Gulf coast filter

[Lostsailor13]

Thinking of installing a setup on my Willard,from the forums experience what is the scoop,I read their website and from facts stated I am pretty sure I should already have it Installed,I bought the boat with 250 gallons of fuel from who knows when and had her out twice In some real sloppy weather and know it stirred up some sediment but nothing crazy,changed 2010 racor 2 micron after both rough days and they were dirty,previous owner had portable 120v fuel polishing system and said the fuel had been polished a few times,either way it has not been a problem yet,but still like whst I read about gulf coast setup,just couldn't find pricing,anybody have a ball park price for single setup solo,no extra pump,maybe just a few extra filters,then maybe try to roll my own filters,any input would be appreciated

 

[O C Diver]

Which Racor do you have (500, 900, 1000)? The 2 micron Racor filter will pickup anything the engine won't consume. Have you changed the second fuel filter after the lift pump? If it were me, I would either consider upgrading to the 900 or 1000 Racor or just buy more filters and keep an eye on them. I have nothing against Gulf Coast filter system, but Racor filters elements are inexpensive and available just about anywhere. Lots to be said for the bowl that you can look in to see if you're getting water. Also nice to be able to drain it.

Ted

 

[Comodave]

I really like the GC system though I have never owned one. They are too large for my current boat. But they have good reports that I have seen and are supposed to filter down to about 1 micron.

 

[Lepke]

I've used GCF's oil bypass filter and it does a good job keeping the oil cleaner. Any bypass filter is better than none. Never used their fuel filter.

If you have a Racor turbo model, that is enough to polish your fuel. If you're doing the polishing cold at the dock, it's best to have a way of heating the fuel. Heat helps the Racor separate out water and debris. If your Racor has a flow rating equal to your engine needs plus the flow rate of a polishing pump then you can polish while cruising. I use Racors with a 2 micron element. I always use a fuel additive, never run a polishing system, and my 2 micron elements last 500 hours or more. I haven't had a fuel problem in 60 years. But I have Detroit mains that flow a lot more fuel fuel than what they burn. I didn't use a fuel additive before the EPA.

 

[rgano]

I installed a Gulf Coast Junior (toilet paper roll sized) filter, manifolds, valves and hoses to select which of four tanks the polished fuel came from and went to, and a 12-Volt Walbro pump. I have a diagram I can send should you like. My brother opted for the larger paper towel model filter and a 110 VAC pump in his trawler. In my application with twin Lehmans, at the end of every cruising day, I polished fuel from the larger aft tanks to the smaller forward tanks which served as the "day" tanks. The old Captain Wil information was that these type filters will filter all the way down to .047 microns.

I have not felt the need to install a system in my 150-gallon capacity system in this Pilot where I burn 8-9 GPH running around on plane with bottom-draw tanks. Fuel never gets much chance to rest in these tanks.

 

[Lostsailor13]

My current setup is the racor 500,I also like being able to see the bowl and what's going on in there,i worked as a prototrak machinist for years,maybe I could take a look at the gulf coast jr model,find out the diameter then match that to the closest racor size and combine them,adding bowl setup to the jr. just until all this old this old fuel is gone,not having any problems with it,just dont like it in there

 

[mvweebles]

If I remember correctly, there are not many options in a Willard 36 engine room with sufficient vertical clearance to mount the GCF. The one I know of is mounted on the forward engine room bulkhead. That space is usually occupied with a generator.

You might want to ping Willard Boat Owner group for specifics for your boat

Peter

 

[O C Diver]

My current setup is the racor 500,I also like being able to see the bowl and what's going on in there,i worked as a prototrak machinist for years,maybe I could take a look at the gulf coast jr model,find out the diameter then match that to the closest racor size and combine them,adding bowl setup to the jr. just until all this old this old fuel is gone,not having any problems with it,just dont like it in there

What do you expect to gain from the Gulf Coast filter? Not sure what engine you have in your boat, but most of the tier 2 and earlier engines required only 2 micron filtration (2 micron was the final filter on the engine). This application is different from filtering engine oil as the engine is constantly adding impurities to the oil.

While I like the Racor 500 and have one on my generator (1 GPH maximum consumption), I prefer the larger 900 and 1000 filter element sizes for my main engine. Once you get past the initial cost of the filter housing, the elements is around $8 to $20 depending on vendor and quantity. The 900 and 1000 have much larger bowls / water traps, which means a greater likelihood of surviving a slug of water from the fuel tank.

Ted

 

[catalinajack]

Others, like I, prefer the Tony Athens sequential filtering heads with huge, long-lasting filters. The see-through bowl on Racors for observing water in the bowl (rare), in my opinion, is highly overrated. A metal Fleetgaurd filter has a bottom drain anyway. Plus, the Racor bowls get dirty quickly which pretty much obviate their utility in observing dirt and water. The only certain way is to drain a bit of fuel from the bottom. I have had and used both.

