# Much ado about Racor Filters and Bleeding a Deisel



## theArchitect (Apr 13, 2007)

I have a new old boat, my first. I am working through a long list of "to do's" and got to number 27, draining the sludge from the Racor filterbowl. I wasn't sure what to expect but my neighbor assured me that there was nothing to it. I loosened the screw on the bottom of the bowl and drained a pint and a half of what looked like moter oil (smelled like diesel) from the bowl. I probably could have drained more but my container was at capacity.

Is it normal to have a 24 oz. of sludge in these things? Is there a filter element that should be replaced now?

I was concerned that air may have been introduced to the system. I started the engine and it ran fine at the dock for 15 minutes. I thought "Cool, must be good to go". Ten minutes from the dock the engine died. I just learned how to bleed a fuel system on a Universal 5416. Nothing to it, except...
I sprayed half a cup of diesel throughout my engine compartment and ultimately my bilge. I had wads of paper towels at the ready to soak up the fuel as I bled the system. They didn't really contain the spraying diesel at each bleed point. Is there a better way to do this? Thank you for all of your feedback!

PS - I don't think my neighbor does his own mechanical work.


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## btrayfors (Aug 25, 2006)

You'll soon get the hang of it 

The diesel filters should have been near the top of the list. Three things go wrong with diesels:

1. fuel
2. fuel
3. fuel

You need to be absolutely psychotic about keeping the diesel clean.

There should be little sludge in the filter bowls...some, maybe, but not much. Normally, when you crack the opening at the bottom of the filter you drain off a bit of water and sediment, not much else.

Your tank(s) may need cleaning -- there are services which will do this for you -- and you'll surely need a bunch of filters to keep on hand.

An easy way to change filters and avoid having to bleed the engine is to use a setup with two filters and a manifold or valves to select which one is in use. Racor makes such a wonderful thing now...my son just found one and is installing it on his sailboat, and I already have one I built some years ago...but these are costly. Normally over $1,000, but if you look carefully they can be had for about $650. Two 500G filters, a manifold, selector valve, and a vacuum guage all mounted on a very nice aluminum frame. Good solution but, as I said, costly.

You didn't mention the size or type of boat. If it's a fair sized one and you plan to keep it, think about the two-filter solution. It's a lifesaver!

Bill


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Bill- 

You forgot #4—Air... a diesel requires an awful lot of air, and if you starve it... you'll regret it.


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## saltypat (Oct 8, 2006)

Hi,

I have a new old boat and need to do this. (I am getting the fuel tank cleaned, but have to wait for the service)

My Racor filter is hard to see. How big and what type was your screw that you loosened? Only loosen screw do not take it out?

The person who suggested I drain the filter also said to do it while the engine was running in netural. Said this would prevent possible air problem ?

As you can see, I am a little clueless- but I am trying to improve!

Thanks, saltypat


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## Gene T (May 23, 2006)

Don't do it with the engine running, you will just suck in air through the bleed hole. Just loosen the screw. Your Racor might have a pump built in, it could look like a knurled knob on the top. Pull it up to pump fresh fuel in and force water out the bleed hole, turning it doesn't do anything. You could just unscrew the filter bowl and clean it out. Depends somewhat on which filter you have.


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## saltypat (Oct 8, 2006)

Thanks Gene- I will try and take a look at it tomorrow.

SaltyPat


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

The screw he is talking about is the one on the bottom of the filter, which you can see in this photo. It allows you to drain off the water and sludge without getting much diesel out. At least that's the theory.


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## theArchitect (Apr 13, 2007)

Hi Sailingdog, Imagine the bowls of these filters filled from top to bottom with black sediment. That is what I seeing this morning. Sheesh, I've only run the engine for 10 hours this year (runs geat, too).


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Architect-
Different engines have different bleeding patterns/requirements. Some are supposed to self-bleed, most are RFPITAs that require you to loosen and tighten fittings that nclude crush washers--and you'll want to buy those bythe dozen, because in theory they should be replaced EVERY time you loosen or tighten the fitting. After the first crush fit, they can let air get sucked into the fittings and your diesel will get cranky.

