Fuel-Water Separator on Honda BF150

[Pat Anderson]

So on Wednesday's return from the Pender Harbour CBGT, the fuel water separator alarm went off just outside Point Roberts. We came in with the alarm sounding, and after clearing customs proceeded on to Blaine with the alarm sounding. I think what happens is whenever we are in really rough water, whatever little bit of water might be at the bottom of the tank from condensation or whatever gets stirred up and, as it is supposed to be, captured in the fuel-water separator under the cowling (this is not the external fuel water separator, that had no trace of water in it).

This has happened twice before. The first time in 2009, a friend on a sailboat came on board and took care of it for me. I wrote this up on my blog in "Life without Touch". I think this is one of my better pieces of writing. Mostly, I thought I understood what he did and how to do it myself if I needed to.

The BF150 manual I have shows the fuel - water separator in the wrong location (it says it is next to the oil dip stick, when in fact it is on the opposite side). It is tucked under the manifold, and appears too large to get out from under the manifold and over the edge of the lower unit. Somehow my friend wriggled it this way and that way and this way until he coaxed it out. There are actually two bowls inline with each other, and you probably need to remove the gas and water from each one. The actual fuel - water separator is the one with the wiring harness attached.

The next time it happened was probably the following year. I went to a protected area and proceeded to deal with it - over water, no less. I apparently also coaxed it out and got it back in somehow. I thought OK, this is a real bitch, but I can deal with it.

So yesterday, in my own driveway, not over water, with a piece of carpet below to catch anything I dropped, I tried again. Got the second bowl out (the one without the wiring harness), somehow, and there was quite a bit of water in the gas - easy to see when it separated in the little jar I put it in. But I could not get it back in to save my soul, and I decided after literally hours of fruitless attempts, to cry "Uncle." I called Blaine Marine, he said tow it in and he would fix it Monday or Tuesday. The repair order says "Owner messed up fuel - water separator, make it right."

I guess my questions at the end of this epistle are whether anybody else routinely deals with the fuel - water separator, and if so, HOW? How do you get it out and back in that incredibly tight little space? And a rhetorical question, why the heck did Honda put a routine maintenance item in such an inaccessible spot? I get really down on myself when stuff like this happens, and question whether I should even be boating at all, given my inability to cope with stuff that every six year old in Alaska can do. But I suppose as long as I have enough money to have somebody else fix it, I will keep on boating!

[Sunbeam]

[BrentB]

I use a Racor external mounted filter with clear bowl and drain plug and it is easy drain off the contents into a container.
see
http://www.simyamaha.com/category_s/1734.htm


This might help

[ghone]

Hi Pat that sounds odd that your Racor had no water but your under cowl filter had. Interesting to hear your mechanics take on it. I'm wondering if you fuelled in Egmont on the way up to PL or back. As Peter had water also I suspect Egmonts fuel. Their price being $1.73 a litre means they will sell less than Pender Harbour and the fuel may be old and in this climate water contaminated. I try to avoid low volume fuel docks. Pender sells a lot of fuel. Should be cleaner. I have the clear bowl Racor as my primary and check it prior to start up. If this gets filled and water gets all the way to the motor filters, I'd be screwed too. I check my Racor on a couple hour intervals while on passage. So far have seen no water in it. I'd be at a loss as too how to explain no water in the primary and secondary's being full. Sorry can't help on the Honda Standing by.
George

[thataway]

On several occasions I have water get past the Racor Fuel water separator--(not on a Honda). Fortunately those engines were easy to fix. With your history Pat, is there some way that the engine fuel water separator can be moved? Put in a more accessible place.

There are two ways that water is separated in the Racor--one is the Aqua bloc filters, the other is a turbine effect, and sedimentary separation. With time the Aquabloc deteriorates. If there is a lot of water in the tank, there are several things you can do:
1. polish the fuel now--that is run it out thru a filter, with a water separator and then back into the tank, or into a barrel. This helps to clear any water in the tank.
2. Drain the Racor at regular intervals (like each time you start up) and change the filter element more often--maybe even once a month if you are using the boat heavily.
3. If using ethanol fuel, and it may be sitting, there may be more phase separation--both in the tank--and in the various filters. Maybe not store as much fuel in the tank…and do preventive polishing--running the fuel back into your tank. It is not that hard to set up a low flow polishing system which can run at the dock, or at home. on the boat, using an additional razor and automotive fuel pump.

