Does your fuel system include a Racor fuel filter/water separator?

[JackConnick]

Fram here on my Islander 28

Been pondering an upgrade, got a bad batch of gas a year ago and still picking up pieces of grit from the carb every so often, even with the Fram.

Jack

[Clucas]

Fram also on my P30. Considering switching out for a Racor.

[swokrams]

If bottom of the gas tank is 1 foot above the carb bowl, do I still need a pump? I am thinking I will remove mine.
-Steve

[Don Moyer]

Steve,

Inlet pressure on our carburetors is listed as 4 psi maximum by Zenith, but I can find no minimum value mentioned. However, our experience has shown that gravity flow from a tank will seldom be sufficient to sustain engine power much above an idle and sometimes not even that.

Don

[swokrams]

Thanks for the advice, Don. I appreciate it. -Steve

[Surfaces]

Fuel Seperator

In answer to the question I have installed a Seachoice Fuel/water sep

[Jlmatt]

yes, a Racor.

Jean-Luc, Pearson Triton

[asylum575]

Fram.

Anyone know the replacement element part number?

[HOTFLASH]

Fuel Filter

My boat, a 75 Tartan 27 had no fuel filter (or water strainer) for 30 years before I installed them both. Racor fuel filter.

[vabiker23518]

Installed RACOR

I had an ancient PERKO bronze filter with a really weak looking element inside. I purchased the RACOR 320RRAC02 (replacement element S3228UL) from Don's webstore and installed in less than 30 minutes. Was not having problems before; hopefully will stay that way!
Wayne
Columbia 8.7

[SEMIJim]

Our 1976 Pearson 30 has a Fram fuel/water separator. Checked it last fall, just before haul-out: Nothing but fuel came out.

Jim

[msauntry]

Sierra filters on an aluminum housing with flaking black paint. No idea who made the housing...

[Administrator]

Checked it last fall, just before haul-out: Nothing but fuel came out.

Hi, Jim:

Years ago, I was involved with manufacturing facilities monitored by the FDA. All of these facilities had well documented and rigidly applied rodent control procedures. A few times, when the FDA inspector showed up, we got into a lengthy debate about whether these rodent control procedures were effective. "I didn't see any dead rodents," the inspector would say. "That's a problem!" "And if you had?", we would ask. You can imagine his response. "Well, that's a problem!"

What does this have to do with a water separator? Probably not much. I was just wondering if perhaps finding a bit of water, which was almost certainly in your tank to some degree, might have been better than finding none.

Bill

[SEMIJim]

I was just wondering if perhaps finding a bit of water, which was almost certainly in your tank to some degree, might have been better than finding none.

Bill

You raise an interesting point, Bill. I honestly don't know. I'll admit I was almost disappointed when all I got was gasoline .

I read an article somewhere, not long ago, that asserted this whole "water in the fuel tank" issue wasn't what people commonly thought it to be. His assertion, IIRC, was that the vast majority of water in fuel gets there primarily from either buying bad fuel (fuel with water in it) or from faulty filler caps that allow water ingress. IIRC, he did some calculations on how much moisture could be condensed in even an empty tank, under worst-case conditions, and determined that it could not be a significant issue. In fact, IIRC, he concluded that it was quite unnecessary to fill a tank to the brim to prevent moisture entering it and condensing in it during winter storage. (I do that, anyway.) If he's correct: Then it's quite possible a fuel tank, even a 32-year-old tank like ours (I assume), could have little-to-no water in it.

Or so one theory goes

I've got one 5-ga. metal gas can that has occasionally been left empty for a while. Looking into it, before re-filling, I've seen what looks like light surface rust, but I've never seen actual water in the bottom.

Jim

[rigspelt]

Fully one-third of those participating in this poll have indicated that they do have a filter/separator installed, but it's not a Racor. I would have thought that this number would be virtually zero.
Bill

I'm curious: Why? Is there something special about a Racor filter as opposed to other types for the A4?