In theory I guess if your Racor is pressurized (i.e. a low pressure fuel pump "behind" it is pushing fuel into it) you can bleed crud out without letting air get in. Of course that's more likely to make things spray diesel. If there's any bare wood in your engine compartment, once you get it cleaned out and dried, paint it with urethane or epoxy paint so it is sealed and it won't absorb fresh diesel any more.

I've just never learned to love diesel engines, mainly because of the inevitable mess from bleeding fuel lines. Best thing you can do is learn the factory procedure for YOUR engine, use plenty of rags or paper towels when you do it, and like Bill said, be psychotic about fuel quality. Once you have done the nasty (had the tank cleaned out & fuel polished so you know it is 100% good in there) get an external fuel filter that filters out crud and absorbs water. Use it all the time, a small PITA but you can see what's going into your tank that way, and that's the only way to trust it.

And, add biocide/stabilant to your fuel as needed, routinely.

If yacht designers were required to bleed their diesel installations--buck naked and blindfolded while surrounded by sharp objects--they'd do a whole better job about installing them so humans could do the job.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

hellosailor said:


> If yacht designers were required to bleed their diesel installations--buck naked and blindfolded while surrounded by sharp objects--they'd do a whole better job about installing them so humans could do the job.


My personal belief is that any engine installation designer, whether it is on a car or a boat, should be forced to work as a service mechanic on what they design for a year. That would probably vastly increase the ease of serviceability of most engines and engine compartments within a year or two.


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## Gene T (May 23, 2006)

sailingdog said:


> My personal belief is that any engine installation designer, whether it is on a car or a boat, should be forced to work as a service mechanic on what they design for a year. That would probably vastly increase the ease of serviceability of most engines and engine compartments within a year or two.


So true, however it is my belief that 9 out of 10 new boat buyers never even look in their engine compartment, let alone change a fuel filter or the engine oil. That is what the boat yard is for. It is used boat buyers that tend to do their own maintenance.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I guess I'd be the 1 out of 10 new boat buyers.. since I bought my boat new, and I've done a lot of work on her, including adding a bridge deck, re-plumbing the head, and such..


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## L124C (Oct 4, 2007)

*Bleeding Raycor filters*

I have a bank of two Racor primary filters for my diesel, with an in line pump between the tank and the filters. The power to the pump is disconnected. I don't know the filter model # and don't have a manual. Two questions: I have drained sediment (minimal) from the bottom of one of the filters. I assume I need to take the top off the filter and top it off with fuel to eliminate the air that came in from the bottom. If so, how do I do this. Secondly, based on this thread, I assume in the future, I could power the pump up, then open the filter drain. This would prevent air from entering the system. Is this correct? I have pics of the filters, but I can't post them yet. If it would help (it usually does!) I would be happy to e-mail them directly. Sadly, I can't post my e-mail address either The filter top is white plastic and looks like it will screw off. There is a metal band around the top of the filter bowl. Thats the best I can do at this point.
Thanks 
Bill


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## Boasun (Feb 10, 2007)

To fill the Racor filter bowl. You need to draw some fuel from your tank into a bucket that you can pour from, and use it to fill the bowl after you had change the filter. Be sure to have drained off any water at the bottom of the bowl. If you have a priming pump for the filters then you don't need that bucket but for carrying the used filter to the proper disposal bin.
Use asorbent pads around your work area to get rid of any spill after the work has been done. Those pads are cheap, use them.


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## Rockter (Sep 11, 2006)

Although some frown on it because of the fire risk, I have installed a 12V Stewart Warner 5 psi diesel pump between tank and filter, right next to the filter. It was about $80, and I had it sent from Chicago to the UK.

The 5 psi charge means that air cannot leak in for the distance between pump and engine, and leaks are seen readily as a wee weep here and there.

I trade the fire risk for engine reliability.

In 15 years I have not had a fuel supply problem. It was different before then, I can tell you.

Racor is a good unit.... just back off the wee nut at the bottom of the bowl and the muck will drop out. For me, despite disaggreement from elsewhere, the bowl must be clear so that you can see the fuel condition.


