Stus-List Re: Racor 500MA question
Why was the Racor vacuum gauge reading high? Okay, the answer. Doh! Not a plugged pickup screen/tube. Not a collapsed/delaminated supply hose. Not a wonky check valve (kinda). The cause? Owner neglect/ignorance/laziness. 21 years of not checking the bowl for water. The water separating filter was doing its job. Enough water had accumulated so that the ball check valve was starting to close. This ball sinks in diesel but floats in water. It is supposed to shut off when the water gets too high. It was doing its job. The boat owner wasn’t doing his. Removed the Racor. Emptied the water and completely cleaned the filter. Gauge now reads in the white. Added task to spring recommissioning checklist. > > -- > Dennis C. > Touche' 35-1 #83 > Mandeville, LA Please show your appreciation for this list and the Photo Album site and help me pay the associated bills. Make a contribution at: https://www.paypal.me/stumurray Thanks for your help. Stu
Stus-List Re: Racor 500MA question
I thought the metal shield was for gas vs diesel? Mine has been through 3 surveys during my ownership. No comments. I'll ask the last surveyor. I'll let you know what he says. All the best, Josh Muckley S/V Sea Hawk 1989 C 37+ Solomons, MD Apr 26, 2024 17:48:08 ed vanderkruk via CnC-List : > Agree that the benefit of the shield seems a bit exaggerated but the > timeframe it tries to hit is only 2 1/2 minutes of survival. > > ABYC actually prefers an all metal filter / filter bowl - the 500MA comes > with that as an option at purchase. Typically the 500MA is available, > currently, and I assume purchased, with the plastic bowl. > > As suggested best to show it in place at survey time. > > > Ed > > On Fri, Apr 26, 2024, 5:30 p.m. Andrew Burton via CnC-List > wrote: >> Ed, I can’t imagine a situation on a small boat where that metal bowl would >> do a bit of could. And it does make the filter harder to use. I would keep >> it and reinstall it before a survey. >> Andy >> >> Andrew Burton >> 26 Beacon Hill >> Newport, RI >> USA 02840 >> >> http://sites.google.com/site/andrewburtonyachtservices/ >> +401 965-5260 >> >>> On Apr 26, 2024, at 16:40, Doug Mountjoy via CnC-List >>> wrote: >>> >>> >>> Ed, >>> My understanding on the metal bowl is, that it is only required if the >>> clear filter bowl is plastic. Glass ones the bowl isn't required. The >>> reason being, the glass bowl doesn't melt as fast in a fire. >>> I may be be wrong, but if memory serves me right. >>> >>> Douglas Mountjoy >>> 1988 C LF 39 >>> Mexico at large >>> 1984 Sabre 34 >>> Port Orchard, WA >>> >>> >>> On Fri, Apr 26, 2024, 12:10 ed vanderkruk via CnC-List >>> wrote: Removing the metal heat shield makes it non-compliant under ABYC for use inside an engine compartment. Ed LF 38 Toronto, Canada On Fri, Apr 26, 2024, 1:45 p.m. Andrew Burton via CnC-List wrote: > They do get mucked up. Rarely. But I have had to take the filter apart. > More fun at the dock than offshore. Parker sells rebuild kits that I used > once. By the way, I always leave the metal shield off to make it easier > to inspect the bowl. > Andy > > Andrew Burton > 26 Beacon Hill > Newport, RI > USA 02840 > > +401 965 5260 > https://sites.google.com/site/andrewburtonyachtservices/ > > > >> … >> … > Please show your appreciation for this list and the Photo Album site and > help me pay the associated bills. Make a contribution at: > https://www.paypal.me/stumurray > Thanks for your help. > Stu Please show your appreciation for this list and the Photo Album site and help me pay the associated bills. Make a contribution at: https://www.paypal.me/stumurray Thanks for your help. Stu >>> Please show your appreciation for this list and the Photo Album site and >>> help me pay the associated bills. Make a contribution at: >>> https://www.paypal.me/stumurray >>> Thanks for your help. >>> Stu >> Please show your appreciation for this list and the Photo Album site and >> help me pay the associated bills. Make a contribution at: >> https://www.paypal.me/stumurray >> Thanks for your help. >> Stu Please show your appreciation for this list and the Photo Album site and help me pay the associated bills. Make a contribution at: https://www.paypal.me/stumurray Thanks for your help. Stu
Stus-List Re: Racor 500MA question
A bit off topic, but related as long as we are talking about clogged Racors. When I installed a Racor 500 on my boat last year, I added an Across Ocean Systems (AOS) fuel pressure sensor on the intake line between the Racor and the tank. It sends the data to my Raymarine chartplotter over Seatalk ng and so I can see the pressure at the helm. I had to tweak the settings because it reports negative pressure and the Raymarine can't display that, but by putting in an offset, it now reports 5 psi normally and as that approaches zero it means the filter is getting clogged. I am very happy with the result because getting a visual on the standard gauge on top of the Racor is a PITA on my boat. Dave https://acrossoceansystems.com/index.php/shop/ Shop acrossoceansystems.com S/V Aries 1990 C 34+ New London, CT Please show your appreciation for this list and the Photo Album site and help me pay the associated bills. Make a contribution at: https://www.paypal.me/stumurray Thanks for your help. Stu
Stus-List Re: Racor 500MA question
