Changing CAV filters

[Flod]

How do you do it? I always spill diesel and it gets all messy when unscrewing and taking away the old filter. I Try to have a bucket underneath but that doesn't help 100%


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[DeepFrz]

Replace it with a spin on?

[model 10]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

Replace it with a spin on?

The only outfit that seemed to advertise a spin on kit, ABC, has stopped production. There must be others.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by Flod

How do you do it? I always spill diesel and it gets all messy when unscrewing and taking away the old filter. I Try to have a bucket underneath but that doesn't help 100%


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You mean without fuel everywhere?!?!?

Good luck.


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[model 10]

There is another spin on adapter for a CAV. $100 from our friends at Racor. Not sure if you know but you pre fill the spin on filter and the engine does not miss a beat when you start. Seems like I had trouble with the old canister type.

[shakey doug]

Pull plastic rubbish bag up around filter, when filter comes loose just lower it into bag, have used this system on all fuel & oil filter for years.

[Flod]

Originally Posted by shakey doug

Pull plastic rubbish bag up around filter, when filter comes loose just lower it into bag, have used this system on all fuel & oil filter for years.

Thanks! I'll try that


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[Wotname]

Doesn't your CAV have a small drain bung on the bottom of the water trap bowl - mine does.

I just drain the filter into a small container using this bung and then remove the filter using tbe top bolt. Mob up the small spills and then fit the new one. Bleed and bob's your uncle.

[colemj]

Our boat came with those CAV filters and I figured out the best way to change them the first time I had to do it.

You disconnect the intake and exit hoses, throw the unit away and replace with a Racor 500.

Mark

[Ukeluthier]

Originally Posted by colemj

Our boat came with those CAV filters and I figured out the best way to change them the first time I had to do it.

You disconnect the intake and exit hoses, throw the unit away and replace with a Racor 500.

Mark

I'll second that. My old boat had CAV primary and secondary, and I hated those things. Terribly engineered pieces of crap.

Deep six 'em at the first opportunity and get a spin-on.

[a64pilot]

The Cav works fine though and if your constrained financially, the bag idea works.
I do the same with the oil filter, but use a 1 gl size zip lock freezer bag, they are very tough and of course seal very well.

[Ukeluthier]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

The Cav works fine though and if your constrained financially, the bag idea works.
I do the same with the oil filter, but use a 1 gl size zip lock freezer bag, they are very tough and of course seal very well.

While I concede that they do filter as well as anything else, the difficulty of changing them makes them less likely to get changed as often... and that's not a good thing.

Things designed for humans to use should be designed with human nature in mind.

[a64pilot]

Racor's easier no doubt, I have the dual set up with vacuum gauge waiting for me to install it, but the existing Dahl probably filters just as well, I'm changing mostly for convenience sake and thinking Racor filters are more widely available.
I'm only pointing out there isn't a necessity to change, money might be better spent elsewhere is all.

[Ukeluthier]

Being an engineer by training, I appreciate intelligent industrial design... and intelligent industrial design means designing to the user as well as to the task the device is to perform.

I agree that -- if one is financially constrained, as I was when I owned the boat with the CAV filters -- you find a workaround.

The bag method works in most circumstances, but it didn't with the engine-mounted secondary CAV on my Volvo MD21B. The mounting bracket on the engine made it impossible to get a bag far enough up around the filter to prevent spillage, even if you had the dexterity to remove the through-bolt while trying to manipulate the bag into position.

I cussed that filter endlessly.

[sanibel sailor]

put a good Racor upstream and you will rarely need to change it. I raised my CAV for access and put a drain in the bottom. Do not know how it works as I have not had to change it in 5 years.