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Racor LG50 Installation


WakeGirl

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Eliminate gas leakage from the fuel vent.

This is by far & away one of the easiest yet most effective mods that a person can do for their boat. If you have a problem with gas spewing out of the vent during fill ups or at any point when the tank is semi-full, then this will most likely solve the problem for you. (Note, this will only fix the problem with gas coming out of the vent. It won't do anything for gas overflow through the filler neck.)

Tools and Supplies Needed:

  • Racor LG50 Air/Fuel Separator
  • Utility knife or heavy duty scissors
  • Flat screwdriver
  • Piece of chalk or grease pencil
  • Phillips screwdriver *
  • Small length of 5/8" hose rated for fuel (available at Napa Auto Parts by the foot) *
  • 1 90 degree brass fitting, 3/4" barbed on each end (see picture below) *
  • 2 Appropriately sized clamps to go around the above mentioned hose *
  • Zip ties or other methods to secure the vent line when finished

* This installation was performed on a 2006 Wakesetter VLX. Because of the angle & location of the vent line, these additional supplies were used. Other models may not need these supplies, so check the vent line before making your purchases.

Estimated Time to Complete: 15-30 minutes
Difficulty Rating: Low

NOTE: The following recommendations must be followed for the LG50 to work as it was designed to:

  • The LG50 must be installed as close to the vent through-hull as possible.
  • It must be installed as close to vertical as possible.
  • There is a âtopâ & a âbottomâ (it is labeled as such), & it must be installed correctly.
  • When finished, the vent line should be either level or traveling downward toward the gas tank.

Contents of the package

The Racor LG50 that we will be installing comes with the unit itself, a 90 degree adapter that you can replace one of the barbed ends with, zip ties & 2 clamps.
8.jpg

Installation

Locate & remove the gas tank vent line. On the 2006 VLX, it is located ahead of the front panel in the port side rear locker. There are 3 screws in the panel to remove as well as the strut for the hatch.

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1.jpg

Taking care to follow & plan for the recommendations above, make a cut in the vent line. On our installation, we made the cut roughly 6 inches from the end of the line where it connects to the through hull fitting.

2.jpg

You will probably need to remove a small section of hose, but to be sure of the length attach the top of the LG50 first by slipping 2 clamps over that short section of hose that you cut off of the end & then pushing the hose over the top barbed fitting on the LG50. Push the other end over the barb on the through hull fitting, & secure one clamp at the LG50 & the other at the through hull fitting.

3.jpg

 

4.jpg

Then measure where the hose coming into the bottom should meet up when fully attached & make the appropriate cut. Install that end & use the other supplied clamp to secure it. Since our installation was done on a 2006 VLX & the angle/location of the vent line did not lend itself to easily following the above recommendations. Therefore we used a small length of hose with a 90 degree brass fitting at the bottom of the LG50. This allowed us to keep the vertical alignment & kept from having to risk any kinking of the vent line. This required the purchase of the brass fitting as well as additional clamps & a small section of hose, but it worked out well. So check your vent line & try to plan it out before making your purchases or cuts.

5.jpg

When you are finished, check all of your clamps for tightness (making sure to not over tighten), including the clamp at the through hull fitting. Use zip ties or other preferred methods for securing the vent line along with anything else that had to be detached to do the install. Reattach any panels or other hardware that needed removing & you are done!

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7.jpg

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Thanks! The angle of the vent line on the VLX (& probably all Bu vdrives) makes it a bit of a challenge, but with the extra pieces that I bought it works fine. Those with direct drives will find that the vent line location & angle lends itself a little better to a clean install without any extra pieces required.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Probably. I haven't heard that Malibu started adding the LG to their boats coming from the factory. I believe that some dealers add a separator, but it isn't the same & there has been speculation & inconsistency as to whether or not it works.

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  • 1 month later...

I installed the Racor on my SLXI over the winter after hearing the problems with the fuel intake. Today was the first time that I put gas in the boat so I don't have a "before and after" experience to relate. What I can relate is that fuel spilled all over the boat and trailer coming out of the filler neck! The Racor is installed vertically and in the right direction. If it was worse before the separator was installed, I don't know how the previous owner ever got fuel in the boat. I ended up letting the fuel dribble into the tank--and I don't know how that is going to work at a busy marina--it took about 8 minutes to get 12 gallons of gas in the tank. I finally got tired of holding the pump and decided not to completely fill the tank...