[Pat Anderson]

George, Patty here. We filled up at Backeddy on the way up to PLI and at Pender Harbour on the way down. It was one of our most uncomfortable trips home on Wednesday. The straight was a washing machine and I'm not at all surprised that we had an issue.

[starcrafttom]

Pat this brings up a good point. I have the same fuel filters you have on my 225hp honda and a clear bowel racor. But my point is that i always run the tanks down to almost nothing several times a year if not monthly. I think running them dry or almost dry removes the water BEFORE it has a chance to build up. I know that you like to keep your tanks full for storage but this is a different issue. I fill my tanks for the winter if I'm not going to use the boat for a while but I don't fill them every time they hit half full , unless that will not get me to the next gas stop. You always get some water in your fuel. small amounts that sits on the bottom. But if you do not burn those very small amount off and keep adding fuel after every trip regardless of how little fuel you use, I believe you are just allowing the water and crude to build up. just my IHMO

but here are some facts. YOU keep having problems and I don't. I do drain the racor about twice a year but get very little water in it.

[Pat Anderson]

Brent, I have an external fuel - water separator as well. The Honda BF150 has another fuel - water separator under the engine cowling, and it seems it is a lot more sensitive. There was no water in the external fuel - water separator. But when water gets into the fuel - water separator under the cowling, it sets off an alarm. Presumably that alarm is designed to prevent the engine from suffering damage from water getting into the injectors or pistons or whatever. It is probably not a bad thing to have, but dealing with it when the alarm goes off is a MAJOR hassle given its inaccessible location.

[BrentB]

Hi Pat


I just re read your post and missed it! thanks for the reply!


Why does the Honda filter remove water better than Racor?

[journey on]

Pat,

First we both got our Honda motors at the same time, 2005. I've never found water in the engine sediment bowl, though I've found a little in the external Racor filter. I have had to change both the low and high pressure engine filters because of crud which I picked up with a bad load of gas in Vancouver, Wa. I think that's because the external filter element is 10 micron and it just passed the stuff.

So my first comment is that your external filter is bad. The one C-Dory attached to Journey On is a Racor 120 with a Honda labeled element. It has a clear sediment bowl with a drain. I've found water in there, so that sediment bowl works. Water is heavier than gas, right? I use Racor filters, latest is S3240 which is 10 micron.

Another thought is that water is getting into the fuel between the external filter and engine bowl. That is a suction system, so if there's a little leak, instead of gas getting out, the fuel system will suck in air or water. So check those lines and connections. Journey On came with a squeeze bulb between the filter and engine. Does that have any cracks?

As to the location, both to owners manual and the service manual show the water sediment bowl and low pressure filter in the correct place on the port side of the engine, next to the fuel inlet. I regularly check the sediment bowl, which isn't real easy, but not a real pain. Crud but no water. And now that I made that claim, I suppose I'll find some.

For water in the gas, those tanks breath and water condenses, right? So every spring I put several bottles of STP Gas Treatment . If you want just a water remover, try STP Water Remover . I've used this gas treatment for years both in any boat I have and in the cars and don't have any water problems. Note that it contains no alcohol. I believe it emulsifies the water and it passes right through the engine.

So, if you have water problems, buy a new Racor filter, head and all and use STP Gas Treatment.

Boris

[localboy]

[Jazzmanic]

George, you may be onto something. Yup, we filled up at the same fuel dock.

I did my own maintenance for the first time this spring. I guess I need to change the Racor filter.

Peter

[journey on]

Sorry to bother you again, Pat, but I started looking at water in Racor filters, and I ran across this article. The article describes the various filters available: Marine Gas Filters and Test . It discusses water separation as well as filter quality. Racor does well, as do several other brands.

So if you're not getting water in the Racor (if you have the 120 filter body,) but getting it into the motor I really feel that the whole filter needs replacement as do the fuel lines between the filter and motor.

And local boy, I'd be interested in how the Suzuki deals with the water/fuel problem. Using a Honda requires an external filter as Pat found. Does Suzuki avoid that?

And, Peter, changing that element, whilst necessary, isn't easy. The bowl sticks to the filter element and you have to cut and grind it off (without scarring the bowl.) I just did the one on Journey On today. I guess that explains why I'm so interested in the subject at this moment.

Boris

[BrentB]

Pat


When was the filter changed?

[ghone]

Just to be sure I pulled my cowling today and checked the small filter under there. No water. I'm using a 10 micron waterbloc Racor with a lexan bowl as the primary. Thanks for sharing the info Pat and Patty. I got some fuel today at Fishermens in Pender Harbour. We'll be here a few more days before going up to Powell River. George