Yanmar 4JH45 - Change of Filter

[timohara]

Hi All

I am in the process of changing the standard Yanmar water separator / filter that comes with a 4JH57 - to a Racor 500.

Benefits - as I see it - very cheap filter cartridges on the Racor (£10 Racor vs £50 Yanmar). The Racor has a clear bowl - so easy to see if I need to drain anything off. Easy to change filter - can be done in 10 seconds instead of 10 minutes with the Yanmar version.

There is one negative to the change. The Yanmar unit has a air bleed screw and hand /palm priming pump on it. The Racor doesn't. So, after I make this change from Yanmar to Racor - my system won't have a bleed air screw and priming system.

Anyone got any advice ? Done this change themselves ?

Many thanks,

Tim

[Paul L]

Almost everyone who has a Racor on a Yanmar 4JH type engine has the Racor as a prefilter and they leave the Yanmar on engine filter in place. With a vacuum gauge on the Racor you'll know when to replace filters, instead of counting fixed month intervals. This, in its self, will reduce your filter change costs and labor. Plus it is not necessary to change the on engine filter every time you change the Racor.

[Bean Counter]

if it is not broken don't fix it. There are plenty if generic substitutes if you are worried about price. If you have a pre filter the on engine filter will rarely need changing.

[NYSail]

As was said you do not remove the engine mounted filter..... strange your engine doesn’t already have a pre-filter/water separator like most engines I’ve ever seen. My racor 500 is the primary filter / water separator and the engine mounted filter is the secondary.

Greg

[Scubaseas]

I have two Racor 500s mounted outside the engine compartment as clear plastic bowls are not code for inside an engine compartment. I left the OE Yanmar secondary on the engine. I also have an electric pump that I can use to prime the fuel system and to polish or transfer fuel from one tank to another (I have three tanks). It can also be used in pace of the engine lift pump if necessary. I have the filters set up so that I can change one of the Racors while the engine is running off the other filter.

[SJFK]

I used the Racor 500 and after changing the filter I simply topped the bowl up with the diesel that was in it and which I had drained off before changing the filter. I was lucky never to experience water in the fuel. My Yanmar engine had a self bleeding system so air in the system it was never really going to be an issue, but it would be wrong to be complacent. But that aside it is easy to drain off enough fuel to fill the Racor up afterwards.
My Racor was in the engine room, but it was a glass bowl and coded for its location.
Good luck

[timohara]

Thanks all for your replies. I dont think I was very clear about the existing setup - apologies. The Yanmar 4JH57 has an on-engine screw on filer (10 Micron). That is staying - not removing that. Between this on-engine filter and the tank is a Yanmar water separator / filter. It is this I want to remove. It is located in a crazy place - and if I ever need to change it - it will take me hours. I want to swap this out for a Racor - and locate the Racor outside the engine bay - in a location that enables me to drain or change the filter in seconds - an important factor to me a single hander.

Hopefully that make things clearer - apologies.

[NYSail]

Originally Posted by timohara

Thanks all for your replies. I dont think I was very clear about the existing setup - apologies. The Yanmar 4JH57 has an on-engine screw on filer (10 Micron). That is staying - not removing that. Between this on-engine filter and the tank is a Yanmar water separator / filter. It is this I want to remove. It is located in a crazy place - and if I ever need to change it - it will take me hours. I want to swap this out for a Racor - and locate the Racor outside the engine bay - in a location that enables me to drain or change the filter in seconds - an important factor to me a single hander.

Hopefully that make things clearer - apologies.

Never saw a yanmar water seperater, but yes a well placed Racor 500 is great and an easy filter change. They also sell a nice valve for draining the bowel.

Greg

[Tin Tin]

Originally Posted by timohara

Thanks all for your replies. I dont think I was very clear about the existing setup - apologies. The Yanmar 4JH57 has an on-engine screw on filer (10 Micron). That is staying - not removing that. Between this on-engine filter and the tank is a Yanmar water separator / filter. It is this I want to remove. It is located in a crazy place - and if I ever need to change it - it will take me hours. I want to swap this out for a Racor - and locate the Racor outside the engine bay - in a location that enables me to drain or change the filter in seconds - an important factor to me a single hander.

Hopefully that make things clearer - apologies.

Any chance you could post a photo of the filter in question?.