Changing fuel/water separator

D

dotnmarty

New member
Our boat came with a NAPA fuel/water separtor that looks just like an oil filter. Our long gone 22 had a glass bowl where you could see any collected water. I changed this NAPA filter and it smelled like fuel that it was filled with. Is there an easy way to tell when and if water has collected?. How often should I change the filter for good preventive maintenance? Thanks.
 
Marty,
Remove it and dump the contents into a clear glass jar/plastic container. my Yamaha ten micron filter has the gas on top looking good as water is heavier than gas and hides out in the bottom but it is the contents in the bottom half which usually looks pink or red and it is water. If no water is detected add a thin film of vasoline to the rubber seal at the top and spin it back on or replace it your call. The gnats in Jersey say hi, and when they are in the blue fish and stripers are also. Happy Trails I change my gas and oil filters at least once a year.

D.D.
 
Marty
If there is no drain screw on the bottom of the element there is no real good way of telling if you have water collected in the filter other than taking it off and draining into a clear container . I change mine once a year as a matter of course.
 
OK-thanks all for the replies. I think I'll keep using the present type (several of which came with the boat when I boat it), change them out at least once a season, and check the contents as Will-C suggests. By the way, a brother Brat sent me the following comments in a PM, which may mitigate against my going for a glass bowl.

"Someone admonished me about having a fuel filter with a clear plastic bowl inside the lazarette. Apparently the CG doesn't like anything but a steel canister inside the boat. Plastic bowl type can be used if mounted in the motor well. I guess the issue is, where does the fuel go if the plastic bowl breaks? In the bilge or overboard?"

IMGP0008.sized.jpg
 
It is true that one should have a area which drains overboard where the clear plastic bowl is located. Unfortunately the filters in the splash well tend to corrode. I do have one in this boat, and the Tom Cats come with the filters inside of the lazarette. Best practice--probably not. If I am working on the filter, I keep a bowl under it to catch any fuel.

The biggest problem with CG is inboards, where there might be a spark, and ignite any fuel in the bilge. But any venting of explosive fuels into the cockpit is not good practice. Metal bowl is best--and I'll probably replace mine with metal. Even with the plastic bowl, I still drain them every few months to check.
 
Marty I just changed ours and the filter has "fused" onto the old mount. It's mounted in the bilge which is notoriously wet in the 25s. I used a thin coating of oil on the seal/threads so hopefully, it won't happen again.
 
Mark, having been through having two pros try to change it, NOTHING prevents the filter from welding itself to the housing! They both oiled the seal and hand tightened. The last guy ended up needing to use a long handled filter wrench with a chain and he just about had a stroke trying to get it loose! If you come up with a better solution, a lot of us would be real interested to hear it!

localboy":3o3yjbkx said:
Marty I just changed ours and the filter has "fused" onto the old mount. It's mounted in the bilge which is notoriously wet in the 25s. I used a thin coating of oil on the seal/threads so hopefully, it won't happen again.
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At the last service, I changed from the type with the clear bowl on the bottom (Honda) to the solid canister type. Filters are less expensive and more readily available. A standard filter wrench fits. The service place I use (and I've posted some of his anti-ethanol writings) suggests the filter be changed every 90 days, whether the boat is being used or not, due to the ethanol absorbing water. These 10 micron filters are less than half the price of the Honda filters.

Best wishes,
Jim
 
Does the type you are now using simply screw on to the existing housing, or did you have to change that out as well? When we take off eventually for some long cruise, the one thing I want to have settled is that I can change the fuel-water separator cartridge myself, and I will take a good supply of cartridges.

JamesTXSD":232f6ejd said:
At the last service, I changed from the type with the clear bowl on the bottom (Honda) to the solid canister type. Filters are less expensive and more readily available. A standard filter wrench fits. The service place I use (and I've posted some of his anti-ethanol writings) suggests the filter be changed every 90 days, whether the boat is being used or not, due to the ethanol absorbing water. These 10 micron filters are less than half the price of the Honda filters.

Best wishes,
Jim
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Pat- The NAPA filter shown in the picture simply screws on and off. I had no trouoble removing the old one with a standard 3 1/2 inch oil filter wrench.
 
