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Multistage diesel filtration

vanilladuck

E32-3 / San Francisco
Blogs Author
Loren, do you remember how to handle differences in fuel hose inner-diameter (ID) and port size? For instance, the Facet Cube fuel pump has 1/8" NPT ports and the Racor 500MA has 3/4"-16 UNF. I'd guess having some common adaption to the same ID fuel hoses would be advisable. The nearest I can come find is barbs that will get me 3/8" ID on one side and 5/16" ID on the other. Can I just use 3/8" ID hose and double hose clamps to snug everything up on the barbs? I'm having trouble finding references for 'best practices'.

The R24S is a 2μm filter and that's installed as a primary between the tank and the pump. Was like that when I took possession of the boat last summer and I can only assume it's probably been in this configuration for a decade or more.

For reference, the Racor spin-on filters are color and letter coded for size of the filtration capability [1][2]:
  • 30-Micron (P Rating) (Red print)
  • 10-Micron (T Rating) (Blue print)
  • 2-Micron (S Rating) (Brown print)
Just re-read MaineSail's reply on thread [3] and it occurred to me that it can be interpreted a couple ways: a) don't use a 2μm filter as a primary, b) don't use a 2μm filter as the final, c) don't use a 2μm filter at all.


Notations:
[1] https://ericsonyachts.org/ie/threads/universal-m25-fuel-filter.13328/#post-92703
[2] https://discountracor.com/shop/replacement-elements/racor-r20-r20s-r20t-r20p-replacement-element/
[3] https://forums.sailboatowners.com/threads/question-about-racor-filters.184429/#post-1362613
 

Alan Gomes

Sustaining Partner
Are you sure that your Facet pump has 1/8" NPT ports? My Facet is 1/4", and that sounds more correct since 1/8" would be rather small?

Anyway, here are the parts I used when I retrofitted my fuel pump from a mechanical on-engine lift pump to an electric Facet:

(2) Racor 911-08-F4 straight fitting adapters (3/4"x 16 and 1/4" NPT female)

(2) Racor 951-N4-H4 Hose Barb 1/4 (1/4" ID hose barb and 1/4" NPT male, straight fitting)

(1) 90-deg. elbow, 1/4" NPT male x 1/4" NPT female

User Permatex #2 on all fittings except the ones that go into the Racor, since those have an O-ring for sealing.
 

Alan Gomes

Sustaining Partner
Both the tech sheets and the seller information page say 1/8" NPT:

View attachment 37130

Alan, do you know what model Facet you're using?

Thanks for the links to barbs and adapters!
Well, Bryan, you are quite right. I went back and checked my notes and the ports on my Facet fuel pump are indeed 1/8-27 NPT. So what I did is purchase a 1/8" NPT male to 1/4" barb fitting. I believe one of the connections has a 90-deg. male-to-female adapter in it because of where I had to mount it in relation to the hose run. That may not be true in your case.

Anyway, here's a site where you should be able to find those additional bits. I don't think these parts are too exotic so you can no doubt source them from plenty of other places as well.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
You guys are sure on the right track... and just to add a bit of fitting mayhem to the mix, when we installed our new Betamarine, some of the engine fuel fittings are metric, so I had to file down the barbs on a brass 'mender' so that one side would, with some swearing, accept a hose of the other standard. I do have clamps on all of those, but there is one (!) that really does not need a clamp on it at all! :)

Further trivia, there are sites on line selling ALL Sorts of adapter threaded fittings for the Racor products, so mating the hoses and connections up with a plethora of different marine power plants is obviously a problem that lots of owners & mechanics have to deal with.
 

Kenneth K

1985 32-3, Puget Sound
Blogs Author
..... I notice some of the fuel lines are solid metal lines. Would it be good to change these out for diesel fuel rated hoses? If so, how do I handle diameter changes between the components?
Once you figure out the thread sizes of all the connections, any hardware store sells the step-up/down/bushing connections to mate between different sizes.

I didn't replace the copper fuel lines on my boat (they run from the tank to the primary filter and lift-pump. I think the general recommendation is to replace them, as the thin copper can crush. After 30 years in place, I didn't think crushing the lines was an imminent threat, so I put it on the "some day" list.

If you take your fuel hoses to a shop that does brake-line fittings, they can install crimp-in connectors of the proper size. This eliminates the need for hose barbs & clamps, and the extra joints created by adapters. Measure twice before crimping....

