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Author Topic:   How often to change the Racor filter?

pcrussell50 posted 05-13-2011 04:44 PM ET (US)
This one I'm putting here, because it specifically addresses my BW Alert, which has a water separating fuel filter, BUT does NOT have a clear drain bowl. I have an hour meter on the motor, and I imagine that there is a recommended time interval for changing the spin-on filter. But I have no idea what that time interval is. Any suggestions?
It's a great running, carbureted, Mercury 90 Fourstroke, and I want to keep it that way.
-Peter
seahorse posted 05-13-2011 04:51 PM ET (US)
As long as you don't have a history of contamination, the rule of thumb is to change filters at 100 hours or once a year. Twice a year would even be better with ethanol blended fuels.
This corresponds to the same service schedule that most outboards require.
contender posted 05-13-2011 04:55 PM ET (US)
Pete: spin on filters are cheap (if it is the one I think you are talking about $7) But I would say about 150 hr of use. The problem is you could get a bad load of fuel and could fill the filter in one use. Couple of things, how many time have you had water (bad fuel) in your gas, keep your tank full, and alot of people do not even run filters...take care
pcrussell50 posted 05-13-2011 04:56 PM ET (US)
Got it. Thanks :)
Replacement elements are cheap, too.
-Peter
Binkster posted 05-13-2011 08:11 PM ET (US)
Years ago I had a spin on water separator filter fill with water and the motor sputtered and quit. No other filter on board, so I emptied the filter (overboard) flushed out the gas line reinstalled the filter, and kept going. ran the tank down, pumped it out and installed a new filter. A filter full of water won't let you down, just empty it.
pcrussell50 posted 05-13-2011 10:00 PM ET (US)
Thanks Binks. Mebbie Ima start carrying a spare filter... cheap insurance and all, don'tcha know? I've got the room to store little things like that under the console of my Alert.
-Peter
crbenny posted 05-14-2011 10:20 AM ET (US)
As I understand it, we're supposed to de-carb our old school 2 strokes every 50 hours. So every 50 hours, I fill a new fuel filter with sea foam, screw it on and off I go. The filter meters the sea foam into the engine at a perfect rate where it'll leave a nice smoke trail for a few minutes but my boat doesn't look like it's on fire from the beach.
2 birds, 1 stone.
Answer: Every 50 hours
Chris

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Author	Topic: How often to change the Racor filter?
pcrussell50	posted 05-13-2011 04:44 PM ET (US) This one I'm putting here, because it specifically addresses my BW Alert, which has a water separating fuel filter, BUT does NOT have a clear drain bowl. I have an hour meter on the motor, and I imagine that there is a recommended time interval for changing the spin-on filter. But I have no idea what that time interval is. Any suggestions? It's a great running, carbureted, Mercury 90 Fourstroke, and I want to keep it that way. -Peter
seahorse	posted 05-13-2011 04:51 PM ET (US) As long as you don't have a history of contamination, the rule of thumb is to change filters at 100 hours or once a year. Twice a year would even be better with ethanol blended fuels. This corresponds to the same service schedule that most outboards require.
contender	posted 05-13-2011 04:55 PM ET (US) Pete: spin on filters are cheap (if it is the one I think you are talking about $7) But I would say about 150 hr of use. The problem is you could get a bad load of fuel and could fill the filter in one use. Couple of things, how many time have you had water (bad fuel) in your gas, keep your tank full, and alot of people do not even run filters...take care
pcrussell50	posted 05-13-2011 04:56 PM ET (US) Got it. Thanks :) Replacement elements are cheap, too. -Peter
Binkster	posted 05-13-2011 08:11 PM ET (US) Years ago I had a spin on water separator filter fill with water and the motor sputtered and quit. No other filter on board, so I emptied the filter (overboard) flushed out the gas line reinstalled the filter, and kept going. ran the tank down, pumped it out and installed a new filter. A filter full of water won't let you down, just empty it.
pcrussell50	posted 05-13-2011 10:00 PM ET (US) Thanks Binks. Mebbie Ima start carrying a spare filter... cheap insurance and all, don'tcha know? I've got the room to store little things like that under the console of my Alert. -Peter
crbenny	posted 05-14-2011 10:20 AM ET (US) As I understand it, we're supposed to de-carb our old school 2 strokes every 50 hours. So every 50 hours, I fill a new fuel filter with sea foam, screw it on and off I go. The filter meters the sea foam into the engine at a perfect rate where it'll leave a nice smoke trail for a few minutes but my boat doesn't look like it's on fire from the beach. 2 birds, 1 stone. Answer: Every 50 hours Chris