I’m replacing my old Primary fuel / water separator of unknown origin with a Racor 230R10 (photos of both old and new below). The new Racor comes standard with 1/4”-18 NPTF (SAE J476) inlet and outlet fuel ports. 14M ports are also available. The inlet and outlet ports are offset 90 degrees. The existing fuel lines are solid, not neoprene. Racor offers a variety of fittings if needed. (Racor Fittings - Racor)
I don’t know the make or model of the old filter or the size of the ports. Both ports on the old filter are on the same side.
Can anyone identify the old filter and advise what size the ports are?
If the ports on the old filter are incompatible with the 1/4”-18 NPTF (SAE J476) or 14M ports on the new Racor, can anyone suggest new Racor fitting(s) that will work?
Will I need to adapt the existing solid fuel lines to work with the Racor’s 90 degree offset between the inlet and outlet ports? Any suggestions on how to do it?
Thanks in advance for the shared experience and expertise of the group.
The tubing you have terminates in flare nuts. I guess the size is 3/8” and the flare angle is 45 degrees. Measure the outside diameter of the fuel tubing. That will identify the size.
You can get flare by 1/4” MPT (male pipe thread) 90 degree elbows, very common. So the fittings you will need will be the proper size male flare X 1/4” MPT.
Copper tubing can work harden and become brittle when exposed to vibration. It can then break when you bend it or form micro-cracks which break later. I know this from personal experience as well as training. It can be annealed to soften it back up, but for the amount in your boat, it would be better to just replace it when you replace the filter. Frankly, if it were my boat I think I’d probably replace it with modern rubber fuel hose.
It looks like that may be a Racor 200FG filter. I have one on my Yanmar. I’ve attached the manual that I found online. I should probably change out mine as well but it seems to be working fine and I have multiple spare filters for it so not very motivated to do so!
The information provided by Brian, Eric and Ward has provided helpful clues. From the information that Ward attached it looks like I’ve got an old 200FG with 7/16” x 20 ports. Looking again at the photo of the existing setup it appears that one of the fuel lines is 3/8” copper and the other is rubber, so hopefully reaching both ports on the new 230R10 won’t be a problem. Both fuel lines are connected to an elbow with screwed into a “second fitting” with a female end that fits the elbow and 7/16” x 20 male end that fits the port.
The new the 230R10 has 1/4”-NPTF ports. It arrived with no fittings. So I think I have to replace both “second fittings” with a new “second fittings” with a female end that fits the elbows and a 1/4”- 18 NPTF male end that fits ports on the 230R10. Does that make sense”? Can anyone identify the new “second fittings” I’ll need? Is there a better way?
Since you are opening up all these old fuel lines, replace them all the way to the engine and fuel tank. Cost is pennies and there will be fewer connections all off which will be the same type and size
I replaced the old original Racor on my 1989 N30U which had been mounted close to engine and difficult and messy to access with the newer designed Racor series 500 filter. In its new location it is easily accessible from the starboard side lazarette.
Filter change can be done in less than two minutes with little or no fuel drips by someone reaching easily into the lazarette.
One of my best mods to my old N30 and one I will do again in my N33.
