Racor fuel filter

[Jim]

Got about 20 hours on this racor, noticed some sediment in the plastic bowl, not enough to cover the whole bottom, but some. Opinions as to clean out cup, replace filter or go for  a while and monitor.
Jim

[Ted Pounds]

Jim,

I think I would change the filter.  But before doing that you might consider opening the bleed valve on the engine and running the electric pump for a while.  That would cycle the fuel through the filter and hopefully pick up any more crud that might be in the tank.  If  you then get more crud after changing the filter you might condsider having the the tank cleaned.  Just a thought...

Ted

[Ray & Sandy Erps]

My opinion is different because I'm cheap.  I would buy a replacement filter and just keep it on hand.  The filter you have is doing what it's supposed to do, intercept crap heading for the injector pump.  Keep an eye on it.  Drain off any water that collects in the cup and replace the filter at the recommended engine hours or if you start noticing low engine RPM's under load.  Those filters are too expensive to replace everytime they catch a little dirt.  I'd rather see dirt than water in the bottom of my cup, because if you neglect letting the water out and it gets high enough to start soaking the paper in the filter you could have some problems.  Water and injectors don't mix.  Just another opinion.

[Ted Pounds]

I also think those filters are too expensive.  And I too consider myself pretty cheap.  That said, I have also experienced a clogged filter at the crowded and narrow entrance to the marina on a busy, August Saturday  .  The only thing that kept it from being a total disaster was that the wind was light to nonexistant.  Any kind of a breeze and we would have been working hard to fend off the seawall.  After that I got my tank cleaned and I've been more attentive to my filters.  ;)

Ted

I also consider a spare set of filters a nescessity.