Aside from replacing the Racor filter regularly, I think it’s a good idea to drain the bowl when you change the filter. I usually change this filter yearly when I change the fuel filters on my Beta 28.But it is possible for gunk to build up in the bowl which is mostly transparent but can cause fuel issues. I discovered this during a ‘fuel adventure’ a few years ago when I was investigating repeated engine stalls during a long motoring from Ocracoke back to Oriental. I tried to drain the bowl (with the top off and filter out) and nothing came out the drain. Only after I plunged a screwdriver up thru the clogged drain did I get it to drain. The clog was apparently just congealed fuel/dirt but you could not see it thru the clear bowl since it was mostly transparent and was not obvious compared to the diesel fuel color. FWIW, I now at least check that fuel will flow out the drain during a filter change. Charlie Nelson1995 C 36XL/kcb Water Phantom Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS On Friday, April 26, 2024, 2:39 PM, Dennis C. via CnC-List wrote: When the engine is not running, vacuum still sometimes shows. When I remove the gauge, it should drop to zero. It's on my list to verify that. I plan to spend a bit of time investigating this.-- Dennis C.Touche' 35-1 #83Mandeville, LA On Fri, Apr 26, 2024 at 12:03 PM Doug Mountjoy via CnC-List wrote: Dennis, I didn't know there was a check valve in the filter. Since I have 2 Racor filters I put a tee and gauge in the fuel line after the filters. I have not noticed the gauge acting strange. But then I don't look at it often. You might try relocating the gauge. I would think that once the engine is not longer sucking fuel the gauge should go back to zero. Douglas Mountjoy 1988 C LF 39 Mexico at large 1984 Sabre 34 Port Orchard, WA Please show your appreciation for this list and the Photo Album site and help me pay the associated bills. Make a contribution at: https://www.paypal.me/stumurray Thanks for your help. Stu Please show your appreciation for this list and the Photo Album site and help me pay the associated bills. Make a contribution at: https://www.paypal.me/stumurray Thanks for your help. Stu
Stus-List Re: Racor 500MA question
When the engine is not running, vacuum still sometimes shows. When I remove the gauge, it should drop to zero. It's on my list to verify that. I plan to spend a bit of time investigating this. -- Dennis C. Touche' 35-1 #83 Mandeville, LA On Fri, Apr 26, 2024 at 12:03 PM Doug Mountjoy via CnC-List < cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > Dennis, > I didn't know there was a check valve in the filter. > Since I have 2 Racor filters I put a tee and gauge in the fuel line after > the filters. I have not noticed the gauge acting strange. But then I don't > look at it often. You might try relocating the gauge. > I would think that once the engine is not longer sucking fuel the gauge > should go back to zero. > > > > Douglas Mountjoy > 1988 C LF 39 > Mexico at large > 1984 Sabre 34 > Port Orchard, WA > > > > Please show your appreciation for this list and the Photo Album site and help me pay the associated bills. Make a contribution at: https://www.paypal.me/stumurray Thanks for your help. Stu
Stus-List Re: Racor 500MA question
Dennis, I didn't know there was a check valve in the filter. Since I have 2 Racor filters I put a tee and gauge in the fuel line after the filters. I have not noticed the gauge acting strange. But then I don't look at it often. You might try relocating the gauge. I would think that once the engine is not longer sucking fuel the gauge should go back to zero. Douglas Mountjoy 1988 C LF 39 Mexico at large 1984 Sabre 34 Port Orchard, WA On Fri, Apr 26, 2024, 08:54 Dennis C. via CnC-List wrote: > Touche' has a Racor 500MA with the Racor vacuum gauge in place of the > T-handle. See: > > > https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Pe9zcl-E0aQRl-Cu9cW8VqpeLEo9Gek3/view?usp=sharing > > During a cruise to the Mississippi Coast last week, the needle sneaked > into the red. It's done this before. Bleeding it by lifting the little > rubber seal on top will reset it to the white zone. It gradually sneaks > back into the red zone. I don't believe the element is becoming blinded. > > However, I decided to change the element anyway after only 50 hours. The > element looked very clean. > > The gauge is still behaving the same with the brand new element. > > I have no reason to suspect pluggage in the pickup tube. Touche's fuel > has always been very, very clean. But I'll check it anyway. > > Internet research has pointed me towards the ball check valve in the > Racor. Here's a schematic: > > > https://www.maesco.com/products/racor/r_tbn_intro/r_tbn_assm500ma/r_tbn_assm500ma.html > > My question - has any lister taken a 500MA apart and examined the check > valve? If so, what did you find? > > I will be on the boat next week exploring the fuel system and all the > usual suspect causes upstream of the Racor. > > -- > Dennis C. > Touche' 35-1 #83 > Mandeville, LA > Please show your appreciation for this list and the Photo Album site and > help me pay the associated bills. Make a contribution at: > https://www.paypal.me/stumurray > Thanks for your help. > Stu Please show your appreciation for this list and the Photo Album site and help me pay the associated bills. Make a contribution at: https://www.paypal.me/stumurray Thanks for your help. Stu
