Water Watch System

[LeighW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LeighW]

Can't remember the size of the fittings, if you look in the 120 section is probably
in there as that's where I would have got it from.

I have a 120, I fitted the unit same side as the existing filter on the fire wall,
there is to un-used threaded studs there on the 120 so just made a bracket
up to use them, moved on fule line to Racor and around 300mm of hose to
from Racor to existing filter.

Easy enough to change element if you get the correct tool though you do need
to remove the filter from the car to do it.

Cheers
Leigh

[gxl_d4d Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close gxl_d4d]

Hi Leigh,

What tool do you use? Is there a special tool that engages the cuts in the black plastic ring?

I've been using a filter strap if I can't remove it by hand however the plastic does distort so it will eventually break.

[LeighW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LeighW]

Yes, you can get a plastic tool that engages the spines/

[AussieAndy Find all posts View Profile Close AussieAndy]

Ok, just realised i made and error with the fuel hose size i listed on my earlier post, now corrected.

From pirtek
2x 90 deg 3/8 barb to 1/4NPT
50cm 3/8 fuel hose
4x s/s worm drive clamp
Total cost was $36-42 incl GST

From eBay seller 6573patricia
Racor 230R10 $143 incl postage
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Racor-230R10...c5724b&vxp=mtr
Hopefully that link works....

Mk2 combo bracket from AMTS, prices are on his for sale thread.

Took me about 3/4 hour to fit, but i am a mechanic, the complete novice should get it done in under 2 hrs. Dont forget you will also need some thread tape, im sure pertek sell it too.

Changing the factory fuel filter is no more difficult. Changing the racor fuel filter is not hard either. Racor do sell a plastic strap tool to fit their plastic bowl to undo it, I have never bothered with one though, have always managed to get it undone by hand. To change the filter i remove the complete assembly from the car and put it in the vice, then spin the bowl off and use a strap tool to undo the filter.

Hope this has helped

[Bluedog16 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bluedog16]

Hi AussieAndy,
Thanks for your detailed response and time to do so.

The link works well for Ebay. I assume that it doesn't come with the alarm and you don't have one? Is it not really necessary if you check the bowl regularly?
How often should you check the water bowl to ensure no issues? After so many km's or time basis - weekly etc?
Do you need to get a special 10 micron water repellant filter or just the stock standard filter?
Sorry for being so negative but if no alarm is fitted could the filter block up while driving and you wouldn't naturally know and then cause lack of diesel issues?
This is the reason I liked the idea of the WaterWatch although I don't think they don't state their water efficiency which is interesting.
thanks
David

[LeighW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LeighW]

You can get a water alarm kit for the Racor

[OldGreyFart Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close OldGreyFart]

Lots of advice about rattle and injectors - mine are being done in a week. But also looking at water watch systems. Much advice about the need but how serious is it?

Do we see as many failures as a result?

[AussieAndy Find all posts View Profile Close AussieAndy]

Hi AussieAndy,
Thanks for your detailed response and time to do so.

The link works well for Ebay. I assume that it doesn't come with the alarm and you don't have one? Is it not really necessary if you check the bowl regularly?
How often should you check the water bowl to ensure no issues? After so many km's or time basis - weekly etc?
Do you need to get a special 10 micron water repellant filter or just the stock standard filter?
Sorry for being so negative but if no alarm is fitted could the filter block up while driving and you wouldn't naturally know and then cause lack of diesel issues?
This is the reason I liked the idea of the WaterWatch although I don't think they don't state their water efficiency which is interesting.
thanks
David

Hi David,

The one i purchased did not come with the alarm, and i don't feel the alarm is needed in my application at the moment. I drain both fuel filters every 5,000Km and very rarely find anything to note. When going away on a trip and the fuel is unknown i used to check/drain the filter when we set up camp if i got fuel that day with the old 4wd and will probably continue doing that.

I will only use the genuine racor 10 micron filter which is made with the water repelling element, this is one of the reasons i chose the racor filter.

The alarm for the racor element fits into the bottom of the bowl and is a float type sensor similar to the one fitted to the bottom of the Toyota filter. These sensors only sense water in the bowl, therefore will never sense if the filter is blocking up. The sensor on the top of the Toyota filter is the pressure sensor which senses if the filter is blocked.

I will be changing the racor filter every 20,000Km, and that probably is overkill but its still cheap for me. I am going to run the first filter out to 30,000Km though, and change it every odd service (30, 50, 70, etc) to break up the costs a little. My schedule, and what I recommend to our customers, is the underbody filter every 20,000Km and the under bonnet filter every 40,000Km. I have yet to see the fuel warning light come on solidly (indicating a filter showing reduced fuel flow) for a vehicle with this filter schedule getting fuel from around town/good fuel.

Hopefully this has answered your questions, but remember this is only my opinion, it has been formed with experience in the field but is still only an opinion and I'm sure others will come up with different ones.

