Obsessed--props, water separators, batteries

[cbadmin]

From: Bearh (Original Message) Sent: 3/1/2003 7:55 PM
Forgive the re-post from the pub site--someone suggested I put this over here for some response:
Her Eminence, our as yet unnamed, new-to-us CD 22 Cruiser, has not yet been in the water of the South River here near Annapolis, but we're trying to get things as right as we can for the first day the snow and ice melt enough to let her swim. Based on what I've heard and read, and anticipating our typical day on the water will be cruising with 1-2 people, full fuel and water tank, and cruising/fishing equipment, I've propped her Honda 75 with a new four-blade 13" diameter, 15" pitch Honda prop. (On her test run in Florida, with three adults aboard, full tanks, and what the shop owner guessed was a 17" pitch three blade prop on, WOT was 5000 rpm--do any dealers really prop Honda 75s with 17" pitch as original equipment?). She has two Trojan Group 24 Deep Cycle batteries, less than a year old, paralleled with a 1-both-2-off switch. I bought a relatively inexpensive 3-stage charger to keep them topped up. I'm thinking of replacing the Racor 110A water separator under the transom shelf with a larger Racor with a see-through bowl, mounted up in the transom well where I can see it easier.
Question: Am I being nuts? Should I just relax and wait 'til I can get in the water? Am I missing anything that someone who actually knows what they're doing would be doing during this down time to as make sure as possible the boat and motor will run this summer without a hitch? You have to understand--the last outboard boat we owned was an '85 Bayliner with a Force 85 on it, which performed as I expected it to perform--intermittantly. I was, and am a sailor at heart--if I could figure out how to glue a mast onto the C-Dory without screwing the boat up, I might try. One of my heros here on the Chesapeake is a guy who owns the "Norfolk Rebel"--a working heavy tug which also uses sail to cut fuel consumption.
Opinions on any of the above would be gratefully accepted. Bruce

From: Casey Sent: 3/7/2003 6:32 AM
If I understand your fuel filter question, you may be over-engineering somewhat.

I am a little confused as it appears Racor makes two different "110A" housings. One is white and uses a spin-on filter element and has a blue plastic (drainable) bottom. The other has a metal through-bolted filter assembly (I think the housing is a brass/gold color) and does not have a drain (although a petcock could be fitted). In either case, I think the 110A is the smallest unit Racor makes but the flow rate should certainly be enough for your engine. Buying a larger filter won't give you better filteration - just a greater volume of filtered fuel. Your Honda 75 cannot burn enough fuel to exceed the capacity of your current filter, as I recall. Going larger would simply be overkill.

I would suggest waiting before remounting the current unit. Remounting requires more holes. Generally speaking: "Holes are bad in boats." Better to drill a hole next week than fill a hole tomorrow (all the while wishing you had given the project some more thought). (Don't ask me how I know that.)

If you (later) opt to relocated the filter you will likely want a location that is accessable but not prone to being kicked or bumped by passengers or cargo. If you're buying gas from a reliable source, frequent filter changes will likely be unnecessary (but it's ALWAYS a good idea to have a spare element on board).

Casey


From: Bearh Sent: 3/10/2003 6:35 PM
Casey,
Points taken. I believe I'll put the cork in cash flow for a while, and see how the boat does over the course of a few outings. The Racor 110A I have is the metal, goldish colored affair, by the way. There does seem to be something to be said for volume of filtered fuel, even if the maximum fuel flow for the engine is way below what the separator can do--when we were up in Alaska this summer on Katchimak Bay, every skiff seemed to be outfitted with the large version Racor, sitting pretty in a very accessible, very visible place. May be a commentary on the quality of fuel available. Bruce Holly

From: Mike Sent: 3/10/2003 6:52 PM
Just a comment on the fuel filter overkill. I have a Racor 60 gph filter with a see-thru bowl. I figure since there was plenty of room where I put it (under the port gunnel, shielded by clear plastic), the bigger unit would give me more area that would have to plug before the flow stopped, and more time to notice water in the bowl before it was drawn through. Does that make sense? It takes no more suction to draw the fuel out of the bigger element, and I should be able to supply a dozen of them Honda 75's with it. It does cost close to 20 bucks and a quart of gas to replace the element, though. Last season I ran 200+ hours on one element (new spare always handy) with no problems. I would have used it for the entire season (300+ hours), but I upgraded the fuel tanks late in the summer and refreshed the filter then.

Mike

From: Casey Sent: 3/11/2003 2:55 AM
Well, Mike, I think you bring up some good points. A larger filter element should permit the engine to receive adequate fuel while separating-out water longer (before clogging), than a smaller element. I personally haven't found the smaller Racor inadequate, but your point is valid. I guess (like all things...) balance is necessary. In my current boat (B/W Montauk) space is a major issue, so I chose the small filter. Likewise, fuel quality was rarely an issue, so again, the small filter was enough. But you got me thinking...about what to put on our newly ordered C-Dory!

As for the cost of the larger filter -- the small element is about $16 as I recall, so the difference is a minor issue.

Later / Casey