Any ideas?? Is there a way to make sure that the vent line is clear? The run on this boat is very short--the vent line comes out of the top of the tank, with a couple of inches to the Racor, makes a 90 degree turn out of the separator and 10-12 inches later gets to the vent.

Other than that, it was a great first day on the water!! Biggrin.gif

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I installed the Racor on my SLXI over the winter after hearing the problems with the fuel intake. Today was the first time that I put gas in the boat so I don't have a "before and after" experience to relate. What I can relate is that fuel spilled all over the boat and trailer coming out of the filler neck! The Racor is installed vertically and in the right direction. If it was worse before the separator was installed, I don't know how the previous owner ever got fuel in the boat. I ended up letting the fuel dribble into the tank--and I don't know how that is going to work at a busy marina--it took about 8 minutes to get 12 gallons of gas in the tank. I finally got tired of holding the pump and decided not to completely fill the tank...

Any ideas?? Is there a way to make sure that the vent line is clear? The run on this boat is very short--the vent line comes out of the top of the tank, with a couple of inches to the Racor, makes a 90 degree turn out of the separator and 10-12 inches later gets to the vent.

Other than that, it was a great first day on the water!! Biggrin.gif

Make sure there is an "seal" at the filler opening. You need the back pressure to activate the shut off on the nozzle. With the fuel fill at 2" diameter and the nozzle less than an inch without a seal you get little if any back pressure. I just put pressure on the nozzle so the boot seals with the filler opening.

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Where do you get these babies? How much?

I picked mine up from Overtons, then I saw they're made in Modesto Ca. about 8 miles from my house. I wonder if you can walk in and buy them?

Link to comment
I installed the Racor on my SLXI over the winter after hearing the problems with the fuel intake. Today was the first time that I put gas in the boat so I don't have a "before and after" experience to relate. What I can relate is that fuel spilled all over the boat and trailer coming out of the filler neck! The Racor is installed vertically and in the right direction. If it was worse before the separator was installed, I don't know how the previous owner ever got fuel in the boat. I ended up letting the fuel dribble into the tank--and I don't know how that is going to work at a busy marina--it took about 8 minutes to get 12 gallons of gas in the tank. I finally got tired of holding the pump and decided not to completely fill the tank...

Any ideas?? Is there a way to make sure that the vent line is clear? The run on this boat is very short--the vent line comes out of the top of the tank, with a couple of inches to the Racor, makes a 90 degree turn out of the separator and 10-12 inches later gets to the vent.

Other than that, it was a great first day on the water!! Biggrin.gif

The Racor is designed to keep fuel from coming out of the vent line, unfortunately it has nothing to do with the fill neck. If someone could come up with a gizmo for that, they'd be rich. :)

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  • 1 year later...

I linked this thread to WW since someone was having the same problem. My question is, why don't they put a fill neck with the same set up as a car has? Where the pump will just fit in to the hole. This would solve the back pressure problem I would think.

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  • 1 month later...
I linked this thread to WW since someone was having the same problem. My question is, why don't they put a fill neck with the same set up as a car has? Where the pump will just fit in to the hole. This would solve the back pressure problem I would think.

Well, that would help the problem of gas puking back through the fill neck, but it wouldn't do anything for the vent. That's what the Racor is for.

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The way the fuel fill is on a car/truck, the tank is vented into the fill line at the top of the neck. You can do this on a boat too but you will have to run a vented gas cap.

I have run these racors since 2001 and never have gas backflow out the vent OR the fill tube. YMMV

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...
  • 4 months later...

I have an LG-50 installed, did it last year, and I still have the fuel spilling out of the vent. I rarely fill up on the water, so it's not a huge deal. I just wish it didn't happen.

I think I'm going to try cutting some rubber gasket material to slip over the fuel nozzle before sticking it into the gas tank. Perhaps that will create enough back pressure and eliminate the problem by creating a better seal. Something I could keep in the bucket in the bed of my truck along with the Babe's and microfiber cloths and such.

Gasket material will cost me about 2 dollars, so it's worth a shot.

Edited by Love2Board
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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 year later...
  • 5 years later...

Anyone put this on a 94 Echelon?

The problem I would think I would have would be the air vent through the hull is only 3 inches or so higher then the fuel tank. Would it matter if the LG50 was installed sideways?

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