Installing a new Racor 500 on an E32

cdesopo said:

The brown rusty stuff is likely diesel fuel algae/bacteria sludge. You'll probably want to check the tank. I believe it grows as a result of water getting in the fuel.

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As far as getting water in the fuel, this is probably as good a time as any to mention that changing the O-ring on the fuel fill cap is something one should put on the list of regular maintenance items.

Here's what the inside of my tank looked like when I pulled it.

vanilladuck said:

. Anyone know what the goopy rusty brown stuff is? I'm assuming it's bad. Very bad even.

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Having just opened my tank for a leak repair that looks to be the goop I scraped and scrubbed from the bottom of the tank. I got about a quart of that nasty stuff in the end. My tank did not have a inspection port previously so I presume that was an accumulation of 37 years of zero cleaning. If your tank does not have an inspection port you may be able to remove the fuel level sensor and at least get a peak at the bottom of your tank.

Yes, view through the fuel sensor port is useful. Members have had success with inexpensive borescope cameras for iPhone. Could relieve worries (all tanks have some degree of glop).

The ugly truth is if your seeing chunks in your filters you need to clean your tank. If you don't have port(s) you'll need to cut one or two in depending on baffle location(s) & Christian has a great blog on doing that. Not a pleasant lob but if you get a big enough chunk stuck if your fuel line it will full on stop fuel flowing.

With initial guidance from @vanilladuck and @Kenneth K, I've ripped out my nearly 40-year old fuel system and made very similar "upgrade" to Bryan's good work illustrated throughout this thread.

Since I'm attending to the fuel system, I wished to ensure fuel tank and sending unit were also in good order. Fortunately, my tank has a visual 6" hole also on the top. I evacuated some 7ish gallons, tested (good) sending unit and... the sludge (yuck!). I grabbed pick-up tube to check rigidity (good), and ordered replacement seals for sending unit and large seal for inspection opening.

I discovered how to remove the wooden bracing board which run fore/aft on the inboard side of the removable panel to the engine compartment on the port side (Philips/plus crews) and marked where the screws were with marker both on the wood and fiberglass where the wood meets.

I tried creating a separate wood panel for the Racor 500, such as @vanilladuck , but my water tank and cabling interfered. Therefore, I found T-Nuts to do the trick of helping to fasten the Fuel Filter Assembly to the wood with appropriately sized bolts.
NOTE: Dry Fit EVERYTHING, attach all fittings and dry fit everything again.

Moored here in Ballard with a number of excellent company resources, Larry at Neabar Hose and Fittings was a wizard in helping source and sell me appropriate fittings for the RACOR 500 and my existing fuel shut-off valve.

I also purchased and installed the FACET cube pump and included in-line element/filter (replaceable...should I carry one aboard?). This is powered and requires grounding. I used the existing power supply (pink wire) and ground wire (making the connection at the attachment screw).

I anticipate "viewing" the fuel bowl beneath the RACOR 500 to be difficult, but that was already the case with the existing RACOR 220 series bottom filter screw-off element & bowl. Again, my overall goal was to renew the system's equipment and also, hopefully, improve access to element/filter replacements.

Additionally, I moved the secondary filter on @Kenneth K recommendation (it really is in a HORRIBLE location, should one need to make emergency fuel filter changes in rough weather...that's when sludge is going to get into the fuel system). While our sink was out, this access was quite helpful when I needed to reconnect the fuel hoses. (should have removed the galley sink first thing!)

Lucky Me, I discovered my M-25 already was installed with a "recirculating fuel bleed assembly," (which I've currently left alone until I get engine started and might be able to upgrade hoses with leisure and easy access under companionway.

Today, I hose clamped everything together, and will finish up the minor tank work soon. Pics below.

My plan is to ask a crewmember to turn the key, energizing the fuel pump to draw fuel from the (partially) filled fuel tank both fill the RACOR...at which point I'll install the element...and continue energizing to fill the secondary engine filter/element and possibly bleed the system as well. (I'll let ya know).

Using @vanilladuck itemized sheet format, below you'll see my costs (compared) and hyperlinks to parts.

