A little filter cutting fun

[GrantP]

I've been curious to see how dirty the GDP secondary fuel filter actually is on my truck when I change it. Well, looks like the Baldwin PF7977 ahead of it is doing it's job. This is after 13k miles, I usually change fuel filters every other oil change.

 

[DonFitzwater]

Cool. Where did you buy your filter cutter?

 

[DavidC]

Be interesting to see the other filter at the same time/interval.

Dave

 

[GrantP]

Cool. Where did you buy your filter cutter?

At the recommendation of others on this forum I purchased the Longacre from Summit. It is very well made and works flawlessly, it's worth the extra coins.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/lng-77750

 

[GrantP]

Be interesting to see the other filter at the same time/interval.

Dave

I thought about it and should've taken a picture but my hands were covered in diesel and my phone wasn't handy. It was nothing remarkable, just the usual asphaltenes, both filters had the same mileage on them.

 

[Motorhead]

I run a fuel pressure gauge that is installed after my secondary Donaldson filter. With 30,000 miles on it, I am still at 9 psi at high throttle. I would recommend you extend the interval on the secondary to every other time you change the primary. I change my primary every 12,000-15,000 miles per factory interval and the secondary every 30,000 miles

 

[Wayne M.]

Grant, that is a nice tool!
I change my primary every second oil change, and the final once or twice a year, or if I think there’s something going on.
A thought on replacing this filter that so many of us now have;
I was just reading the technical overview file for the current model Cummins 6.7 as found in commercial applications (in our case, a mechanical sweeper). This engine has 2 spin on fuel filters. A primary/ water sep (similar to the mopar severe duty kit) and a 5 micron final exactly like what we’re upgrading our rigs to. As I was taking it all in, they stressed quite plainly to NOT pre fill that final filter, and to use the hand primer that’s on the water sep. they’re stressing the probability of allowing dirt into that sterile environment, and to fill with the pre cleaned fuel coming in from the first filter.

 

[GrantP]

I'll be extending the filter change interval for sure. One of the reasons I bought that filter cutter was to see if I was changing them too early. I think I'll change it every other primary filter change like you guys have been doing and see how that looks. At 15 bucks a pop for the filters, the filter cutter will pay for itself a few years down the road. I just changed the oil in my wife's Jeep and I cut open the filter for grins. After 5k I was surprised at how brittle the filter material was and there was some light soot at the bottom of the filter canister, back to 3k oil changes on that one. So....guess that filter cutter isn't going to pay for itself after all.

Wayne, I've never even considered prefilling the filter. I just bump the starter and let the fuel pump do the work.

 

[bighammer]

Wayne, I've never even considered pre-filling the filter. I just bump the starter and let the fuel pump do the work.

I used to do the same with my old truck. Just hit me though, not sure what I will do on my '15. Just a quick bump of the starter and it cranks until it starts the truck.

 

[Wayne M.]

I used to do the same with my old truck. Just hit me though, not sure what I will do on my '15. Just a quick bump of the starter and it cranks until it starts the truck.

Do you have a key or button? I have the button on my 14 Durango, and I’ve noticed when resetting the oil life, that if you put it in run without stepping in the brake, it cycles the fuel pump.

 

[bighammer]

It's a plastic thing that you have to insert, but sort of looks like an older key that broke off. I haven't tried w/o foot on the brake. You're probably right.

 

[sag2]

You should never pre-fill a fuel filter, or the fuel filter housing. You are trying to filter stuff that is a few microns in diameter so let the pump push the fuel through the filter so the dirt stays on the dirty side.

 

[Wayne M.]

You should never pre-fill a fuel filter, or the fuel filter housing. You are trying to filter stuff that is a few microns in diameter so let the pump push the fuel through the filter so the dirt stays on the dirty side.

That was the point I was trying to make.

 

[AH64ID]

That’s a nice cutter!

You defiantly should extend your fuel filter life. Dirty filters are more efficient than clean filters, up until the point they restrict flow.

CAT even has a service bulletin out about over servicing fuel filters.

 

[GrantP]

That’s a nice cutter!

You defiantly should extend your fuel filter life. Dirty filters are more efficient than clean filters, up until the point they restrict flow.

CAT even has a service bulletin out about over servicing fuel filters.

I completely agree on all of your points, but I would never have known I was throwing money away if I hadn't cut that filter open. I suspect others have been doing the same and that was my point in sharing.

As for the cutter, it's too nice to throw in the toolbox. It adds some "bling" to the pegboard above my workbench.

 

[Wayne M.]

I’m bringing mine to work tomorrow to cut open. I haven’t looked in mine in a long time.

 

[JR]

Bringing this back to the top.

The store room fella was cleaning old tools out of the crib - alot of good stuff ended up in the dumpster.
Anyhow, I rescued this guy from a certain doom, brought it home, bead blasted and painted it red. Its made by Reed manufacturing in nearby Erie, PA. I was in their facility years ago - installed and plumbed in a new press - so the connection bumps up the coolness factor for me.