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## Rockter (Sep 11, 2006)

The pump is the Stewart Warner 235A-D.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Architect I a universal 5416 with a racor too. It's real easy to bleed the engine if you know where the bleed screw is! The PO of my boat said "you gotta bleed the injector lines!" (sheese, little did he know!) I do have a squeeze bulb on the fuel line from the tank too and it's been great and saved allot of engine cranking!


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## FrankLanger (Dec 27, 2005)

*DEnise, is this right?*

Denise, I also have the Universal 5416 diesel engine, and have read the manual which explains how to bleed the engine, but have never had to do this yet. Based on your experience, is it as straight-forward as the manual says. As I recall the process (I can't access my manual now),

1) prime the engine by turning the ignition key to engage the fuel pump, 
but not start the engine;
2) open and re-tighten the two bleed screws in sequence til air bubbles 
are gone and a steady flow of fuel is visible;
3) start the engine to ensure it runs

I'm hoping it will be straight-forward when I need to do it, but these things never seem to be  , so any advice/correction would be helpful  .

Thanks,
Frank.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Frank, whenever you are bleeding diesel, use generous amounts of paper toweling or rags to absorb that bleed before it can hit anything else. Helps greatly to remove the "diesel stink" from the engine compartment.

You might also want to use something like Simple Green (straight) on the area afterwards, to remove the last of the fuel oil from the metal surfaces.

(I hate the smell of diesel, I'd rather treat it like Biohazard material.)


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Frank yes we found the bleeders before we even looked in the engine manual. Yes it gets smelly and you need to soak up the fuel with Paper towels. Hellosailors right about simple green too! great stuff! even helps remove the soot off the transom.


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## FrankLanger (Dec 27, 2005)

Thanks for the advice. Hopefully I won't need to bleed the engine for a long time, but when I do I'll use lots of rags/paper towels and clean up well afterwards. I don't want to upset my #1 crew (wife) with a diesel smell near the galley!
Frank.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Frank-
See now, if you'd run on biodiesel and WVO (waste vegetable oil, aka fryer oil) the smell would blend into the galley perfectly. [g]


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## HoffaLives (Feb 19, 2007)

BTW, rather than paper towels, if you have a lot of bilge water/oil to get rid of, buy a package of large disposable diapers (40 to a pack). Often on sale, cheap, and each will absorb like a litre of liquid. Best way I've found for getting rid of liquid waste.


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## PorFin (Sep 10, 2007)

*Finally!*



HoffaLives said:


> BTW, rather than paper towels, if you have a lot of bilge water/oil to get rid of, buy a package of large disposable diapers (40 to a pack). Often on sale, cheap, and each will absorb like a litre of liquid. Best way I've found for getting rid of liquid waste.


So for those of you searching with a way to meet the "two-fer" rule as justification to bring the Depends aboard, Hoffa's just made your lives happier and undoubtedly drier.


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## buddabelly (Sep 21, 2007)

*Where can you find these?*

I did a Google search for Racor Filters and didn't see any that looked the one you show. There are a lot of choices of styles to chose from. How do you know what to get???
Thanks



sailingdog said:


> The screw he is talking about is the one on the bottom of the filter, which you can see in this photo. It allows you to drain off the water and sludge without getting much diesel out. At least that's the theory.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

budda...this is the one you want for most sailboat engines as it can handle up to 60gph and is easier to drain and change filters on then the smaller spin on ones...+ you can see when things are getting dirty and/or fit a suction guage to measure it and change in advance of a problem. 
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|311|302335|107095|699530&id=133671


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## Rockter (Sep 11, 2006)

Hoooweee...

$200.

I will have to stick to my ancient unit.


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## buddabelly (Sep 21, 2007)

*Thanks camaraderie*



camaraderie said:


> budda...this is the one you want for most sailboat engines as it can handle up to 60gph and is easier to drain and change filters on then the smaller spin on ones...+ you can see when things are getting dirty and/or fit a suction guage to measure it and change in advance of a problem.
> 
> Looks like a great unit, but I only have a Universal 5411. Maybe I could find one that works with less gph rating and would be a little cheaper too.
> Thanks.
> budda.


