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Diesel fuel leak

Stuart 28-2

Member II
Seems odd but the leak is on the top of the filter mount. I wipe away the diesel and next day there is fuel there again. The sides and bottom of the filter are dry. This is without starting the engine or adding fuel. This is the filter between the tank and the fuel pump so I don't see why it would be under pressure.

I tried to remove the screw shown circled in the attached photo but fuel starts to ooze out and the screw gets tighter making me think it is under pressure. I unscrewed the other one that is intended for hand turning and a little fuel came out but it didn't keep coming. See second image.

Anyone know what could be the cause of the leak?
 

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Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
My filter looks a bit different, so I'm not sure, but when mine began to leak on top, there was an O-ring inside. I replaced it at a generic O-ring shop and that fixed it. I had to buy one that was impervious to fuel, cause some are damaged by fuel. That might solve your problem, but I'm not sure.
Frank
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Agree with Frank. Easy fix.

But if you can budget it, a new Racor is a good idea. The originals are 30+ years old, and tend to develop mysterious air leaks. Not imperative, but also not very expensive, either.
 

kiwisailor

Member III
Blogs Author
Seems odd but the leak is on the top of the filter mount. I wipe away the diesel and next day there is fuel there again. The sides and bottom of the filter are dry. This is without starting the engine or adding fuel. This is the filter between the tank and the fuel pump so I don't see why it would be under pressure.

I tried to remove the screw shown circled in the attached photo but fuel starts to ooze out and the screw gets tighter making me think it is under pressure. I unscrewed the other one that is intended for hand turning and a little fuel came out but it didn't keep coming. See second image.

Anyone know what could be the cause of the leak?
Take my advice and replace the whole fuel assembly now. It will start leaking air when running the engine and your engine will run for about 30 minutes until the filter bowl is empty then the engine will starve and stop. There are not repair kits for the assemblies. My replacement for the old R220 was the Racor R230RMAM. https://ph.parker.com/us/en/marine-fuel-filter-spin-on/230rmam
 

Jerry VB

E32-3 / M-25XP
Seems odd but the leak is on the top of the filter mount. I wipe away the diesel and next day there is fuel there again. The sides and bottom of the filter are dry. This is without starting the engine or adding fuel. This is the filter between the tank and the fuel pump so I don't see why it would be under pressure.

I tried to remove the screw shown circled in the attached photo but fuel starts to ooze out and the screw gets tighter making me think it is under pressure. I unscrewed the other one that is intended for hand turning and a little fuel came out but it didn't keep coming. See second image.

Anyone know what could be the cause of the leak?
According to a Racor manual found on the internet (wrong model, but same type), the source of your leak is the flow check valve cover. Your tank is probably higher than the filter so gravity will push fuel out of it if the seal is bad. The check valve cover is removable and the seals are replaceable, but likely are not be available any more. It probably is a simple o-ring, however. Also, if the check valve cap doesn't unscrew easily, it likely will get damaged (or is damaged) if you force it. Again, there are replacements listed, but they probably are not available. Oh, and if you get the cap off, the ball inside will likely jump into the bilge because, y'know, its a boat.

The other part you unscrewed is a manual pump for bleeding the fuel system. Given it was leaking a bit when you unscrewed it, its seals are questionable as well.

Note: there should be a fuel shutoff valve between the filter and the tank. There isn't any in the picture which implies it is at the tank. You want to shut that if you mess with the check valve cover and be prepared to catch the diesel that is in the line.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Our '88 boat has a shutoff valve at the tank exit fitting. Based on my experience, and the age of these boats, I would advise replacing all of the hoses- supply, return, vent, and deck fill - now. And then modernize the prefilter scheme with a new Racor 500.
Takes some money and time, and ... mostly, time. But if you do all of the deferred maintenance at once, "you only cry once" as the saying goes about doing it "right".
I did most of this work over a decade ago, with the Racor 500 installation in 2018 being the last step.

BTW, I am surprised to read that your tank might be higher than the filter location; but then our tank was located under a settee, and not on a shelf behind the engine.

Keep us updated.
 

Alan Gomes

Sustaining Partner
I’d rip it out, open your wallet, and replace it with Racor 500. Cry once and be done with it. The Racor 500 is superior in every way. Changing the filters is a breeze, and they are considerably cheaper, which does help offset the cost at least a little bit.

Addition: I swear that I wrote what I did before I read Loren’s reply! Two votes, then, for only crying once I guess!
 

Sailingfun

Member III
O ring failed. I agree. Replace for a Racor and if is the last filter, put a 10 mic.
Diesel leaks is a bitch...
 

Alan Gomes

Sustaining Partner
I’d rip it out, open your wallet, and replace it with Racor 500. Cry once and be done with it. The Racor 500 is superior in every way. Changing the filters is a breeze, and they are considerably cheaper, which does help offset the cost at least a little bit.

Addition: I swear that I wrote what I did before I read Loren’s reply! Two votes, then, for only crying once I guess!
And since Loren "liked" my post I guess we can call that THREE votes for the Racor 500.

It's settled, then....
 

Stuart 28-2

Member II
I've only briefly looked into the Racor 500 since getting the above advice. I'm juggling a number of jobs in the boat at once as it is on the hard.
The engine is 10HP. Does it suit that size engine?
 

Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
The Racor 500 is probably about the best one can get, but it's expensive. I've had the smaller Racor 120AS on our boat with a16 hp diesel engine for 15 years, with no problems, and it's about 1/3 the cost to buy. I think filters are a bit more expensive, but they only need to be replaced periodically, so that's almost irrelevant for a sailboat.
Some people have reported cracked housing with these, but I think they are well made and have had no issue with ours. If money was no object, I'd likely get the Racor 500 as it's top of the line.
Frank
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
The Racor 200 series also fits tight spaces better than the 500 series. And yes, the Racor 200 housings can crack--after 35 years in a vibrating engine bay.
 

goldenstate

Sustaining Member
Blogs Author
I have the same style filter and have used it without problems. I would not touch the plastic screw you circled but rather the metal bolt on the far side to bleed air from the line. I found this overview fuel filter change video very helpful. The presenter changes a filter very similar to yours:


My replacement filters come with a new O-ring for the filter body, and go for about $30:


Here is another guy who uses the filter pump to push fuel a good way past the primary filter:


These are biased to my Yanmar motor, but the filter/pump process is the same.
 

mike donnellan

New Member
Take my advice and replace the whole fuel assembly now. It will start leaking air when running the engine and your engine will run for about 30 minutes until the filter bowl is empty then the engine will starve and stop. There are not repair kits for the assemblies. My replacement for the old R220 was the Racor R230RMAM. https://ph.parker.com/us/en/marine-fuel-filter-spin-on/230rmam
I agree with Kiwi. Once we start seeing parts of these go it’s usually from rubber deterioration. They are not cheap, but replace the whole unit.
 
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