Racor Fuel/water filter

[wchevron]

i installed a racor gasoline s3240 fuel/water filter in my fuel line last fall. the filter has the see-thru bowl on the bottom. would all of the liquid in the bowl be water. looking at it, it is the color of gas but i don't see any separation of water/gas in it.

[Quickstep192]

If it looks like gas, chances are there's just no water in your gas which is a good thing. There should be a drain on the bottom of the bowl; to be sure, drain it and see what you get.

PS, if your motor is an inboard and the filter is mounted in the engine compartment, you shouldn't be using the model with the clear bowl.

[wchevron]

how come you can't use the clear bowl if it's mounted in the engine compartment?

[DrB]

I think that the reason is that if there is a crack in the clear part (plastic) it or it inadvertently spins off, the gas could easily flow out and drip into the engine compartment and ignite and cause an explosion. According to Racor's site, the clear bowl ones are for OUTBOARD motors only, where the motor is not next to the fuel separator.

Diesels do not have the issue with fuel vapor as gasoline engines do, so they (Separator) can be mounted in the same area as the motor.

DrB

[Quickstep192]

It had been my understanding that if there were a fire in the engine compartment, that the bowl could melt, releasing fuel and further fuel the fire.

[pbanderson]

On my boat if I have potential water I also probably have possible old fuel with possible bacteria in it. I have had a large slug of dirty water go through and fill the bulb. I didn't see a demarcation of oil vs water. Shut down my engine shortly after starting. Now I put a light behind the bulb to make sure.