@Norwester - Great documentation!
"My plan is to ask a crewmember to turn the key, energizing the fuel pump . . ." - A trick I learned from one of Christian's posts is to leave the battery switch off, turn the key on, then, back down by the engine, use the battery switch to energize the system as needed. Works like a charm for solo boat work.

Thirty seconds on changing a Racor 200 at sea: Meh. (and I don't think the micron factor mattered at all. Just glop in the tank stirred up by the seaway)

vanilladuck said:

Great notes @debonAir -- I had a leaky banjo bolt too, but it wound up being a piece of engine fairy dust or something. Because after I cleaned the banjo and the crush washer, it sealed back up nicely. I'm going to have try your Simple Green trick!

I finished the install of the Racor 500 yesterday and took the boat out today. I did not proceed with my plan of routing the fuel lines and shutoff to starboard. Once I really looked, there wasn't enough room to mount the Facet cube lift pump. It still turned out pretty nice.

View attachment 37551 View attachment 37552

I got some practice drilling pilot 5/64" pilot holes and 'countersinking' with a 3/8" bit to avoid cracking the gel coat when landing the #8 screws.

I also found an easy way to run the lift pump: using an alligator clip test lead I jumped the starter post to the alternator exciter (since the lift pump and alternator EXC wires are joined to the key switch in the cockpit). When I need the pump to stop I can quick pull the lead from the starter post and it's within arm's reach.

Engine is purring away and I'm now free from concern about dirty fuel [for now].

One more artifact I thought I would share. When I changed out the secondary filter, this is what it looked like:

View attachment 37553

Anyone know what the goopy rusty brown stuff is? I'm assuming it's bad. Very bad even.

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I am going to guess that is an overdose of a fuel additive that was in an engine that sat for a bit. That had to be created between the primary and the secondary so it is either collected or grown. I have pulled some weird goo out of fuel lines--some of it resembling those fake nightcrawlers fishermen use that had almost all the same properties. It also could be improper sealant used to try to fix a leak put on too thick. Actually, I will go with the improperly used wrong sealant as my best answer.

Christian Williams said:

Thirty seconds on changing a Racor 200 at sea: Meh. (and I don't think the micron factor mattered at all. Just glop in the tank stirred up by the seaway)

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Oh man, Christian...you bopping along to Gipsy Kings in the middle of the Pacific is nothing short of epic! I came for a 30-second lesson in Racor-changing, but stayed for the Arthur Murray lesson in Flamenco dancing. Outstanding!

Fuel System Project update: Priming the System.


Today, while taking a break from fighting the continuous battle of making the critical updates (and upgrades) to the 32-2 engine to panel electrical system, (I'm nearly broken due to my limited marine electrical skills and knowledge) ... I went ahead and primed my newly installed fuel system (hoses, e-pump, racor 500, hoses, repositioned 2ndard filter).

I hooked up a traditional outboard fuel tank to the hose attached to the fuel pickup tube and pumped with outboard tank hose bulb new fuel into the Racor 500, keeping the 500 top off. I noticed fuel rising and had stopped bulb-pumping. It kept rising faster than I was expecting, but I was able to secure the 500 top with only a some overflowing into the metal dish surrounding the Racor's glass bulb.

Then, I hooked up a hot wire (remember critical update incomplete and no power to panel yet) to the BlueSeas fused bus bar where the pump will get its power. After grounding the e-pump, I tested the pump by inserting a fuse and "ticky tick tick," it went.

I placed a plastic bag under the secondary fuel filter assembly, but without the filter to check if I would get fuel flowing by only the use of the e-pump and not the aux fuel tank's hose bulb. Shore did. See video.

Screwed on filter element, leaving a little space, and used "insert fuse" technique to energize the e-pump to fill the element. Screwed on filled filter.

I then inserted fuse again to keep priming the system hose supplying fuel to the high pressure pump and injectors. Extra fuel and air would be pumped into the fuel tank.... which it did. Done. Leaving system idle and will check for unpressurized leaks in the days ahead.
(note, red line is helping keep the Racor 500 vertical while I have the wooden board unscrewed from the fiberglass).

Norwester said:

Fuel System Project update: Priming the System.

