Clear plastic on Racor fikter got cloudy how to clean?

[sepharad]

Aquarium shops sell acrylic polish. I assume it's like the auto-lens stuff.



If a lens is available, I would save my time and buy another. Of course I am also the guy who kept a small pick-axe head for 20 years until I found the right handle, all the time refusing to buy a $5 new pickaxe.


So I understand. Post a photo of your results!

[gonesail]

acetone is a very nasty solvent. your mechanic ruined the bowl. he should pay for a new one.

[mksylvers]

The ABYC uses the ANSI/UL 1105 heat test to set their standard for gasoline and diesel fuel filters installed within engine compartments and require heat shielfs to be compliant. West Marine sells Racor heat shields. The bowl needs to be replaced to be safe.

[hd002e]

Thank you everyone for your input. Unfortunately the mechanic is in the thurd world and there’s no way he is going to compensate for messing uo the plastic bowl. I will live with that for now but during the next filter change I will attempt to polish it. If that does not work I’ll get a new one.

For those worried about the plastic housing, it is located in the cockpit locker away from the engine so there is no risk of melting that thing.

Thanks everyone! You all are great!

[Bill Seal]

Originally Posted by mksylvers

The ABYC uses the ANSI/UL 1105 heat test to set their standard for gasoline and diesel fuel filters installed within engine compartments and require heat shielfs to be compliant. West Marine sells Racor heat shields. The bowl needs to be replaced to be safe.

Just how does hanging what appears to be a $100+ chicken waterer from the bottom of a plastic bowl make it fireproof?
About as silly and useless as an EPA jerrycan spout.

[HopCar]

Get a bottle of Enoteca and wipe the damaged area with it. It will reverse the damage done by Acetone. If this fails, you need to buy a new one.

[David Mathis]

Acetone has an adverse effect on some plastics but not all. Without knowing the specific plastic used to form the bowl, any advice would be only a guess. The bowl may be OK or it may have been critically compromised. Filter bowls are cheap. A disintegrating bowl during a storm, or even on a calm day, isn't cheap. The best approach would be to contact Racor with your question.

[Dougtiff]

A different problem, but I've seen Acetone used to clean lifelines, they will be sticky forever, big no, no.

[nuku34]

Plastic bowls suck. They crack and the female drain threads at the bottom get buggered. Get a filter housing that has a thick glass bowl. Non-Racor housings are available at very reasonable prices from auto parts supply stores (they are sued in lots of trucks). The filter elements are way cheaper than Racor. There is nothing magic or specially "marine" about Racor except that in the larger sizes with big fuel flow they do have a centrifugal action that helps filtration. This doesn't work in the smaller sizes which don't have fast fuel flows.

I believe the prohibition on plastic bowls in engine rooms comes from the petrol engine days.

[Trawlerman]

Originally Posted by sailormed

My understanding is that they are allowed if not in the engine compartment.

I believe that the plastic racor bowls are permissible as long as they have the racor metal heat shield.

[Bill Seal]

Originally Posted by Trawlerman

I believe that the plastic racor bowls are permissible as long as they have the racor metal heat shield.

Look at the picture in my post #20 above, and explain how that silly tin cup affords any protection from an engine room fire.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Trawlerman

I believe that the plastic racor bowls are permissible as long as they have the racor metal heat shield.

I got into this years ago, trying to remember the outcome... I think the metal shield was only needed for commercial use, not pleasure craft......?

Gas boats have Racor spin on filters with a plastic bottom that is in very common use.... and it's gasoline!

[Leighpilot]

Easy. Tell the mechanic to buy you a new one.

[pesarsten]

Please take my advice very seriously. The acetone has not just affected the surface of the plastic bowl. it has damaged the molecular structure of the materiel that the bowl is made of. It will fail, the failure will likely start as small stress cracks in the bowl in the area of the Knit line ( where the injected plastic flows together opposite the mold sprue ).
Its not a case of IF, just WHEN.
If you still have any doubts, call Racor, better yet call your insurance company.

[pesarsten]

Just as an FYI , some cheap diesel fuel treatments will also cause the bowls to fail, they contain acetone!!