What do you expect to gain from the Gulf Coast filter? Not sure what engine you have in your boat, but most of the tier 2 and earlier engines required only 2 micron filtration (2 micron was the final filter on the engine). This application is different from filtering engine oil as the engine is constantly adding impurities to the oil.

While I like the Racor 500 and have one on my generator (1 GPH maximum consumption), I prefer the larger 900 and 1000 filter element sizes for my main engine. Once you get past the initial cost of the filter housing, the elements is around $8 to $20 depending on vendor and quantity. The 900 and 1000 have much larger bowls / water traps, which means a greater likelihood of surviving a slug of water from the fuel tank.

Ted

 

[rgano]

Others, like I, prefer the Tony Athens sequential filtering heads with huge, long-lasting filters. The see-through bowl on Racors for observing water in the bowl (rare), in my opinion, is highly overrated. A metal Fleetgaurd filter has a bottom drain anyway. Plus, the Racor bowls get dirty quickly which pretty much obviate their utility in observing dirt and water. The only certain way is to drain a bit of fuel from the bottom. I have had and used both.

I have never knocked Racors. Been running Racor 500s in two different boats since 1986. Their bowls got dirty quickly in the early years on the first boat when I had dirty fuel. It was easy to clear the gunky asphaltines by sticking a bottle brush down there and then flush with new fuel through the drain cock. Four years later, after the polishing system was installed, the bowls collected NO dirt. They are there more for the visual water detection than to collect crud from overly dirty fuel. Then I installed the Parker/Racor water sensors in them and quit worrying about it. Ran another ten years before selling that boat in 2015 with clear bowls the entire decade. New boat since 2015 has two Racor 500s which have never shown any indication of gunk/water in the bowls because the fuel is run through the boat so fast.

 

[O C Diver]

Others, like I, prefer the Tony Athens sequential filtering heads with huge, long-lasting filters. The see-through bowl on Racors for observing water in the bowl (rare), in my opinion, is highly overrated. A metal Fleetgaurd filter has a bottom drain anyway. Plus, the Racor bowls get dirty quickly which pretty much obviate their utility in observing dirt and water. The only certain way is to drain a bit of fuel from the bottom. I have had and used both.

Yes, water or other stuff in the bowl is rare unless you have a fuel problem. When diagnosing engine issues, it's nice to be able to look at the bowl and a vacuum gauge to determine a restriction or water as opposed to pulling a filter to see.

As for sequential filtration, that's nothing new. Many engines already have it. My Deere has a 10 micron before the pump and a 2 micron after the pump. Add the Racor before them and you have a 3 series filtration.

As for the bowl getting dirty quickly, my bowls are still clean after 2,500 hours. Maybe that speaks to the cleanliness of your fuel tanks or where you buy your fuel. 4 bolts hold the bowl in place. Cleaning the bowl might take 5 additional minutes when changing the filter element.

Ted

 

[catalinajack]

Ted, this is a picture of my setup. Works for me. Racors work just as well except for filtering capacity. As for checking the fuel, doesn't this need to be done only occasionally such as when having taken on fuel? Your vacuum gauges, if paid attention to, inform when to change filters.

Yes, water or other stuff in the bowl is rare unless you have a fuel problem. When diagnosing engine issues, it's nice to be able to look at the bowl and a vacuum gauge to determine a restriction or water as opposed to pulling a filter to see.

As for sequential filtration, that's nothing new. Many engines already have it. My Deere has a 10 micron before the pump and a 2 micron after the pump. Add the Racor before them and you have a 3 series filtration.

As for the bowl getting dirty quickly, my bowls are still clean after 2,500 hours. Maybe that speaks to the cleanliness of your fuel tanks or where you buy your fuel. 4 bolts hold the bowl in place. Cleaning the bowl might take 5 additional minutes when changing the filter element.

Ted

 

[Lepke]

You can buy Chinese copies of Racor housings on ebay for under $100. Smaller ones under $50. Also dual housings with selector valves and vacuum gauge. They take regular Racor elements, and appear to be very close copies. A Chinese turbo copy would probably be better than a non turbo housing for separating water. Chinese 900 shown. Search for Racor 500, 900, etc.

 

[OldDan1943]

Thinking of installing a setup on my Willard,from the forums experience what is the scoop,I read their website and from facts stated I am pretty sure I should already have it Installed,I bought the boat with 250 gallons of fuel from who knows when and had her out twice In some real sloppy weather and know it stirred up some sediment but nothing crazy,changed 2010 racor 2 micron after both rough days and they were dirty,previous owner had portable 120v fuel polishing system and said the fuel had been polished a few times,either way it has not been a problem yet,but still like whst I read about gulf coast setup,just couldn't find pricing,anybody have a ball park price for single setup solo,no extra pump,maybe just a few extra filters,then maybe try to roll my own filters,any input would be appreciated

Make a note: DO NOT use marine type toilet paper. LOL

 

[O C Diver]

Ted, this is a picture of my setup. Works for me. Racors work just as well except for filtering capacity. As for checking the fuel, doesn't this need to be done only occasionally such as when having taken on fuel? Your vacuum gauges, if paid attention to, inform when to change filters.