Today, while taking a break from fighting the continuous battle of making the critical updates (and upgrades) to the 32-2 engine to panel electrical system, (I'm nearly broken due to my limited marine electrical skills and knowledge) ... I went ahead and primed my newly installed fuel system (hoses, e-pump, racor 500, hoses, repositioned 2ndard filter).

I hooked up a traditional outboard fuel tank to the hose attached to the fuel pickup tube and pumped with outboard tank hose bulb new fuel into the Racor 500, keeping the 500 top off. I noticed fuel rising and had stopped bulb-pumping. It kept rising faster than I was expecting, but I was able to secure the 500 top with only a some overflowing into the metal dish surrounding the Racor's glass bulb.

Then, I hooked up a hot wire (remember critical update incomplete and no power to panel yet) to the BlueSeas fused bus bar where the pump will get its power. After grounding the e-pump, I tested the pump by inserting a fuse and "ticky tick tick," it went.

I placed a plastic bag under the secondary fuel filter assembly, but without the filter to check if I would get fuel flowing by only the use of the e-pump and not the aux fuel tank's hose bulb. Shore did. See video.

Screwed on filter element, leaving a little space, and used "insert fuse" technique to energize the e-pump to fill the element. Screwed on filled filter.

I then inserted fuse again to keep priming the system hose supplying fuel to the high pressure pump and injectors. Extra fuel and air would be pumped into the fuel tank.... which it did. Done. Leaving system idle and will check for unpressurized leaks in the days ahead.
(note, red line is helping keep the Racor 500 vertical while I have the wooden board unscrewed from the fiberglass).

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Can you please talk a bit more about relocating the secondary filter, the not-Racor one?
Why? How? Do you have a picture of the engine connection?
Thanks,
Jeff

Prairie Schooner said:

please talk a bit more about relocating the secondary filter,

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Hi Jeff,
I was inspired by a conversation with a crewmate regarding, why sailboats happen upon a windward shore. Some here may have something to say about this.
So, his take on it was that when pushed up against a windward shore, the sailboat has been jostled some (ok a lot!) in seas tossing hull (and therefore fuel tank). Therefore, if one is skippering said hull, one would want to have easy access to the fuel system...the entire fuel system and sum of its parts...in order to more EASILY troubleshoot it, and most LIKELY, changing the fuel filter elements...more than once. Again, skippers about to be washed ashore might be seasick or demanding/begging crewmembers to follow their best instructions under duress. Clearly, replacing the secondary fuel filter...the most important one for a diesel engine...requires simple-stupid.
Therefore, while learning about it...and simultaneously finding ericsonyachts.com and folks much smarter than me in such things as Universal fuel systems,... I reviewed the existing theoretical and practical applications to making access to the fuel system ACCESSIBLE.
The existing secondary fuel system on the Universal 3-cyclinder diesel, upon my first review, seemed in a very precarious and challenging position to me...much less than a skipper caught upon a windward shore. Therefore, when I encountered @Kenneth K idea of repositioning it, I rethought my entire idea of diesel engines....that engine engineers are not necessarily the ones at the helm. Remember, this engine was initially designed for farmers with easy access to both left and right sides of it (I'm from a rural farming community), and farmers stand beside it to replace the filter.
Well, Ken's post provides a fine illustration:
However, I seem to have misplaced his "blog" or "thread" regarding his thoughts more deeply.
My repositioning is pictured here, attached. and the fuel filter assembly is attached to a board, which is attached to the forward side of the trash bin.
I hope this helps.

Thanks @Norwester - When we made the initial delivery voyage on our boat we encountered exactly what you described, minus the danger of a lee (or windward) shore. There was absolutely no wind so I wasn't fighting boat motion, but it certainly wasn't a relaxed time. We ended up getting towed. I changed a number of components over several weeks and I think the problem was actually a faulty bleed valve at the injector pump.

I suppose in place of the engine mounted filter someone could also just install a second Racor. That would give more flexibility in choosing micron level for the filtration. We kind of bucked convention and put in a new Racor 220. I understand the filter change convenience of the 500, but the flow capability is way overkill, to my mind. I may yet be swayed.

I never paid any attention to how that secondary filter was plumbed, I just changed it. It certainly is a pain. This mod seems sensible. I appreciate the detailed explanation!