09-FEB-2012
The Venerable Facet Fuel Pump
This is a Facet "Interrupter" or Gold-Flo fuel pump. They are found on many vessels especially those that shipped with Westerbeke or Universal engines.
The Facet "round" pumps are reliable, this one is over 31 years old, but many owners miss a key maintenance item, the pumps internal filter. We wound up with this pump because a customer removed it because "It leaked.".
09-FEB-2012
Open The Base
To access the pumps internal filter a 7/8" wrench is used. The pumps base twists off in a counter clock wise rotation.
09-FEB-2012
Base Off
In this photo you can see the sealing gasket, still in the base, and the filter still in the pump housing.
09-FEB-2012
The Gasket Is Usually The Weak Link
As you can see this gasket should have been replaced long ago. Owners who do know about these filters often assume that because most of these pumps were installed after the primary fuel filter that changing the internal filter is not necessary.
This pump leaked due to a failed gasket and made a mess of the boat it had been in. It was also badly rusted and as such the owner made a decision to install a new one for his piece of mind and due to age and external condition.
Recognizing a good deal when I see one, I cleaned it and painted it and now use it as a portable fuel transfer pump. If it fails I will know about it and it won't fill an owners bilge with fuel.
09-FEB-2012
Clean The Base
Here's the base with the gasket removed. Clean all the "varnish" and sludge out and get the surface as smooth as can be. This picture is after I wiped it out but before I cleaned with the some wet sand paper..
09-FEB-2012
The Filter
With the base removed the filter will come out with some wiggling.
This was actually the end that faced the gasket and we can see evidence of water infiltration. The previous pictures show the filter inserted for illustrative purposes only and it was upside down from the way it actually came out. Despite being down stream from a Racor primary fuel filter the pump still had some water in it. This was likely due to a failed 0-ring on the boats fuel fill.
Facet no longer uses metal/paper filters in these pumps, this one was 31 years old, and they are now just a simple 74 micron screen.
09-FEB-2012
Top Of Filter
The top of the filter shows no water damage and no rusting.
09-FEB-2012
Filter Not Too Bad
For 31 Years of use the filter was not too bad. This means the Racor that was in front of it did a decent job of protecting it. This is a large particulate filter so you would not expect it to be too bad being on the clean side of two other filters.
If the pump had been located on the fuel tank side of the primary filter, it would have been considerably worse.
As I mentioned, it's often the gasket that's the weak link.
09-FEB-2012
The Check Valve
Many of these pumps use a check valve to prevent drain back if the pump is located higher than the tank.
Don't forget to clean the inside of the pump too..
09-FEB-2012
The FIlter & Gasket Kit
Here's an insider tip. You DO NOT need to pay $50.00+ dollars for this filter and gasket from a "marine" supplier.
NAPA sells this Facet filter and gasket kit, under their own part number, as a 610-1086, as seen, for under $10.00. Cheap insurance.
09-FEB-2012
Coat The Gasket
Before installing the gasket coat it lightly with some motor oil on both sides so that it closes nicely without "binding" between the base and pump body.
09-FEB-2012
Insert The Filter
Slide the new filter into the housing as shown.
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