Cheers
Andrew

[AussieAndy Find all posts View Profile Close AussieAndy]

Lots of advice about rattle and injectors - mine are being done in a week. But also looking at water watch systems. Much advice about the need but how serious is it?

Do we see as many failures as a result?

There are definitely cases of pump damage and injector damage due to water. Toyota pumps do appear more resilient to water damage than some other brands out there (current ford ranger comes to mind) but it still is something to watch out for. Remember water in the fuel will damage the injectors also, not just the pump. It might not be an extremely common risk, just not a risk i am willing to take for the small cost to put in a extra filter and majorly reduce the likelyhood of this occurring.

[vxcruiser08 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close vxcruiser08]

I have the smaller water watch fitted due to air compressor and dual batteries. No dramas. Was told the only difference was the bowl is smaller, performance not affected. I wouldn't be concerned

[Bluedog16 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bluedog16]

Hi AussieAndy,
Thanks again for your latest very informative post.

You would expect by changing your filters at your mileage and emptying the water bowl you have done everything possible.
Sorry for going on about this, but is it water that is the real issue as has been stated on the Forum by a few rather than gunk in the fuel? If so what would happen if you got a very bad full tank of fuel? Would the water separator fill that quickly in the Racor it would cause restricted fuel flow and cause damage before you knew (as no alarm)?
thanks David

[Bluedog16 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bluedog16]

I have the smaller water watch fitted due to air compressor and dual batteries. No dramas. Was told the only difference was the bowl is smaller, performance not affected. I wouldn't be concerned

Hi vxcruiser,
I am tossing up between the Racor 230R filter and the WaterWatch.
I have the 150 update and there is not a lot of space to fit the larger model. I believe like you have said that the only difference between the smaller and larger model is the capacity of the water bowl and hence the warning time if you have an issue with water.
Are you happy with the quality?
Have you had any water collect in the bowl?
Do you know how effective they are at separating the water (what % not stated on Responsive Engineering website)
Where did they get power from for the alarm?
thanks
David

[AussieAndy Find all posts View Profile Close AussieAndy]

Hi David,

The sensor on top of the factory filter actually senses a high level of suction, so any blockage before the sensor will case this alarm to go off. If i had a tank of diesel that was that bad it blocked the filter bad enough to cause pump damage, i would consider myself lucky, had the filter not been there chances are the damage would be worse. Only a blockage after the factory filter and before the pump can cause pump damage due to restricted flow and not cause the alarm to go off.

Debris in fuel can be caused by a few different things. Metallic particles and dirt can be picked up from the servo, and is not really that common. Algae is probably the biggest concern. It is more commonly found in farm vehicles where the fuel is stored in tanks where big temperature variance is found, this causes condensation which increases the growth of algae. Algae is usually the black sludge that people find in the bottom of the filter and is one of the biggest concerns when it comes to diesel fuel. Water can either be pumped into the tank with the fuel or can form from condensation in the tank. Finally diesel bug can be introduced to the tank from poor fuel. It causes the fuel to break down and turn a horrible yellow colour to the point the vehicle won't run. If you want to read more on any of these things do a quick google search, other can explain it alot better than i can.

Looks like you are putting alot of thought into this, always best to understand the pluses and minuses of every system before you make a decision.

Cheers
Andrew

[Bluedog16 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bluedog16]

Hi AussieAndy,
Thank you for your reply -I have learn't a lot from you. There is a lot at stake though.

As you say there are pros and cons to both the Racor and Waterwatch for each of us.

I would be a little worried with the Racor that taking it on and off the fuel hoses to be able to change the filters on a regular basis that I may get a fuel leak not being a mechanic with bad results. Would become quite expensive to always get both filters replaced on a regular basis as you are doing for me ( which seems to be what needs to be done)

The Waterwatch does not for a novice like me require the maintenance which suits me better then, but is only a water trap and does not provide the benefit an additional filter. Expensive to start with but no on going maintenance (or costs).

Either way finding a competent mechanic to instal one of them as I don't feel confident on doing it myself is probably my greatest challenge. There doesn't seem to be any in my area (I think?)

thanks again
David

[AussieAndy Find all posts View Profile Close AussieAndy]

Best advice i could give you would be to find a decent diesel mechanic, one that does some fleet work on small trucks (Isuzu, Hino, ect). These guys usually have the best understanding of diesel systems, providing they are up to date with current model trucks, and tend not to talk bullshit. I have seen the workmanship for so called "4wd experts", at least in SEQ, and while there are some good ones out there, there are alot of dodgy ones that have popped up with the 4wd boom.

The waterwatch system still requires regular draining, i would do so every service just like the fuel filter if i saw one on a customers vehicle, but you are right about the element expense. It would appear you are more comfortable with the waterwatch system, so go for that. If you go for anything else you won't be 100% happy, and if you're anything like me that will annoy you. I guess i would be getting on the waterwatch web site now and looking for someone close to you, and talk to them about fitting it, and possibly using your vehicle to develop a new bracket to suit the facelift if the old one is unsuitable.

Hope you are getting closer to a decision.

Cheers,
Andrew