Racor Dual Fuel Filter - quick change over if needed

Billfletcher

Billfletcher

New Member
Feb 20, 2011
913
San Diego, CA
Boat Info
2014, 44, EC.
Engines
2 X 370HP Volvo D6, DPH Duo Prop's
Anyone ever use this or have researched it?

Dual filter that can be quickly changed over to the non plugged filter while you are cleaning or removing water from the other - without stopping engine.

A boater with a single engine diesel almost ended up on the rocks a few weeks ago, so this system was brought up. Seems useful for dual engines as well.

Racor 75500 Max will handle flow rates up to 60 gph.

View attachment 37554



 
Our 500DA came from the factory with that set up. Very handy. In fact had fuel issues last weekend, got us back on the water.
 
I have this setup for my main engines, the trick is to have the valve set to one of the filters, not both.
 
My system is similar to that. No fuel issues yet, but it could happen at any time. It's a nice option to have.
 
Thanks for the feedback. I am having a marine carpenter make a nice wood wall mount on the stbd wall of the engine room side with 5100. Will have room to put some tools and these for both engines on this. Easy access as well in case of an emergency. I am a Previous gasser, so making sure the diesel stays clean, and water free.
 
Here are some points for you to consider………Most over 40 ft Sea Ray boats come with either dual 900MA or 1000MA Racors. A few smaller diesels came with single 500MA filters. I have to question whether or not the filtration flow capacity your manufacturer supplied you is even adequate. A pair of 350hp diesels will burn 25-30 GPH (est.), but diesel engines process 1.5-2X that when you consider the fuel that is returned via the return system. Newer high pressure common rail system process even more, so common rail Volvos could process 45-50 gph thru the filters. The 500MA filter can flow 60 gph leaving you with a very small margin for reduced flow. Doubling that with dual 500MA's will add some safety margin, but dual 900MA's would be better, flowing 180GPH vs. 120gph for the dual 500MA's.

The notion of only running one filter at a time never made sense to me. If you burn 30 gph but process 50 gph thru the filters and only use one filter, you will be stopped where ever the clogged filter happens…at sea, fighting your way back to port in a storm, in a busy channel or fairway, or, if you are lucky, just idling along in a no wake area. When that happens, you either come in on one engine or you stop where you are, and get a clean filter online. If you were only on one filter, then you only have 60 gph capacity remaining……..if both filters were online then you still have 60 + 60 gph capacity available. There is no difference in overall capacity, just the fact that you are a lot less likely to clog a filter at all if you have all of your capacity online and available.

In summary, I question supplying a boat with 2- 370hp diesels and only 60 gph filtering capacity per engine………..you do need to increase the capacity and if you are making that investment, then consider using 900MA (90/180gph) vs. 500MA (60/120gph).
 
Just curious.
If you use one side of duals and in an emergency situation switching to the unused side is it needed to prime the filter? therefore introducing air to the on engine fuel filter and priming/purging engine fuel filter ? or is it full of diesel and ready for emergency switching and not needed to prime/purge ?
 
Frank, thanks for the info. It is a fairly light boat and with the air step hull I am finding burn is about 12 GPH on plane per engine at around 2800 rpm but I am still figuring out the numbers. Does the 60 GPH seem reasonable or does it make sense to upsize to account for return flows? sea ray puts together a great power plant so I am not surprised dual filters are standard equipment on their larger boats.

Melinda, good question on priming. I noticed Parker has a small priming fuel pump on their website. Perhaps this could help in an emergency?
 
Billfletcher said:
Frank, thanks for the info. It is a fairly light boat and with the air step hull I am finding burn is about 12 GPH on plane per engine at around 2800 rpm but I am still figuring out the numbers. Does the 60 GPH seem reasonable or does it make sense to upsize to account for return flows? sea ray puts together a great power plant so I am not surprised dual filters are standard equipment on their larger boats.

Melinda, good question on priming. I noticed Parker has a small priming fuel pump on their website. Perhaps this could help in an emergency?
Click to expand...

Bill I'm not familiar with that Parker pump but I use fuel feed pump and purger/vent on my Volvo Penta as I use for priming my single 500MA.

So you should have been instructed/oriented by VP how to prime/purge via engine feed pump which is very easy.
 
I was instructed by Volvo during a sea trial on prime and purging. Just making a comment about the small prime pump and your question since I am new to diesels.
 
Billfletcher said:
I was instructed by Volvo during a sea trial on prime and purging. Just making a comment about the small prime pump and your question since I am new to diesels.
Click to expand...

