Re: OEM fuel/water separators vs. Racor
Racor makes fuel filters that have a drainage plug as well as the kind without drainage. The ones without drainage are just plain cannisters -they look like oil filters (but aren't!). They are very similar, if not identical, in looks and function to the OEM filters I've seen. I wouldn't be surprised if there's crossreferencing of the filters.<br /><br />The kind with drainage plugs come in two styles. They all have a bowl that screws into the bottom of the filter cannister (the cannister is similar to the non-drainage type, but has screw fittings both top and bottom. The non-drainage type has screw fitting top only).<br /><br />The bowls can be either metal or plastic. The plastic ones (clear or bluish) supposedly allow you to see water collecting. I've never been able to look closely enough to ascertain if there's water in there or not. The metal ones I've seen are either brass-kind of looking, or painted (white) metal.<br /><br />Both metal and plastic bowls function the same way. The bowl collects the water that is separated by the filter and you drain the water out of a valve at the bottom of the bowl. Very easy to do on a routine basis (I keep a jar with a tight lid on hand to drain into - allows me to examine drainage to see how much water is in it, etc. Tight lid allows me to keep the waste gas/water until I can dispose of it). <br /><br />Inboard applications require non-drainage type or metal bowl type. Outboard you can use any type including plastic bowl.<br /><br />I have had botth bowl and non-bowl type. I do prefer the bowl type because it's easy to drain the water regularly (I tend to do it every 50 gallons and/or whenever I am getting ready for a trip). If you routinely drain the water, the filter element supposedly lasts "forever" although I change it every spring.<br /><br />The non-bowl type, all you can do is change the filter. You can't as effectively monitor whether it's getting full. I tended to change mine twice per year - and that's why the bowl type has ended up more convenient for me. <br /><br />Either way, a water sep.filter is really a good thing to have, imho, especially if you ever go anywhere that a fuel problem would be a long way from home.
