fuel filter system..

[groundhog]

I was in this guys boat and he had made this switchable fuel filter system.
It was basically a piece of plywood where he mounted 4 filters and some switches.

There was two paths and in each path was a coarse and fine filter. When one path clogged up, you just switched over to the other side.

I want to make one.
Does anyone have info, suggested part numbers etc?

I also saw the filter boss data sheet. Seems pricey. Maybe it's actually a good deal?

groundhog

[jbondy]

Filter Boss looks interesting:

http://www.ktisystems.com/Articles.asp?ID=122

If I was going to make it myself, and that's probably what I would do, I'd look to McMaster-Carr for manifolds, piping, valves, etc. and Racor for the filters.

McMaster-Carr

[Moonfish]

Though it is a bit pricey, the Filter Boss is well engineered and has the very nice feature of a vacuum pressure guage with alarm in the cockpit that tells you when the filter is starting to clog and fail - thus allowing you to switch to the other filter before the engine dies. Probably has other bells and whistles, too...

[Faster]

These seem to me to be kind of pricey and rather unnecessary on a sailboat where the engine hours presumably don't get racked up real fast.

If keeping filters clean and servicable is such a problem that you need a "hot standby" then you need to look at your tank, and/or your fuel supplier. Also, if you make a habit of screening your fuel as you load it you can help prevent problems too.

By all means set up a good filter system, it's truly necessary, but good practices should negate the need for a redundant (read costly) set up like that.

[speciald]

Racor makes a manifold with two filters, vacuum guage, and water sensor alarm. Pricey+++++.

[camaraderie]

Faster...it all depends. For example, outside the US/Can fuel quality can be quite scary. I used a baha filter in the caribe and it was just scary what crap and how much water was in some of the fuel.
I have been in close quarters motoring situations and lost my engine and believe me, I had no opportunity to sail.
My dual racor system was put together quite easily by my diesel guy for a lot less than the "filter boss" and provdes an extra measure of safety/security. I have spent enough time upside down in 8 ft. seas trying to change filters and bleed the engine. Now, at first sign of a slowdown in RPM's we just throw a couple of handles and change filters at our leisure.
I believe all Caliber yachts come with this system.

[Faster]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

Faster...it all depends.....

Point taken, Cam.. I can see that scenario alright. I guess I was thinking more of the typical sailing that most of us do day-to-day.

[christyleigh]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

My dual racor system was put together quite easily by my diesel guy for a lot less than the "filter boss" and provdes an extra measure of safety/security. I have spent enough time upside down in 8 ft. seas trying to change filters and bleed the engine. Now, at first sign of a slowdown in RPM's we just throw a couple of handles and change filters at our leisure.

I spent the big bucks for the "filter boss" after having daily engine deaths on my delivery from MD to R.I. Yes.... the PO let the fuel deteriorate in the 2 - 60 gallon tanks, and I should have had the fuel polished before I left (did later in R.I. for $1,000 ) and the tanks cleaned for X $$$ ?, and yada ...yada... yada...... The bottom line for me was Never Again Who or What Ever the fault was.
Now I have totally switchable tank to tank polishing and the switchable filters with warning gauges and alarms. When I thought I had a problem after building the system Andy the owner of FilterBoss (who does live closer to my boat than I do ) came down and helped me diagnose my non-problem.