Pat Anderson":ywtktxwc said:
Does the type you are now using simply screw on to the existing housing, or did you have to change that out as well? When we take off eventually for some long cruise, the one thing I want to have settled is that I can change the fuel-water separator cartridge myself, and I will take a good supply of cartridges.

JamesTXSD":ywtktxwc said:
At the last service, I changed from the type with the clear bowl on the bottom (Honda) to the solid canister type. Filters are less expensive and more readily available. A standard filter wrench fits. The service place I use (and I've posted some of his anti-ethanol writings) suggests the filter be changed every 90 days, whether the boat is being used or not, due to the ethanol absorbing water. These 10 micron filters are less than half the price of the Honda filters.

Best wishes,
Jim
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Hi Pat,

I had to remove the old Honda housing. I was changing out fuel lines, anyway, so it wasn't that much more work. Had to (gasp) drill a different hole to mount the new housing, but it covers the old holes. These 10 micron filters are available all over, and for the price, I have a couple extras on the boat.

I had replaced the Honda type fitting once because of rusting. The sun made the plastic bowl yellow and brittle. Just decided that this would be less hassle. I write the date on the outside of the filter, now.

Best wishes,
Jim
 
The larger size ten micron Yamaha filter spin on canister is what we use. I just bought on Ebay were thirteen dollars and thirty five cents each on ebay bought four. Jim's every 90 days change regiment is a safe bet. I use a rubber strap wrench, can't rust. The filter and housing resides out in the splash well easy to change no corrosion issues yet we wash with fresh water a lot. Once in while we wash the boat too. :D
D.D.
 
Would anybody care to post a link to some online catalog page with the required housing for the 10 micron cartridges without the glass bowl? I need to be able to have two fuel lines coming off the housing, one for the BF150 and the other for the BF15. Thanks!
 
Hey Pat,

The one I installed is made by Marpac; 2 lines in and out. I don't remember what it costs. The 10 micron filters were about $7 locally. I put the heavier fuel line on at the same time (more resistant to effects from ethanol).

Best wishes,
Jim

Did a quick search...

http://www.cudjoesales.com/cart/index.p ... r-kit.html

The one I bought is like this, with the composite mount (corrosion resistant). The Honda one (and the replacement) both rusted to the point it was hard to get the filters off. Only changed it once with this one, and it was not a fight.
 
Here's a followup question. As per the good advice I got in the above postings, I changed the filter the other day. Low and behold, when I emptied the contents into a clear glass jar, there were two distinct and separate fluids, one gas and one water. I then fitted a container with a funnel onto the housing for the filter and removed about a gallon of gas by pumping the bulb in the line between the tank and the filter. I then poured that gas into a clear glass container and let it sit. There was no separation of fluids at all. Can I assume that the remaining gas is "good" or should I remove it all and empty the tank and refill it with fresh gas? (there is about 12 gallons remaining in an 18 gallon tank)
 
The simple answer is "no". You can go ahead and use the fuel. You will constantly accumulate some water in the fuel--sort of the nature of where you boat, the temp, the humidity, fullness of the tank, if ethanol is in the tank or not.

The water separator is doing its job. as fuel runs thru it, it separates the fuel and water--screw it off, empty, screw it back on, or change, depending on your beliefs. Then run the boat another XX hours and change it out again and see how much water there is. These filters do "wear out"--there is a water bloc in the elements, plus a certain amount of "damage" done by ethanol and just the fuel running thru, plus debris accumulating. I tend to change out the filter each time I take it off. Lets say every 100 hours or so--more often if high humidity, etc.

Now I just put some new fuel in my Caracal (140 Suzuki, 28 gallon plastic tank). I added appropriate amounts of Stabil, Sea Foam, Lucas top cyl oil and Startron. The fuel I put in had NO ethanol in it.

The fuel I was running earlier today was put in the boat 5 months ago, and was similarly treated.. Not run much between times, and ran like a top....
 
Marty, the other thing you can do is to get a filter assy that has the clear plastic bowl on the bottom with a drain on it. Drain it when you see anything in the bowl but still change the filter above it periodically because other stuff will collect there.

Charlie
 
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