20200521_192940.jpg Crimp-on hose connector.
 

Kenneth K

1985 32-3, Puget Sound
Blogs Author
Note that the little screen hidden in the bottom cap of the Facet lift pump is kind of a bug-catcher size mesh.
That's probably a good analogy. Facet says its a 74 micron filter. Probably just small enough to catch flys and skeeters and such....
 

1911tex

Sustaining Member
That's probably a good analogy. Facet says its a 74 micron filter. Probably just small enough to catch flys and skeeters and such....
I checked my Facet fuel pump (installed new last summer) and it does say it has the filter...I would like to check the filter for flies or skeeters ....how do you check the filter...? Looks like a solid pump...or maybe I just didn't look hard enough?
 

Tom Metzger

Sustaining Partner
I've posted this info from Westerbeke every few years when the subject of filters comes up. I'm pretty sure this will be the last time. Post #8, I think.



ScreenHunter 478 Feb. 11.jpg
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Thanks Tom!
About a decade ago I did try one of the non-Universal spare filters that the prior owner had left on the boat. These were for the lube oil, and that filter is a very tight fit against the coolant tube and the alternator bracket. I found that while the filter would mate with the mounting boss on the block, it was too close to the 90 degree piece of copper tube and that bracket. I decided that, for the few extra $, I would just use the Universal branded one. I also put a flexible plastic "guard" on that tubing, to forstall potential chafe.

In assessing this filter solution, one should measure carefully the height and diameter of the alternative filter can.
 

Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
I checked my Facet fuel pump (installed new last summer) and it does say it has the filter...I would like to check the filter for flies or skeeters ....how do you check the filter...? Looks like a solid pump...or maybe I just didn't look hard enough?
1911tex,

If I recall correctly, the bottom comes off, but mine was a bit corroded and took some work. If you look closely, once the bottom comes off, the screen is inside there.
Frank
 

Tom Metzger

Sustaining Partner
1911tex,

If I recall correctly, the bottom comes off, but mine was a bit corroded and took some work. If you look closely, once the bottom comes off, the screen is inside there.
Frank
Some years ago I had a fuel problem and checked for flies or skeeters. There were none, but unfortunately when the gasket hit the air it swelled up and had to be replaced.

It's always good to have rubber gasket material on board. I suspect an OEM gasket from Facet would have cost $20 and three weeks.
 

vanilladuck

E32-3 / San Francisco
Blogs Author
I've got my parts list and I'm ready to order everything EXCEPT the secondary spin-on filter that mounts on the port side of the engine (M25). Does anyone have a part number for a 2μm version of this filter?

In other fun times, today I drained the bowl on current Racor 220R primary filter and got this

1613187810402.png

I'm assuming the red is diesel and the yellow is water and other bad stuff :oops:
 

Sailingfun

Member III
Any adapter or diesel line you can need, any parker store can help easily.
Besides, a professional crimped line always will be better than any hose/clamp option.
I received my pump yesterday and thinking if I should replace the rigid diesel line or let it for another occasion.
I also got the napa 5 micron filter so finally, the set up should be like this:
Racor 500fg 10 micron "sump filter"
Napa water separator/5 micron filter
Racor 500fg 2 micro filter
Engine filter, 2 micro.
I will finish this week. Anyway, it's rain over the bay area so I cannot go at the mast with my arborist climber ;)
 

vanilladuck

E32-3 / San Francisco
Blogs Author
Vanilladuck, looking at your Mason jar picture, when was the last time you replaced your fuel fill deck plate O ring?

I took possession of the boat last summer and have no idea about most maintenance items aside from regular bottom cleanings. Does the o-ring you're talking about go on the removable screw-down cap or the plate the cap screws into?
 

nquigley

Sustaining Member
I've got my parts list and I'm ready to order everything EXCEPT the secondary spin-on filter that mounts on the port side of the engine (M25). Does anyone have a part number for a 2μm version of this filter?

In other fun times, today I drained the bowl on current Racor 220R primary filter and got this

View attachment 37141

I'm assuming the red is diesel and the yellow is water and other bad stuff :oops:

Here's the Kubota part. I haven't installed it - I got this filter wrench to help change it because it's so inaccessible:

Fuel Filter.JPG
 
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