fuel/water separator filter ?

[Lemper]

Any recommendations to use or not to use a spin on fuel/water separator filter for a 125 hp merc. Advantages ? disadvantages?
I have talk to some guides on lake of the woods and they say its just good insurance!! They would never run without one.
Is this over kill? Any information would sure be helpful.
Thanks

Full Choke

[mlc]

Hi Lemper. I agree with your guides. I've always looked at my engine as a potential life-saver, especially if the weather turns nasty. Water in the fuel system can, well...cause you to be dead in the water.

I fish the Puget Sound region and the freshwater lakes east of here. These fuel water seperators are pretty much standard equipment here. Most systems(cheaper but not of poor quality)have a screw on canister, much like an oil filter. The best unit is made by Raco and has a drain at the bottom of a sight glass. Both types work well. The Raco allows you to more closely monitor your fuel for a water problem by allowing you to drain the bottom portion of the water or fuel. The screw on canisters are meant to be changed more frequently and prevent you from seeing if there is any water inside.

I would strongly recommend such a unit if you spend much time on the water, particularly larger bodies of water.

Take care,
mlc

[cisco]

I used them for years on Lake Michigan with my I/O -- I replaced my filter routinely every 50 hours when I did other normal servicing. The filter was always full of water after 50 hours on the big pond.

[Lemper]

Thanks for the insight guys.

This just sounds like a no brainer to me to me. I am surprised they are not standard.
Since it does seem like a no brainer why are they not used more on outboards, are there any disadvantages?

Thanks so much for the information

[cisco]

In addition to the filter, it helps enormously to keep the fuel tank full as often as possible. Reformulated fuel (which is about all any of us can get) does absorb water.

Perhaps an explanation why the outboards infrequently are on fuel line separators is the fact the big fuel capacity OBs are relatively recent. You don't have to go back all that far and almost all outboards were run by six gallon tanks. As motors got bigger, the boats were built with 12 gallon tanks, then 16, then on and on. Today it is not uncommon for an outboard to be connected to a plus 50 gallon tank. You're right -- those OBs should have water separators.

[Lemper]

Thanks cisco.
I appreciate your feed back.
Have a great day.