DARN Racor filter

[Blueback]

Both Mercury and Evinrude sell a fuel filter that has a screw on metal canister. (Like an oil filter)

No plastic bowl or drain to worry about.

Right on Larry,
I have a Mercury with no problems.

 

[AstoriaDave]

Can't have the clear bowl on inboard engine applications. They have a metal bowl with a drain that is OK for those applications.

Thanks Chester, I wonder why the difference?

Jake, An IB installation has the fuel filter within the engine housing, open to the bilge. If a plastic or glass bowl broke, fuel would flood the bilge. On an OB installation, typically the filter is external to the bilge and cockpit, and the fuel would go overboard. Still better to have a metal unit, IMHO.

 

[Blueback]

Can't have the clear bowl on inboard engine applications. They have a metal bowl with a drain that is OK for those applications.

Thanks Chester, I wonder why the difference?

Jake, An IB installation has the fuel filter within the engine housing, open to the bilge. If a plastic or glass bowl broke, fuel would flood the bilge. On an OB installation, typically the filter is external to the bilge and cockpit, and the fuel would go overboard. Still better to have a metal unit, IMHO.

The fuel may go overboard on some OB installation via the splash from a bowl failure, but not on mine as I don't consider that the ideal location for the filter. Secondly spilling fuel overboard is not good either from an environmental point of view. A metal filter canister gets my vote.
Geoff

 

[ssobol]

The clear bowl can also help to check for water in the fuel system. A solid metal canister without a drain only allows you to check for water by taking the filter off.

You could have a separate water separator, but those usually have bowls and drains which seem to be inappropriate in some installations.

 

[thataway]

When the clear bowl is in the Lazarette, (as in many of the C Dorys) there is some slight risk of fuel spill, but not the explosion risk that an inboard boat has however. Since I regularly check the bowl as part of the pre start inspection, I consider this risk minimal…and acceptable.

As for letting water thru--I had an incident where there was minimal water in the Racor, but the water separator of the outboard was full. I suspect that it was a little water over a long time. I was not checking the water seperater in the fuel line under the cowl of the outboard as often as I should have been.

 

[Jake]

Jake,

Inboard gasoline engines and fuel systems are regulated by the US Coast Guard. Those regs do not allow for plastic bowls and drain valves.

Outboard engine boats are exempt from those inboard regs.

For maximum safety, follow the inboard regs.

I wonder if it depends on boat size. I see quite a few yachts on boattest.com with inboards and plastic bowels and drains. Maybe different for diesels? Just curious. My stern drive has the full metal with no drain but would be nice to have visual and ability to drain rather than just change every year.

 

[AstoriaDave]

Jake,

Inboard gasoline engines and fuel systems are regulated by the US Coast Guard. Those regs do not allow for plastic bowls and drain valves.

Outboard engine boats are exempt from those inboard regs.

For maximum safety, follow the inboard regs.

I wonder if it depends on boat size. I see quite a few yachts on boattest.com with inboards and plastic bowels and drains. Maybe different for diesels? Just curious. My stern drive has the full metal with no drain but would be nice to have visual and ability to drain rather than just change every year.

Jake, my recollection is that clear bowls are OK for IB diesel installations but not for IB gas, because diesel's flash point is so much higher than gasoline's. A broken bowl in a diesel system is a hell of a mess, but not the fire hazard caused by a broken bowl in a gas IB system.