before the Racor filter, and use that to fill and bleed the Racor filter instead of the little piston pump built into the filter head. The trash filter is about 70-80 micron. Mine is a little cylindrical cartridge filter just a couple of inches long and maybe ½” diameter. Since the Racor filters well below 70 micron, I’ve never changed the trash filter. (I do have a spare aboard, though, since it came as part of the Universal spares package. The main filter on the side of the engine (which I think of as the secondary filter) is a little 10 micron spin on between the lift pump and the injection pump. IIRC, it is oriented with the screw fitting on top, so you fill the new filter with clean fuel (to cut down on the amount of air that needs to be bled) and screw it on. (I really wish they had oriented the oil filter up and down instead of laying it on its side.) Turn on the lift pump, crank the engine, and Bob’s your uncle. Rick Brass From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of David Knecht via CnC-List Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2017 9:07 PM To: CnC CnC discussion list <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> Cc: David Knecht <davidakne...@gmail.com> Subject: Re: Stus-List Fuel filter replacement Hi Rick- There are three filters and I was planning on changing all of them since I have no idea how old they are (>3 years). The Racor is a 30µm filter. It sounds like this one needs to be bled, so I am guessing there is a bleed screw on top, so I would fill the bowl, loosen the screw and then turn on the pump switch until fuel comes out the screw. The second is a spin on filter on the engine. Do you just swap it or fill it with diesel first? The third is the “trash filter” which the manual just calls a fuel filter and looks like just a mesh basket. Presumably you would just swap new for old. Not sure I am going to bother with that since I suspect it is going to be challenging to get to with limited access to that side of the engine. Thanks- Dave On Mar 30, 2017, at 7:17 PM, Rick Brass via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com <mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com> > wrote: Depends on which filter you’re talking about. The Kabuto based Universal diesels I’ve had experience with (ditto the Betas) are self-bleeding. So if you’re changing the 10 micron filter on the engine, you just need to turn on the switch to activate the lift pump, and crank the engine. It might take a few extra seconds of cranking and a bit of throttle, but it will start. If, OTOH, you are talking about a Racor primary filter that is between the tank and the lift pump, you do have to bleed that one. But the Racor has so much filter area compared to the fuel flow in a small diesel that – unless you get into a batch of bad fuel – it doesn’t need changing very often. I think I’m on the third Racor in 14 years of owning my 38. As far as the 70-80 micron trash filter that is before the lift pump, if you have a Racor primary filter there is no real point in replacing this little filter. Rick Brass Washington, NC From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of David Knecht via CnC-List Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2017 8:29 AM To: CnC CnC discussion list <CnC-List@cnc-list.com <mailto:CnC-List@cnc-list.com> > Cc: David Knecht <davidakne...@gmail.com <mailto:davidakne...@gmail.com> > Subject: Stus-List Fuel filter replacement I hate to admit this, but I am going to replace the fuel filters on my Universal M4-30 this spring, and I have not done it before on this engine. The manual says it has a continuous bleed system. What it doesn’t say is what that means. Does it mean I can just replace the filters, turn on the fuel pump and it will bleed itself so I don’t have to open any bleed screws? If so, I want to buy a bottle of rum for whomever designed the system. I am thinking back to the wrestling matches I had with my previous Yanmar after changing filters. Thanks- Dave Aries 1990 C&C 34+ New London, CT <image001.png> _______________________________________________ This list is supported by the generous donations of our members. If you wish to make a contribution to offset our costs, please go to: <https://www.paypal.me/stumurray> https://www.paypal.me/stumurray All Contributions are greatly appreciated! Aries 1990 C&C 34+ New London, CT
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