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Old 13-10-2018, 07:03   #1
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Walbro fuel pump with filter screen removed

I wanted to check and see if it makes sense to run a walbro FRB fuel pump without the filter screen installed and if anyone has experience in this area? About 6 months back, I replaced all my 24 year old fuel lines from the tank to the 3HM35F diesel in my IP35. I also replaced the Racor 500 and put in a new WALBRO FRB fuel pump between the tank and the Racor to prime the Racor. This is the same as the original configuration. Since then, the engine has been purring like a kitten.
One our last trip out last weekend, the engine suddenly started acting like it was starving for fuel, just as it would with a dirty Racor filter, but the Racor looks pristine. I suspect the 70 micron filter inside the Walbro may be clogging and is actually preventing any contamination in the tank from getting to the Racor. Does anyone know it is safe to remove the filter screen from the Walbro, or is there a different flow through filter pump that I should be using instead? Thanks for any advice.
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Old 13-10-2018, 07:13   #2
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Re: Walbro fuel pump with filter screen removed

That screen is protecting the pump and saving you a lot of filter changing.
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Old 13-10-2018, 07:20   #3
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Re: Walbro fuel pump with filter screen removed

Seems to me that you only need to put the Racor in front of the pump. Problem solved!
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Old 13-10-2018, 07:25   #4
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Re: Walbro fuel pump with filter screen removed

Hi. I understand what you are recommending but the whole reason for having the fuel pump is to prime the Racor when changing its filter. So placing the fuel pump after the Racor would not help me.
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Old 13-10-2018, 08:51   #5
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Re: Walbro fuel pump with filter screen removed

On my last boat I installed a Walbro fuel pump and removed the filter, but the pump was after the Racor. The Racor filters will filter better if fuel is sucked rather than pushed through the filter so the change helps not only the pump life, but the quality of fuel filtration.

I was still able to prime the Racor filter using the fuel polishing pump. The polishing pump normally fed fuel back into the the tank but the output could be diverted to prime the main engine filter.

I am not sure this is much help, but it may be possible to arrange the plumbing in your system so the Walbro normally sucks fuel through the Racor but can be diverted to still prime the Racor. One of the clues that simplified the plumbing for my installation was that the Racor filters can be primed “backwards” by pumping fuel into the outlet.

However, I am not sure pump life will be a significant problem even without filtration. The Walbro pumps are rated at 18,000 hours operation so even a 10x reduction in life is not going to be a problem. My original fuel polishing pump pushed rather than sucked and lasted many years without filtration. The reduction in quality of filtration would concern me more, but I have no idea if the practical difference is significant, or this is just a minor theoretical problem.
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Old 13-10-2018, 09:14   #6
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Re: Walbro fuel pump with filter screen removed

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Originally Posted by noelex 77 View Post
...The Walbro pumps are rated at 18,000 hours operation so even a 10x reduction in life is not going to be a problem...
You were doing okay right up to this wild assumption.

If the screen is removed debris could stop the pump after just a few minutes of operation.
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Old 13-10-2018, 09:30   #7
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Re: Walbro fuel pump with filter screen removed

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Originally Posted by noelex 77 View Post
On my last boat I installed a Walbro fuel pump and removed the filter, but the pump was after the Racor. The Racor filters will filter better if fuel is sucked rather than pushed through the filter so the change helps not only the pump life, but the quality of fuel filtration.
This ^^. It’s also the recommended way per Racor.

Having the pump before the Racor also hinders water separation due to agitation/aeration of the fuel entering the Racor when pushed to the filter.
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Old 13-10-2018, 09:50   #8
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Re: Walbro fuel pump with filter screen removed

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Originally Posted by Terra Nova View Post
If the screen is removed debris could stop the pump after just a few minutes of operation.
True, but that has not been my experience. Our original fuel polishing pump used on our previous yacht pushed rather than sucked with no filter between it and the tank. The pump lasted about 5 years with typically a couple of hours operation a day. Our fuel and tank were clean, but a polishing pump set up this way has the hardest life, as the pump is picking up from the very bottom of the tank.

This is only one data point, but it suggests that this type of fuel pump is tolerant to being run without a filter. The Walbro fuel filter is only very small and I would be very reluctant to depend on this filter staying clean for the successful running of the main engine, especially if this filter was prior to the Racor so it was the first filter in the system.
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Old 13-10-2018, 09:52   #9
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Re: Walbro fuel pump with filter screen removed

Lots of good info here but the real answer is a fuel polishing system
The fact that the Walbro is clogging suggests a lot of junk in your tank.

That said I have the exact system you have sort of. Do a Google search for Capt Will's Fuel Polishing system and you will see a schematic for the correct installation of the Walbro.

Captn Wil's Fuel Polishing System: Trawlers & Trawlering How To

The key in part for you is a bypass. As you'll see all the individual components have their own bypass for two reasons. One to bypass the component if it is clogged and two to bypass the component if you don't need it.
You could simply bypass the Walboro except when you want to fill the Racor as the simplest solution for you.

I have the exact Capt Will system and have NEVER had any problems with the Walboro filter and I often run it for hours at a time solely to polish my fuel. I've used mine for 15 years without issue. Removing the Walbro is a bad move and ignores the problem And Yes Racors prefer to suck but the engine is doing that for you underway and as you'll see the Walbro too is sucking into the filter system.
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Old 13-10-2018, 13:02   #10
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Re: Walbro fuel pump with filter screen removed

Pump after the Racor. Racor are designed for suction use, not pressure. In reality you can pressurize them a little, but that’s not how they’re designed.

I had a similar problem that drove me crazy. Turns out it was a screen in the pickup tube in the fuel tank.
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Old 13-10-2018, 15:32   #11
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Re: Walbro fuel pump with filter screen removed

Question: If the pump is installed in line with the primary feed to the engine, will it allow fuel to pass through if the pump is not running.
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Old 13-10-2018, 16:23   #12
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Re: Walbro fuel pump with filter screen removed

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Originally Posted by YARGO View Post
Question: If the pump is installed in line with the primary feed to the engine, will it allow fuel to pass through if the pump is not running.
Yes, it will.
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Old 15-10-2018, 04:45   #13
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Re: Walbro fuel pump with filter screen removed

Hi Everyone,


I would like to thank you all for your very thoughtful answers to my question. One clarification I would like to make is that the I never plan to run the pump when the engine is running. The engine pulls from the tank just fine with it's built in mechanical pump. This pump is only for pumping diesel into the Racor 500 when I change the filter. I understand the concerns that a pump running all the time should be placed after the Racor. Based on the comments, I'm going to try out what Russ recommended in the article he shared. I will pick up a valve on each side of the pump that will let me divert flow through or around the fuel pump. So I will only have flow going into the pump when I need to change the Racor filter. Otherwise, the engine will be pulling from the tank directly to the Racor when the valves are in an alternate position. These seems to be the best and cleanest solution, but only time will tell how well this works out for me. I also found that Walbro sells an alternate 240 micron filter that will replace the internal 70 micron filter. I'll add this as well for additional peace of mind.
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