Beware the check ball valve on your Racor!

[bwindrope]

Just a friendly post here to warn any who don't know about the wee little gremlin in your Racor filters that can shut your diesel down cold. I had my engine die in the Straits of Georgia, British Columbia just last week, and after the usual routine of head scratching and filter replacing, and nothing working, I finally recalled how that little check ball can be a culprit. We were fortunate to avoid any real drama and were in open water with no wind, but most of the time we are within a stones throw of hard rocks and in fast currents and a dead engine is a formula for quick grounding or emergency anchoring if you are lucky to not have 200' of water right up to the shore.

I wrote up the whole story on my blog for anyone interested:
Stories of Aeolus- Our Gulf 32 Pilothouse: Beware the check valve ball on your Racor!

[Jd1]

Thank you for that post I had a similar problem which after many 'fixes' wrote off to a vacuum leak but because the problem was intermittent, I am not 100% sure I got it solved. It never occurred to me to check the mechanics of the Racor. I will do so if things decide to act up again.

[bwindrope]

Originally Posted by Jd1

Thank you for that post I had a similar problem which after many 'fixes' wrote off to a vacuum leak but because the problem was intermittent, I am not 100% sure I got it solved. It never occurred to me to check the mechanics of the Racor. I will do so if things decide to act up again.

You're very welcome. I count this as perhaps the most frustrating and insidious little problem I've ever had, and that could have had the most dire consequences. If I hadn't known and remembered to check this, we would have paid a lot of money for a tow into a slip in Nanaimo where I would have perhaps relented and sought a mechanic. Basically, solving it myself saved us thousands of dollars and perhaps days of delays.

It's just another bit of knowledge us captains need to keep in the mental toolbox.

[svHyLyte]

Which Racor filter are you fitted with?

(Handsome boat and family by the way. Good for you!)

[a64pilot]

I wasn’t aware of a check valve in a Racor?
Where is it located? Picture is priceless

[taxwizz]

More information please.
I have not heard of this issue either.

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I wasn’t aware of a check valve in a Racor?
Where is it located? Picture is priceless

In the 500FG series, there is a "check valve" above the turbine centrifuge and baffle assembly but simply a ball valve (see 500FG PDF)--see page 7. It allows one to change the filter cartridge without having to bleed the fuel lines.

FWIW...

[bwindrope]

Sorry, I just got on my blog and posted a picture of the ball valve location and assembly. My filter is the 200 series spin on, though I know there are ball valves on many others, including the 500 series. I called and spoke with Racor yesterday and they explained the sensitivity of the ball seating properly for preventing suction that draws air into the system. Again, just another thing for us to trouble shoot and keep clean.

[alctel]

Nice write up.

I have a 200 series racor as well, will be checking this.

[svthreecheers]

Originally Posted by bwindrope

Just a friendly post here to warn any who don't know about the wee little gremlin in your Racor filters that can shut your diesel down cold. I had my engine die in the Straits of Georgia, British Columbia just last week, and after the usual routine of head scratching and filter replacing, and nothing working, I finally recalled how that little check ball can be a culprit. We were fortunate to avoid any real drama and were in open water with no wind, but most of the time we are within a stones throw of hard rocks and in fast currents and a dead engine is a formula for quick grounding or emergency anchoring if you are lucky to not have 200' of water right up to the shore.

I wrote up the whole story on my blog for anyone interested:
Stories of Aeolus- Our Gulf 32 Pilothouse: Beware the check valve ball on your Racor!

My understanding was that this valve cuts off the diesel fuel supply to the engine only when the Racor Filter unit is full of water from the fuel tank.

[Taipe]

The hairy appearance of the grime that choked the fuel flow is highly suspect for fungal origin. The scientific term for the hair-like substance is "mycelia". Most likely, the mycelia are stimulated to grow from the fungus when in the presence of water, which as we all know, gravitates to the bottom of a fuel tank.

[bwindrope]

Originally Posted by Taipe

The hairy appearance of the grime that choked the fuel flow is highly suspect for fungal origin. The scientific term for the hair-like substance is "mycelia". Most likely, the mycelia are stimulated to grow from the fungus when in the presence of water, which as we all know, gravitates to the bottom of a fuel tank.

Interesting idea about it being mycelium. I will say that the crud I pulled out had the feel much more of hair than mycelium. It was stiff and bristly, did not tear easily. When I did a full tear down and clean out of my tank last year, I found deep sludge but nothing at all hair-like. That's what is so mysterious. Maybe when I get back to the boat I'll bring that wad of stuff home and put it under a microscope to see if I can learn anything more about it.

[mikeod]

Do you have fiberglass tanks. Could be glass fibers

[bwindrope]

Originally Posted by mikeod

Do you have fiberglass tanks. Could be glass fibers

No, aluminum. 70 gallons! Though I have probably reduced that 70 to about 69 after my tank cleaning and repair job that saw me installing a new aluminum sheet bottom. These Gulf 32's were built with large tanks. 70 gallons water too. I haven't said this yet but my new procedure will be to check and clean that ball valve area with each filter change.

[a64pilot]

OK, he has a check valve because his filter has a plunger pump, vast majority of Racor’s are 500 series and I have never seen a pump.

Maine Sail has a photo how to that clearly shows the check ball and seat.
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/rebuilding_a_racor_
However it doesn’t explain its function.
Assumption is that vacuum gauge if you have one would go sky high if this valve stuck to prevent fuel flow.