How Do They Work? Racor Marine Spin-on Series Fuel Filter Water Separators use Aquabloc media to reliably remove dirt and water from diesel and gasoline. Aquabloc media is pleated, corrugated and arranged for high water rejection and long service life. Fuel entering the filter head spins around in a vortex and is diverted downward past the vertical media pleats, allowing larger water droplets and contamination particles to fall directly to the collection bowl. Smaller water droplets converge and coalesce on the specially treated media surface until they are large enough to also drop to the collection bowl. Small contamination particles are stopped at the surface of the Aquabloc media, while even smaller particles are held deeper in its layers. This results
in dry, clean motor fuel being delivered to your engine. Google’s AI had a similar spin, stating that a marine water-separating fuel filter uses a combination of centrifugal force and gravity to separate water and contaminants from the fuel, which enters the filter from the top of the canister. The centrifugal force (created by the flow of fuel) or a vane system throws denser water and contami- nants to the outside or bottom of the filter, where they can be drained. A final filtration element removes any remaining particles before the clean fuel reaches the engine via the filter’s outlet port.
Choose the Right Size
Not all water separating fuel filters or their replaceable canisters are created equal. There are different sized and style mounting heads, variable flow rates, different micron filtration ratings, etc., so it’s always a great idea to check with your engine manufacturer to see what they recommend. To ensure selection of the proper Spin-On Series water-
separating fuel filter, Racor recommends the following steps: 1. Choose your engine fuel to be filtered; gasoline or diesel fuel.
2. Select total flow rate through the fuel system (usually listed in gallons per minute or gpm). 3. Choose the proper bowl material. Engineered plastic bowls are only available for gasoline outboard applications. Metal bowls are required for all inboards. 4. If available, choose or reject the hand primer feature. 5. Select the desired media micron rating (30, 10, and 2). 6. Choose the correct inlet port size (1/4”, ½”, ¾”) to ensure your engine’s required fuel flow rating. Final Thoughts Although many water separating fuel filter frames typically offer twin inlets and outlets, this is for installation convenience only…NEVER run two engines at the same time from a single filter, as this is likely to starve them for fuel, overheat and possibly damage the powerheads. Change your filter at the end of each season, or after every 100-hours of engine operation. When you start the engine(s) up in the spring, run it for 5-hours and then dump your fuel into a bucket to see if any water has entered
your fuel system from the winter layover. If all is good, fill the canister back up with fresh fuel and spin it back on the mounting frame. If it’s contaminated, replace it with a fresh filter. Be sure to properly dispose of the test bucket’s fuel properly. As a final thought, carry at least one spare fuel filter onboard for each engine, which can be a lifesaver when you’re far from home port
Made with FlippingBook - PDF hosting