1993 GMC 6.2L: Racor Filter Swap-in: return line?

[TonyS.]

I've got a 1993 GMC G3500 van with the 6.2L and am about to swap out the old leaking Stanadyne 80 with a Racor. My filter is mounted on the upper face of the engine towards the cabin. I've got the Stany filter and base off and now have 3 fuel lines. The in and out lines are obvious but what's the 3rd one for...return? What do you guys do with the return line? Thanks.

[DmaxMaverick]

The return is NOT associated with the fuel manager/filter. There should be 4 lines in/out of it: Bleed (top, external with a thumbscrew valve), fuel in, fuel out, and a water drain (lower, external with a thumbscrew valve). The van configuration may be different in orientation, but the fuel manager is the same.

[TonyS.]

The return is NOT associated with the fuel manager/filter. There should be 4 lines in/out of it: Bleed (top, external with a thumbscrew valve), fuel in, fuel out, and a water drain (lower, external with a thumbscrew valve). The van configuration may be different in orientation, but the fuel manager is the same.

Thanks, Dmax. I should have wrote my post better, and I apologize. What I was really asking was about the lower-most line on the bottom-left coming out that has a hose on it. I guess that's the water drain though there is no screw for it. The only screw I have on the housing is the top-most plastic one for the bleed port out the top-left side. Now I can get back to hopefully getting this done today. Thanks again.

[DmaxMaverick]

Yes, that is the water drain. The line attached should either disappear below and dump to atmosphere, or lead to another valve (not sure about the 93 van). The "normal" FM80's will have a plastic valve, like the top bleeder, on the side, at the same corner as the drain nipple. The 93 6.5's (FM100) have a drain hose leading to the front of the engine, with a needle valve located there. Yours may be a hybrid, of sorts. Follow the drain line, to be sure. Something stops the flow, either at the fuel manager, or along the line somewhere. Accessibility in the van engine compartment may have a play in it. GM considers water drain opening a regular maintenance step during normal periodic service, so accessibility would have been considered.

[TonyS.]

Thanks again, Dmax! Now I gotta figure where in Hades I'm gonna fit this Racor 445. Nothin's ever easy.

[Mikey von]

This is where I put my racor on my '89 Suburban:

[Robyn]

Looks great.

[Yukon6.2]

Up here you would need to hang a piece of mudflap in front of it to keep it from being beat up by rocks.

[TonyS.]

Mikey, nice job. You installed it after the e pump?

Up here you would need to hang a piece of mudflap in front of it to keep it from being beat up by rocks.

I took a small sheet of metal I had and installed it in front of the filter to protect it from debris.

Actually, today I see I'm getting a leak from somewhere on the filter mount. I couldn't tell exactly where it's leaking but it's somewhere up top. Doesn't appear to be the primper bulb or its crimped ring. I tightened up the bleed screw. Only thing I can think is I used the regular JB Weld on the hose fitting threads when I screwed them in. I've just about had it with this whole fuel filter thing. The first one I installed leaked badly from the primer bulb's crimp ring. Got a replacement from the seller, installed it and was not leaking until now....3 weeks later. Nothing's easy.

PS, just thinking...I'm using a 2micron filter. Methinks it's too fine for a single filter setup.

[Yukon6.2]

Actually, today I see I'm getting a leak from somewhere on the filter mount. I couldn't tell exactly where it's leaking but it's somewhere up top. Doesn't appear to be the primper bulb or its crimped ring. I tightened up the bleed screw. Only thing I can think is I used the regular JB Weld on the hose fitting threads when I screwed them in. .

The best thing you can use for threads is hemp thread.I did over 150 pipe fittings on my boiler system,not one leak and i tested to 80 PSI.Even if you have a air leak as soon as any liquid gets to the hemp it swells and seals.

I did a comparison between Teflon tape,pipe dope, and hemp with pipe dope.The Teflon tape leaked the worst,just pipe dope second and the hemp pipe dope didn't leak.These tests were done on some tanks i was testing,each tank had 6 plugs,tried two of each on each tank.

It's a little more work to do it right,but rarely ever have to do it twice.
Thomas

[TonyS.]

Never thought of hemp thread. Interesting.....

Well, found the leak. The head developed a hairline crack alongside the input fitting. I must have cranked it down too tight. Sometimes I'm a gorilla and gotta remember things don't always have to be super tight. I got a Racor 645R2 and started installing her today. This time I'm putting it on the vacuum side of the pump. I had to remove the electrical pump and make a new bracket for the filter but it's a better setup this way with the filter also being up higher than it was before. So we shall see how it goes. Hopefully I can get'er done tomorrow or Friday.