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Old 14-02-2018, 14:56   #16
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Re: Progression of fuel filters

The Yanmar on engine filter is 10u on most of the common engines. Putting a finer filter in front of this is not productive IMO. 30u is what Yanmar recommends as the primary.

When your secondary filter fails/clogs and your primary is fine is usually indicates that the secondary was in service too long and the paper is starting to decompose. Just because the secondary is more difficult to change isn't a reason to go finer on the primary and think all is well and you can neglect the secondary.
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Old 15-02-2018, 08:13   #17
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Re: Progression of fuel filters

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Originally Posted by svHyLyte View Post
Of course, we are obtaining fuel in the US from sources that move a lot of the stuff, so it tends to be quite clean and free of water contamination. Elsewhere that might not be the case, which is why most voyaging still rely on Baha Fuel Filters or similar when refueling. So...the choice is yours.

FWIW...
You can pre-filter the fuel before it goes into the tank. Here is a typical device that helps a lot. YBW, a great magazine out of the U.K. did some tests on these. The West Maring brand came out on top although this one also gets high marks. Basically it's a large funnel that filters out dirt and water. It works for fuel and petrol.

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/flo-t...09?recordNum=1
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Old 15-02-2018, 08:39   #18
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Re: Progression of fuel filters

I'm in the 10 micron camp. I think I used 20 micron a lot too. But I kept a clean tank. My theory is most fuel contamination occurs in your tank not from the source. But of course there can be exceptions in third world countries etc!
When it comes to filtering, there are less expensive options than Racor with filters probably 3 times the size at less cost. Water separation would need to be provided if you are inclined to worry about that though.
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Old 15-02-2018, 08:53   #19
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Re: Progression of fuel filters

30 micron on Racor. I have a Yanmar 4JH3, and I think the stand Yanmar filter for that is 7 micron.

I've used 10 micron Racor filters, but find they plug really fast if you're sailing in a blow and heavy waves.

See no benefit of placing a course filter downstream of a finer one.
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Old 15-02-2018, 09:28   #20
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Re: Progression of fuel filters

Interesting. I have a Yanmar 4JH3TE. I always thought that the filter on the engine was 2 micron so this debate is interesting. I was at the boat show">London Boat Show Jan 2018 and visited the Racor stand. I told him what i had and he suggested the Racor 500FG for £130 (boat show price?) with a 10 micron filter. I Have not checked the book but i think Calder suggests 20 micron for the primary filter.

Around Europe i have never yet had a filter problem but i realise some of you guys have greater fuel "challenges" in your areas.
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Old 15-02-2018, 09:53   #21
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Re: Progression of fuel filters

I've always run 10 micron in the racors, easier to change than the secondary filter at sea.
I've picked up bad fuel in Sumatra, went through ten filters had to fly more in.
The west marine type filters only filter out quite big stuff, I think their not even 100 micron?
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Old 15-02-2018, 10:08   #22
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Re: Progression of fuel filters

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Originally Posted by ArmyDaveNY View Post
You can pre-filter the fuel before it goes into the tank. Here is a typical device that helps a lot. YBW, a great magazine out of the U.K. did some tests on these. The West Maring brand came out on top although this one also gets high marks. Basically it's a large funnel that filters out dirt and water. It works for fuel and petrol.

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/flo-t...09?recordNum=1

Dave--

Thanks for providing the information. That filter is, of course, just a plastic version of the original Baha Fuel Filters,developed and so named because of they were used to deal with the poor quality of the fuel one would pick up at Turtle Bay (from rusty/crusty 55 gal drums) and a few other stops along the route from SoCal to Cabo "back in the day".

FWIW, any fuel that comes out of anything save the hose from a heavily frequented fuel depot goes through such a filter before it goes into our tank. Including, in our case, our own Jerry cans. That does not prevent all of the problems considering the crap that :"grows" in one's own tank(s) but it is helpful.

Based upon the comments of this thread, as I said earlier, there's no consensus on the right filter sequences. Different ships, different long splices.
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Old 15-02-2018, 10:36   #23
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Re: Progression of fuel filters

10 micron pre filter changed yearly (100 hours) and 2 Mic on the engine changed every 250 hours or three years. Never had a fuel problem.
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Old 15-02-2018, 10:39   #24
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Re: Progression of fuel filters

I get genuine racor fliter elements for the 500 from Discount Marine Supplies offers quality boating supplies & marine supplies for boaters and sailboat owners. $7.36 each. Almost a third the price of West marine and 30% less than Boat Owners Warehouse. Quick delivery. I keep a bunch on hand since I use them on the sailboat and the lobster boat.

