Water/Fuel separator?

[muskie hunter]

I have a 1996 Wellcraft Excel that I just bought. It has 141 hours on it. I am concerned about water, or dirt in the fuel. The boat has a separator on it that looks like an oil filter. How exactly does this setup work? Should I have a separate fuel filter on it also, or will the water separator filter any particles in the fuel.

Thanks Steve

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Water/Fuel separator?

that is what you want, it is a water/fuel separator/filter. seeing you just bought it. change the filter inside. be sure to fill it the fuel you run the boat on before installing, as it will help with repriming the system.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Water/Fuel separator?

I would suggest that you get a Racor 10 micron filter with a sight glass and drain. That way you can check for any water accumulation daily and can drain it without removing the filter.

Racor makes filters that are direct replacement for the exsiting filter mount so there is no need to do anything other than buy a different filter.

 

[SPUNWHEELS]

Re: Water/Fuel separator?

Working offshore in the oil industry, we use the racor filters a lot. They save us time and money. Very expensive to set up initially, but the elements are cheaper than the spin on's, and can't rust in storage like spin ons do sometimes. On 300 hp and up, we use double and tripple Racor units that you can switch between the elements on the fly for trouble shooting purposes, or to just change an element without shutting down an engine. These bad boys cost about 1300 bucks for the larger 20/20 series set up. I use a single much smaller 20/10 on my Merc 150. You can see in the plastic bowl if you have water. You can pull the element from the canister and check to see if it too is dirty and in need of replacing. You don't have to guess anymore.

 

[drewmitch44]

Re: Water/Fuel separator?

Just curious, I have a yamaha 115, should i be using a water/fuel seperator? I switch my fuel line between 4, 6 gallon fuel tanks. In the winter im thinking about mounting a fuel cell under the floor, but i never thought about mounting a water/fuel seperator. I never had a problem before but this was my first season with the yamaha 115 and before i had a smaller aluminum boat with a 15 hp motor and thats all. Dont mean to take over the thread or anything but there is not much talk about these on the forum. Thanks!

 

[dingbat]

Re: Water/Fuel separator?

IMHO very boat should have a good filter/separator on board unless you have a small portable tank that you refill after each outing.

If you use E10 fuels then a good 10 micron filter/separator is mandatory for trouble free operation.

 

[muskie hunter]

Re: Water/Fuel separator?

In the original, it was asked "HOW" does this separator work and "Will it remove sediment from the fuel" or do I need a separate fuel filter for this duty.

Thanks Steve

 

[j442w30]

Re: Water/Fuel separator?

The gas flows through filter similar to the way oil flows through an oil filter in a car. Inside the water separator filter the paper element is treated with a chemical that does not allow water to pass through and the paper itself stops the dirt. The water then collects in the bottom of the filter. Thats the advantage to the more expensive racor filters is you can drain the water out without having to replace the filter. I have one similar to yours and as long as you change the filter at least once a season you're fine.