[boatpoker]

I've been TOLD, by a surveyor, that the damn metal cups are an ABCY requirement.

ABYC requires fuel filters to meet a fire rating specification or be fitted with a heat shield. I don't know of any plastic bowls that will meet the requirement although glass bowls do.

 

[boatpoker]

I looked through the ABYC standards. The two most pertinent standards are H-33 "Diesel Fuel Systems," and P-4 "Marine Inboard Engines and Transmissions." NO MENTION OF A SHIELD REQUIREMENT FOR THE FILTER BOWL.

No plastic bowl without a heat shield has ever passed this test that I'm aware of. Racor does not claim that they do.

 

[boatpoker]

I have dual raqcors and when I replaced my pathetically installed fuel tanks a couple of years ago I had them built with bottom feed (no pickup tubes). Nothing sits in the bottom of my tank but diesel, it's all caught by the Racors.

PS. No heat shields on mine, I like to see the condition. One of the few places I disagree with ABYC. If your fuel filter bowl melts .... You got bigger problems any way.

 

[boatpoker]

I don’t have heat shields on mine either, but they are in a cabinet outside the engine room. Does that ABYC quote apply regardless of where they are installed?

Thats the way I read it but It's one that I choose to ignore on my own boat..

 

[boatpoker]

Are you thinking of the full metal bowls instead of the heat shields? The heat shields allow one to fully see the inside of the bowl. I agree that they are a silly requirement. At most, the shields may slightly delay a bowl melt as long as they were located well above the source of heat.

Mark

Nope, I am talking about the shield. I find that most installations have the filters so close to the deckhead they have me putting my forehead on the filter to see whats at the bottom of the bowl. I have a hard time focusing at 3"