Not sure I see your first filter as having more capacity than a Racor 1000.

For the average boater (I'm not average), water can enter the system from a source other than with the fuel. A leaking or broken deck fill pipe oring has been mentioned numerous times on the forum. So I don't make the assumption that water can't enter the tank if I'm not adding fuel. My pre engine start check always includes checking the Racor bowls.

Ted

 

[catalinajack]

Ted, you are quite correct. I just measured. They are about the same size, 9.5 inches. I was thinking about the Racor 900s I used to have the filters for which are 4.5 inches. The first filter you see in-line is a 20-micron mud filter leading to a 10-micron filter, quite a lot of filtering capacity. Yes, there can be other sources of water such as those you mention but these are extremely rare events. In any case, the second on-engine filter on my Lehman 120s is a clear bowl spin-on Racor so I can detect any water that may have found its way in.

The vacuum gauge on the mud filter will tell me of a fast build-up of crud. Getting a bad load of fuel is rare but it does happen. Changing it is quite simple, close fuel supply, spin off, spin on, open fuel valve, open bleeder on the filter housing till air stops, good to go in five minutes. I do not have crud or water in my tanks. My fuel supply is from the bottom sump, not a dip tube feed.

Not sure I see your first filter as having more capacity than a Racor 1000.

For the average boater (I'm not average), water can enter the system from a source other than with the fuel. A leaking or broken deck fill pipe oring has been mentioned numerous times on the forum. So I don't make the assumption that water can't enter the tank if I'm not adding fuel. My pre engine start check always includes checking the Racor bowls.

Ted

 

[Lostsailor13]

Ordered gulf coast fuel filter and vacuum gauge today,gonna mount it on the aft engine room bulkhead with a hinge that will pivot forward,did mach up with dimensions and will fit just fine,fuel will come from tanks to gulf coast then vacuum guage then to racor 500,will post photos when it's all Installed then maybe before spring add bypass filter for oil,maybe amsoil

 

[slowgoesit]

Fuel delivery system on our new (to us) boat.

2 Racor 900ma's for main engine, plumbed in parallel, use one, if a problem, open valves on 2nd filter, close valves on first filter, change filter at your leisure. Plus vacuum gauges on filters. 2nd shot is close up of sight bowl. The PO never had a problem with dirty fuel.
Backup engine uses Racor 500fg w/ vacuum gauge. Transfer pump is another Racor 500fg.

All 4 fuel tanks have molded in sumps at lowest point in tank with drains as well. I'm really impressed at the thought that went into the system.

 

[Lostsailor13]

Slowgoesit looks like your new rig lives up to the Beebe name,that's an impressive set up

 

[Slider70]

I went from racor to a GC filter. After a decade VERY happy with the GC!

 

[Lostsailor13]

Mine should be here midweek,I'm redoing the whole system except primary,and adding fuel pump maybe 120v,I have 212 gallons of old fuel from who knows when,its only setup with racor 500 gonna add gulfcoast f1 then vacuum guage then 500 racor with new fuel pump in there somewhere will update with photos when parts arrive,gonna make a real nice setup

 

[MOJO]

The Gulf Coast filter was one of the best additions I made. With a capacity for over 1,400 gallons of diesel, I felt like recirculating fuel was essential to keep it fresh. When I bought the boat it had about 800 gal onboard and the fuel was jet black! I was changing Racor's about 100 hrs. I installed the Gulf Coast filter and recirculated each of the 4 tanks 24/7 for a week. Changed the paper towel filter element anytime the flow slowed down and started pulling a vacuum, probably 4 times total, I don't really remember. At the end of the month, my fuel was crystal clear red. Since then, I filtered/recirculated each tank for 24 hrs twice a year and the fuel stays clear and clean. Paper towel filter gets changed annually, every 300 hrs or so and it's never really dirty. The Gulf Coast is also in the loop when the engine is running. A Racor 500 serves as a back up that can be valved in if the GC starts to clog but I've never had to use it. If you've got the height in your engine space to install one and be able to pull the paper towel filter out the top, I highly recommend it.

 

[Lostsailor13]

That's the kind of Input I like to hear,I only have 212 gallons left of the 300 that was aboard,and am looking forward to the gulfcoast F1 it will also be online when engine is running I plan to y valve between polishing pump discharge and primary fuel return,I will let it run at dock as long as it takes to get these tanks mint,I've never seen one how does the bounty paper towel rolls work out,great I hear,even considering gulfcoast O1 filter for engine oil,toss up between that and amsoil bypass

 

[MOJO]

The Bounty paper towels work great. If you buy the jumbo roll you may have to strip 10 or 12 off to get it to fit, but that's not a problem at all. I haven't tried the oil filter so can't comment on it, but I can't say anything bad about the GC fuel filter.