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## gc1111 (May 13, 2004)

Yes there are cheaper units more appropriate for a sailboat. The smallest RACOR is rated at 15 gal/hour. No one I know needs even that much for a sailboat engine. But I say forget the spin on type. The cartridge types are much easier to clear water and sludge in between filter changes.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

They have a spin on filter series that is less costly but more of a pain to change...and you can't see the filter and the cartridges are like auto oil filters and much more expensive to replace than the paper ones that the turbine series uses. I would guess that after 5 changes you will have paid for the difference...but we all have budgets! The one I showed you is the smallest of the turbine series...but here is their complete catalog and you can look at both types. 
http://www.usdieselparts.com/pdf/pdf/Section02.pdf

An appropriate spin on would be like this a about $80-100 for you if you go that route:


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Budda-

I agree with Cam that getting the turbine series filters is far cheaper and less headaches in the long run.* Yes, it costs a bit more money upfront, but the filters, which are consumables, are far less expensive and the fact that you can see through the bowl and do a visual inspection without disassembling the damn thing is worth a fair chunk of change in my book-especially when you've got to figure out what the problem is quickly.*


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## bsfree (Oct 25, 2001)

Not to get off the subject but I am interested in what Denise said, quote 
" I do have a squeeze bulb on the fuel line from the tank too and it's been great and saved a lot of engine cranking". 
I have the same set up with a Racor 500FG. A friend, who works on boats for a living, said I should change this bulb line for an electric pump setup as the bulb line can fail, like Denise I like the way it is because it's so simple and just works. Does anyone have anything negative to say about the bulb setup?


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

BS...you can add a little NAPA pump quite easily for under $40 and be in conformance with safety standards. (keep a bulb as backup!)


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## fcsob (Apr 28, 2007)

make sure you by a pump that is diesel certified


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## sking (Nov 30, 2007)

*Help! Universal Diesel M18 must bleed..*

I have an Ericson 30 plus and I am NOT a mechanic. I just replaced the Racor R24S filter which sits right next to an electric fuel pump. I dumped the diesel from the old filter into the new filter...probably not a great idea, but I'm trying to get the air out. On this Racor filter there is a little white plastic goodie at the top which doesn't appear to me a lift pump like some models. So how am I supposed to fill the filter with fuel? Should I run a wire from my battery post to the electric fuel pump? (positive to positive) How do I tell which is positive? Will the fuel pump blow up in my face and sink my boat with fuel if I connect the wrong wire? 

Also, on top of the filter on the engine, there is a little bolt. Is this the bleed bolt? Do I remove this while filling the filter? Should fuel start coming out of it?

I must start my boat tomorrow as I'm moving to another marina. This an emergency..

Thanks.

Scot King
Son of Bruce King
Designer of Ericson Yachts


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## gc1111 (May 13, 2004)

Sking,
First thing is to figure out how to turn on the fuel pump. It might well turn on with the ignition key. After you can get the pump on, you use it to pump diesel into the filter system - you do not need to fill the filters separately. All you need to do is to let the air out as the pump pushes diesel in. This is usually a messy process as a mixture of oil and air comes out, be prepared for that and for capturing the diesel. You loosen a "bleed screw" on the filters starting at the filter closest to the electric pump. When what comes out no longer has bubbles, tighten the screw and move to the next filter in line. If you are lucky and have not opened the fuel system on the engine that is all you have to do. Just let the engine run for a while after you start it to make sure it doesn't die - which is what happens if there is air in the system.


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## BarryL (Aug 21, 2003)

*Bleeding M 18*

Hi Scott,

Try this:

http://www.marinedieseldirect.com/universal/200157/universal-owners-manual-bleeding-fuel-system.html

I used to have the same engine, and it is easy to work on,

Barry


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## gypsearose (Jul 19, 2010)

Does anyone Know if the Raycor filter with built in hand pump are any good for priming??


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

It is a priming pump. 

ps You are usually better to start a new thread rather than digging up an old one.


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## j34035 (Nov 10, 2006)

Heck, I read the whole thread before I figured out it was old. Hmm...........
DD


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