Need for primer ball eliminated

[boscoe99]

Maybe this has been out for a while but I just found where Racor offers a filter assembly head that has an integral pump included. The pump will pull fuel from the tank and fill up the Racor and the rest of the fuel system, if and when needed to do so. No more having to add fuel to a filter when the filter is replaced. No more struggling to get a primer ball to suck air and then fuel after a filter has been changed.

They offer a two micron filter assembly for the filter head for best possible filtering. Now add a vacuum gauge to the unused outlet of the filter head assembly and it will be the cats meow. One can tell if they have an air leak in the system (too low of a vaccum) or if the filter is getting clogged (vacuum rises above a particular set point). Not throwing away perfectly good filters will pay for the price of the vacuum gauge in a few years time. Maybe sooner.

[robert graham]

I guess old habits might make it difficult to give up my primer bulb..

[fairdeal]

Pretty slick - and not a bad price - $88.33

Racor 490R-RAC-01 FF/WS ASSEMBLY MARINE GASOLINE

I have vague memory of having seen something like that before...

when Volkswagen first built a diesel Rabbit - 1975?

they put a little primer pump like that on the filter

[boscoe99]

I guess old habits might make it difficult to give up my primer bulb..

Change can be tough.

I resisted powered windows and cruise control for years and years. Now I won't own a car or truck without them.

With EFI motors primer balls are very seldom needed any more.

[boscoe99]

Pretty slick - and not a bad price - $88.33

Racor 490R-RAC-01 FF/WS ASSEMBLY MARINE GASOLINE

I have vague memory of having seen something like that before...

when Volkswagen first built a diesel Rabbit - 1975?

they put a little primer pump like that on the filter

Marry that baby to this gem and you would have a winning combination on hand IMO.

[99yam40]

Change can be tough.

I resisted powered windows and cruise control for years and years. Now I won't own a car or truck without them.

With EFI motors primer balls are very seldom needed any more.

I installed many aftermarket cruse controls back in the 70s. they came with a mercury switch as a back up in case the break light switch failed to turn it off when you hit the breaks or you had a hard impact.
Repaired many of the power windows and power locks. I stayed away from all of that on my own vehicles because of the failures I saw.
But like you I have them all now, they are much improved now a days.

Remember the pain in the a$$ sequential tail lights like Mercury Cougar and T Birds had.
Sounded like a morning dove in the trunk cooing with that little motor running hitting all of the contacts on the disc

[DennisG01]

Cool idea.

Can I play devil's advocate for a minute? You're still required to push the rubber, primer bulb... OK, that's fine - it's a "nicer" install than a hanging primer bulb. But what happens when that rubber bulb fails? Is it integral to the filter head, or can you replace just that piece? If not, a normal primer bulb would be a lot less expensive in the long run. If just that piece can be replaced, I would imagine it might be less than a quality, "normal" primer bulb.

If it fails (leaks) while underway, and it's not replaceable, you'd have to bypass your filter and barb the two ends of the fuel line together. If a regular primer bulb fails (and you didn't carry a spare), you can still barb the two ends together without losing filtering.

Just some thoughts going through my head! Still is a neat idea, though!

[DennisG01]

Not necessary IMO. Yamahas 4 strokes are not meant to operate with electric fuel pumps.

Did I read the info in the link wrong? I thought it was a rubber, primer-bulb type contraption (not electric)?

[TownsendsFJR1300]

As long as a backup rubber "bulb" can be purchased separately (and kept on board), it'd be ok. It comes with a 10 micron filter per fairdeals link..

I squeeze my standard Yamaha bulb and can't get one full squeeze out of it after sitting for several weeks. I could pull that bulb and never need it.

One less thing to fail...

[rodbolt17]

dunno
Racor has made that filter head for diesel boats for over 15 yrs.

Its rare I prefill a water separator.

if I do I can usually spill it, that's why I don't.

many diesel autos and some marine engines have a manual primer pump.

wanna go way back on the way back machine?

Packard, auto adjust suspension. .
yea I worked on a few.

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Capt,

I can drain any crap from the current valve on the bottom of the clear see thru cup.

As Rodbolt noted, when I do change out my transom filter, I NEVER fill it and as you posted, priming the bulb does squat.

I start the engine (with the empty new filter), takes about 5 minutes on the muffs, the filter stays bones dry, then it fills very quickly on its own...And that's with NO stalling...

With that said, I've mentioned I use Non ethonol fuel and K100. Since using both, I do NOT get any moisture collecting in the clear, lower bowl, NONE..

So, in my case, I could eliminate the primer bulb altogether (guess you'd need it for diagnosing an issue, if it arose), and put a standard steel filter on with no drain (which I used from 1997 till 2007 but with the primer bulb).

(I do keep a standard steel filter and hose barb in my boat tool kit just in case).

It'll stay the way its set up as I haven't had any fuel issues since using RF, K100 and non-ethonol. Don't fix what ain't broke...

[zenoahphobic]

Don't know why the excitement; still a low volume rubber diaphram pump requiring lots of arthritic joint pain and then possible failure of the rubber.

Decades and decades ago diesel cars/trucks had these except the pump was a decent piston plunger pump. Lasts for decades, 1 or maybe 2 strokes and your done for a filter change. In addition there were internal switch to connect to a buzzer when water present.

I have a 1983 Hilux unit that I took off when I repowered to a LPG engine; but never bothered to install in a boat as we in Australia don't have water in gasoline issues. I use "standard" 10 micron unit though (never needs changing) so I lost which one it really is and need to carry spare I suppose to be safe - something on list to do like checking safety equipment etc etc.

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Zeno,

I just carry the extra steel one SHOULD the plastic cup (on the other) get smashed or break by accident while out.

[timsullivan]

Bull Frog sunscreen?