Another What is it?

Topman · 01-11-2012, 02:11 AM

This is another item not described in the manual.
I thought it might be an overflow from something. But why the dual tank?
Thanks, Iver.

Mike Canter · 01-11-2012, 03:30 AM

That is the catch can for the Racor primary fuel filter. The dual tank is because Monaco got a good deal on those bottles. Don't know if you still have the original fuel filter. This Racor fuel filter has a sensor to detect water in the separator bowl and light a Water-in-Fuel light on the dash. When that came on it energized the water dump system that allowed you to push a button in the engine compart to dump the fuel out of that bowl into that bottle. These Racor primary fuel filters also had a primer pump that you could hit a button and prime the fuel system after a filter change or if you ran out of fuel. The problem is that these primer pumps fail plus the electric water dump feature will open when driving down the road and suck air into the fuel system and kill the motor so you have lost power steering and everything at highway speed. This has happened to me and two other friends and it can put you in a very bad situation. Mine happend at 65 mph in the middle of I-12 in Baton Rouge lost power steering and it was a battle getting 46,000 lbs over on the shoulder. My wife could not have done it. If you still have that original primary fuel filter then you should replace it very soon with a Racor 700 series 790R30. This is a form fit replacement that even hooks the water in the fuel sensor up to the light on the dash and it has an electric primer pump. What does you primary fuel filter look like right now? Take a picture of it and post it. Is there a small black control box for priming the fuel and dumping the water?

This is the best replacement option. It costs $256 but has all the correct features.

http://www.parker.com/literature/Rac...700_Series.pdf

Topman · 01-11-2012, 09:53 PM

"The problem is that these primer pumps fail plus the electric water dump feature will open when driving down the road and suck air into the fuel system and kill the motor so you have lost power steering and everything at highway speed. This has happened to me and two other friends and it can put you in a very bad situation. Mine happened at 65 mph in the middle of I-12 in Baton Rouge lost power steering and it was a battle getting 46,000 lbs over on the shoulder."

Wow! that sounds scary.
I think I still have the original system equipment. But I will check for sure.
I do have that small control box for priming etc.
If I have it right the fuel filter will be on the curb side just behind the starter?
I'll take a picture as soon as I get a chance.
Thanks very much for the info.....
Iver.
Cummins 500 ISM.

Topman · 01-12-2012, 02:49 PM

Here are the fuel filters I have located....
Iver.

Mike Canter · 01-12-2012, 04:38 PM

That top small one is your Aqua Hot filter. The middle one is the engine secondary and your primary fuel filter is at the bottom. What I don't see is a water separator on that bottom picture maybe in another view. Have you checked that the primer pump works in that filter unit. If you turn the ignition key to on and hit the button to prime it can you hear it running. On that bottom filter unit is there a plastic/rubber hose that goes from it to that empty plastic bottle. Also is there a electric solenoid attached to that filter unit that the small hose attaches to? That bottom unit sure looks like the one that opened up on me and sucked air into the fuel system causing me to flameout and having to deadstick it to the side of the road. My recommendation is to change out that old RACOR unit with a new one. I now know of three people including myself that have had trouble with it. When my motor stopped on I-12 I had no warning. My insurance paid for a tow to a Walmart at the next exit and a diesel shop came to the MH and worked for eight hours trying to figure out what was wrong. It was me that touched the 12 volt solenoid on the filter unit and found it to be hot. I took that 12v coil off the solenoid and I started the motor back up on the second try. I still had to pay eight hours labor even though I fixed myself.