With the 10 micron it seems to get most everything as evidenced by the cleanliness of the Yanmar on engine filter when I change that

I am also eyeing one of the fancy new Keenan dual filter fuel polishers, but at $3k+ that buys a lot of filters....
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Old 15-02-2018, 10:46   #25
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Re: Progression of fuel filters

I've found that a 2 micron racor filter works quite well as a prefilter. 10 micron works very well too. Yanmar recommends 30 microns for the gm's. Really 2 micron IS overkill, but I had them at a good price and change them out yearly anyway. The surface area and low flow rate, makes them work fine on the smaller diesels.

It takes less then 5 minutes to change the filter now since I redid the fue system last year. The engine filter lasts a long time with 2 micron pre-filters.

If I find a box of 10 micron filters at a good price, I'll get them next time I order a box. But 2 micron do work fine as well.
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Old 15-02-2018, 11:15   #26
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Re: Progression of fuel filters

I "think" Racor fittings are standard straight thread hydraulic ORB fittings.
Parker is a "hydraulics" company.
I once needed a fitting in a rush & think that is what I used-a hydraulic ORB.
Here is one online source https://www.fittingsforracor.com/sho...d=45&cat=500MA

ORB ftg source https://www.discounthydraulichose.co...tings_s/50.htm

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Old 15-02-2018, 11:20   #27
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Re: Progression of fuel filters

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Originally Posted by a64pilot View Post
I go with the prefilter advice, or if you just go to a super fine pre filter, then having two filters is illogical.
My pre filter is 30 micron, and the final is Yanmar and you have a hard time finding out what that really is, but I don’t think it’s a 2 micron, I think it’s bigger, of course fuel cannot be too clean, filtering finer can’t be anything but good in the long run.
Yanmar is 2 micron primary filter( engine mounted) 2gm20, others may be 5or10.
In the filter number sequence it is shown, ask your supplier to point that out.
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Old 15-02-2018, 11:31   #28
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Re: Progression of fuel filters

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Originally Posted by SaltyMetals View Post
Interesting. I have a Yanmar 4JH3TE. I always thought that the filter on the engine was 2 micron so this debate is interesting. I was at the London Boat Show Jan 2018 and visited the Racor stand. I told him what i had and he suggested the Racor 500FG for £130 (boat show price?) with a 10 micron filter. I Have not checked the book but i think Calder suggests 20 micron for the primary filter.

Around Europe i have never yet had a filter problem but i realise some of you guys have greater fuel "challenges" in your areas.
Andrew
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I have the Yanmar service manual for that engine in front of me and the Yanmar spec for the on engine fuel filter is 10u. you can put either a 20u or 30u in front of it but Yanmar suggests 30u. The whole concept of progressive filtering is that you have 2 filters working for you not one, with twice the filtration surface. putting a finer filter in front of a coarse filter is counterproductive to the concept. You now only have one filter.
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Old 15-02-2018, 11:53   #29
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Re: Progression of fuel filters

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Originally Posted by Boatyarddog View Post
Yanmar is 2 micron primary filter( engine mounted) 2gm20, others may be 5or10.
In the filter number sequence it is shown, ask your supplier to point that out.
Boatyarddog,

That's interesting, I'm looking at the service manual for the 2GM series and it states that the filter element for the on engine filter is 10~15u.
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Old 15-02-2018, 12:33   #30
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Re: Progression of fuel filters

My Perkins 4-108 has a 2 micron factory filter on the engine, which burns about 1 GPH
I have 2 Racor 60 GPH filters before the engine that are set up so I can change either filter with the engine running.
The 1st filter has a 5 micron filter the 2nd a 2 micron, same as the engine.
Considering that way more fuel is pumped thu the filters than is ever consumed by the engine, the fuel returned to the Tanks is essentially polished.
This takes care of any growth in the fuel while in the tanks.
We know that in calmer water sediment settles in the bottom of tanks and growth clings to the walls. In rough water this all stirs up and goes into suspension and thru the filters.
This is where the big 60 GPH filters really pay off.
Of course a deep inventory of spare filters is mandatory what ever your set up.
This over kill plan works for me.
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