Carpediem44DB
Well-Known Member
- Aug 18, 2015
- 3,230
- Boat Info
- 2000 Carver 506
2006 44 DB Sedan Bridge
- Engines
- Volvo TAMD 74 P
A fellow yacht club member just took delivery of a 2006 Meridian 411. Very clean, low hour local boat. He cut no corners, spent over three grand on surveys and then had a well known yard bottom paint and do some general service. Oil and filters were done recently so he did not have them replaced. Today he took it out for a nice run down the river and while out thought he smelled diesel fuel but did not stop to investigate it.
Upon returning to the dock and securing the boat he stuck his head in the engine room and yelled quite the explicative! There was diesel fuel two inches deep throughout the engine room and it was dripping from the engine room ceiling! After letting the engine room cool down I went below and had him start the port engine for just a moment and found the problem. His spin on fuel filer has split at the top bead. Clearly a manufacturing defect. It is a NAPA filter as are all of the spin on filters on his engines. I dont know what the take away is on this. I usually use Fleet Guard filters myself. This year I went with Baldwin filters from our local truck supply. They were not cheapies but I'm pretty sure I would not want NAPA filters. Does anyone really know what true quality difference there is in filter brands?
The picture is on its side. you can clearly see the crack at the top of the filter. The volume of fuel spewing forth while at idle was frightening. I would have taken a video but thought better of it and was happy to just shut it down.
Upon returning to the dock and securing the boat he stuck his head in the engine room and yelled quite the explicative! There was diesel fuel two inches deep throughout the engine room and it was dripping from the engine room ceiling! After letting the engine room cool down I went below and had him start the port engine for just a moment and found the problem. His spin on fuel filer has split at the top bead. Clearly a manufacturing defect. It is a NAPA filter as are all of the spin on filters on his engines. I dont know what the take away is on this. I usually use Fleet Guard filters myself. This year I went with Baldwin filters from our local truck supply. They were not cheapies but I'm pretty sure I would not want NAPA filters. Does anyone really know what true quality difference there is in filter brands?
The picture is on its side. you can clearly see the crack at the top of the filter. The volume of fuel spewing forth while at idle was frightening. I would have taken a video but thought better of it and was happy to just shut it down.