That's good to know.
:thumbsup:​
 
Frank,
Are you suggesting setting the valve on the dual system to both filters rather than one? I was instructed by the Cummins tech to use on and switch it over to the other filter only if I have an issue. Right or wrong?
 
Melida: no priming required at the time of change over. Priming is only needed when new filter elements are installed.

Camella: I'm with you. I have always used one side at a time but both Frank W. And Rusty set theirs to draw through in parallel. With two wise men promoting this practice, we all need to take heed.
 
Sea Gull said:
Melida: no priming required at the time of change over. Priming is only needed when new filter elements are installed.

Camella: I'm with you. I have always used one side at a time but both Frank W. And Rusty set theirs to draw through in parallel. With two wise men promoting this practice, we all need to take heed.
Click to expand...

Thanks, got it.
 
Jon,

There is no right or wrong. Rather it is about flow capacity. With 900MA's (I'm not sure what size Racor you have) you flow 90 gph per filter. I\f you burn 20 gph per engine, your filters are processing something on the other of 40-45 gph of fuel and that means you are running with 45 gph reserve in case of a blockage. If you select both filters, then you have 180 GPH and significantly more fuel flow capacity in case of a blockage. As long as you change the Racor elements regularly, you will only clog the filters if you happen to get a really bad load of fuel. I like the odds better that way and in 25 years of running these boats, I have only had one such case and it took a case of Racors to get the fuel system cleaned up…….one standby element wouldn't have helped.

The other thing to realize here is that Sea Ray uses double wall fuel lines with swedged on fittings. It is a very tight fuel system and it will not suck air like most diesel fuel systems will. That means, in the event of a clog, your engine will not just die…it will gradually fail to meet the rpms the throttle is set for. You will have time to slow down, get your wits about you, look for a protected areas, or change the filters if you need to. The key is to have extra filters and a couple of gallons of fuel on the boat if you don't have a priming pump on your engine set up.
 
I keep both filters online as I have shut down in the worst possible places using just one and nearly caused an accident or had a heart attack.I check them a little more frequently (pm) for a piece of mind.
 
fwebster said:
Here are some points for you to consider………Most over 40 ft Sea Ray boats come with either dual 900MA or 1000MA Racors. A few smaller diesels came with single 500MA filters. I have to question whether or not the filtration flow capacity your manufacturer supplied you is even adequate. A pair of 350hp diesels will burn 25-30 GPH (est.), but diesel engines process 1.5-2X that when you consider the fuel that is returned via the return system. Newer high pressure common rail system process even more, so common rail Volvos could process 45-50 gph thru the filters. The 500MA filter can flow 60 gph leaving you with a very small margin for reduced flow. Doubling that with dual 500MA's will add some safety margin, but dual 900MA's would be better, flowing 180GPH vs. 120gph for the dual 500MA's.

The notion of only running one filter at a time never made sense to me. If you burn 30 gph but process 50 gph thru the filters and only use one filter, you will be stopped where ever the clogged filter happens…at sea, fighting your way back to port in a storm, in a busy channel or fairway, or, if you are lucky, just idling along in a no wake area. When that happens, you either come in on one engine or you stop where you are, and get a clean filter online. If you were only on one filter, then you only have 60 gph capacity remaining……..if both filters were online then you still have 60 + 60 gph capacity available. There is no difference in overall capacity, just the fact that you are a lot less likely to clog a filter at all if you have all of your capacity online and available.

In summary, I question supplying a boat with 2- 370hp diesels and only 60 gph filtering capacity per engine………..you do need to increase the capacity and if you are making that investment, then consider using 900MA (90/180gph) vs. 500MA (60/120gph).
Click to expand...
I have the single 500MA filters. Not sure it's worth the investment to go to the doubles...
 
fwebster said:
As long as you change the Racor elements regularly, you will only clog the filters if you happen to get a really bad load of fuel.
Click to expand...

Frank, you may be onto something here. Those that like to run only one filter on at a time may not be changing filters at all. They wait for one to clog, switch to #2 and then once they return to the dock, they now know they have to change the blocked filter. They are using the dual filters as a gauge of sorts for when to change filters. When #1 is clogged, it needs to be changed. :)
 
HUMPH said:
I have the single 500MA filters. Not sure it's worth the investment to go to the doubles...
Click to expand...


Ken,

Just be sure you have at least 1/2 a case of elements and a couple of gallons of fuel in a container on the boat anytime you get out of sight of your slip…………….
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,185
Messages
1,428,146
Members
61,094
Latest member
Linword
Back
Top