Racor Fuel Filter/Fuel Polisher

[p424owner]

All,

I am considering a Racor for my W40, and am curious as to what the group's experience and advice is?

Rich, I know you have a racor setup, with two tanks. I think my fuel tank is pretty much done, and I have that little consideration too!

Thanks

[RayNWanda]

We had a Racor in Magic, and we have one in Abracadabra. I like them, they work well. We will have a pair of them mounted side by side with selector valves so we can change from one to the other. I am also installing an electric fuel pump for priming/polishing.

[SailingSeaDragon]

Sea Dragon has a racor as well... I agree adding pump for priming is a good idea...

Garner

[p424owner]

The electric pump for priming and polishing sounds like a good idea.

Which racor model do you recommend? Any suggestions on the pump?

[RayNWanda]

We have a pair of Racor 500 FGSS filters. The pump is a Bendix, but probably any electric low pressure diesel pump will work as long as it is a flow through design. The gerotor pumps will not allow fuel to pass through without the pump running. You need to be able to run the engine without running the electric pump. You want the electric pump to be a convience, not a necessity. The mechanical pump on the engine will allow fuel to pass through without the engine running. The advantage in this is that if you get (or have) some dirty fuel you can run only the electric pump and circulate fuel through the filters and back to the tank through the engine fuel return, cleaning up or "polishing" the fuel. If the fuel is dirty, you will still plug the filters, but it will be at the time and place of your choosing, rather than when you really need the engine. It also makes priming a snap. When we test fired the engine in Abracadabra, we spun the engine one time and had fuel at all the injectors. I tightened the injector lines, Wanda bumped the starter and it fired up.

[Jim Cozy]

I guess we all pretty much agree on Racor. I have used three different racor models as well as other brands and my preference by far is the Racor 500. It is top loading to change the element and requires little or no priming. I allso have an electric priming pump and I love it. Last but not least, I have a vacuum gauge on the racor and can monitor the state of the filter, so no more unexpected engine failures from dirty fuel. I highly recommend the gauge.

[skier842]

I went to have my fuel polished when I got plugged filter and found a lot of black gunk in the filters and checking the fuel tank there was more black gunk. I built a temporary fuel system and managed to get into port.

I had a fuel polisher come and clean the fuel but he was unable to get his lines down into most of the tank as he thinks there is a blocking under the fuel inlet and was unable to get his hose into all the parts to properly clean the tank bottom. Is there something that obstructs getting a pressure line into the confines of the tank.

He recommended getting a access port in the rear of the tank to access the entire tank for future polishings.

What problems and just what is in the tank that prevens getting a hose into all the spaces of the fuel tank?

George

[Jim Cozy]

George- When I was cleaning my tank, I removed the mechanical fuel guage on top of the tank and then had unobstructed access to the tank bottom (unobstructed does not mean easy). Although I understand not all 365's have the guage. Anyhow, worked for me. Good luck...dirty fuel is hell!!! Jim