Have you tried the pump primer yet to see if it works? Mine has a tire stem (Schrader Valve) off the top of the pump and you held that open and hit the primer switch on the panel you then hear the little pump start and fuel should shoot out the valve aswell as any trapped air. Once the air is out of that then you close the Schrader valve and hold the primer switch on for about a minute and it fills up the secondary fuel filter. The idea is you can prime the whole fuel system if you run it out of fuel or you change the fuel filters. This way you have no damger of accidentally getting dirt into the fuel filters by pouring in fuel to prime them. I have a Water-In-Fuel light on my dash that comes on if water is detected in the bowl of the primary fuel filter then it supplied voltage to the solenoid through that small control panel and you could hit the button and dump the fuel and water out of the filter bowl. Great idea but Racor took it off the market because of too many problems and replaced it with the Racor 790R30. That still has a even better priming pump, a sensor to detect the water but a manual drain valve on the bottom of a clear bowl.

Topman · 01-12-2012, 06:03 PM

Thanks Mike,
That second picture of the long white filter has a plastic drain? or something on the bottom. The filter says "fuel water separator". 10 micron.
Is that the secondary filter?
I'll get a few more pictures of the control.
Thanks, Iver.

Mike Canter · 01-12-2012, 06:36 PM

Yes, that is the secondary filter being 10 micron. The primary is normally 30 micron. I have two unused sealed WIX 33621 primary fuel filters that I will sell for $15 each plus postage. That is $10 off on each fliter. I bought them for my previous fuel filter. I think these will fit your primary filter. If you have the Racor number then we can cross them over and verify them. My recommendation is to change both the primary and secondary fuel filters every 10,000 miles and to use Biobar JF in your tank every off season while not in use to make sure you do not get an algae such as the Black Slime in your fuel tank.

Topman · 01-12-2012, 08:13 PM

Here are a few more pix.
The primary seems to be the type which has a drain at the bottom.
The primary setup has the main filter, also a see-through plastic container and a pump.
You can see the schrader valve on top of the unit. At the bottom of the pump is the rubber hose which goes to that plastic overflow tank.

Is this setup the same as you replaced/changed??.
Iver.

Mike Canter · 01-12-2012, 08:56 PM

Yes, that is wis the same as what failed and I removed. Exactly the same. Those WIX filters will work on that you have. I looked them up. Here is what the replacement Racor unit looks like in place. I had to make a steel plate to move it up higher and adapt the bolt holes because the new filter unit spacing was a little further apart. You can see how they simplified the whole unit. This unit has a primer pump, a water detection sensor but you have to manually drain the water. You can also see the Schrader valve like on yours to pump the air out of the system when you change filters.

Topman · 01-13-2012, 12:42 AM

Thanks Mike,
Nice to see pictures. I can now visualize what you have.
It looks like a cast aluminum pump on top, with a filter underneath and a drain at the bottom of the filter.
The fuel lines on mine are quite large. Do the fittings on the new system match the original fuel lines?
Is there an electrical connection for the pump and the sensor? Plug and go or do you have to adapt?
And that black control which I have would be history?
I guess I would keep my existing secondary filter?

After all you have said about the old system that I have, I will look seriously into doing a replacement.
Thanks for the offer for the filters. I'm afraid shipping to me would probably cost more than the filters.
Iver.
Abbotsford, B.C. Canada......

Mike Canter · 01-13-2012, 06:55 AM

If you unscrew the fittings from the old unit they will screw right into the new unit. The new unit has two inlets and two outlets and you block off the ones at the wrong angle that are not used. My fuel lines are different than most Sigs but that side is not pressure but just suction. It comes with the plugs to block off what is not used. Yes it has a control box with a priming button on it (pix below). The plug for the dash "Water in Fuel" on it states it is a Monaco plug and I didn't have to change it for my application just pluged it all right in. You can use a 120 filter vice the 90 and have it go for 15,000 miles. For a 90 filter Racor recommends changing it at 10,000 miles. I only use Racor fuel filters on in because they have whatt is called a Aqua Block element that will stop water from going through the filter which is cheap insurance.

djhinds · 01-13-2012, 10:28 AM

Topman, I replaced my whole unit on my 04 Sig. I followed Mikes advise with the new Racor unit and it was all plug and play. I made a plate with holes to raise the unit up 3" because the MH back end curved under the filter and would of made filter replacement more difficult. It works awesome now.

Dave