Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Fuel Filter change interval

[Motorhead]

How often are you guys changing your fuel filter on the '98. 5's and up? I changed mine at 15k and it looked pretty good with no crud at the bottom of the filter housing. I am at 32k now.

Thanks, Chris

 

[Rockcrusher]

I changed at 10-12,000 in my old truck and plan to do the same with my '02. Only had one dirty load of fuel from a Beacon station in northern Calif.

 

[TPilaske]

I thought you were supposed to change it every other oil change?

 

[Fireman Dave]

I did my first one at 10,000. I did my second one 12,000 later. I'm going back to 10,000 - that last one looked blacker than I'd like it to be.

 

[Rob Thomas]

I was changin' mine @ 15,000 miles, now I have a pre and post filter gauge's. So I'll determine how many miles I can get between changes via pressure changes.



Later, Rob

 

[BK]

Originally posted by Fireman Dave

I did my first one at 10,000. I did my second one 12,000 later. I'm going back to 10,000 - that last one looked blacker than I'd like it to be.

if you do an oil change every 5K or so... .



the quoted book time/mileage is 1year or 10K (12K maybe it says)... I do 1year , in which I put on ~10K



My filter container is clean... the filter which started of pure white is pitch black. I'll be getting a 2nd sender for the FP gauge, so I can see what the what the delta is pre/post over time.



-Bob

 

[csevers]

18000 miles

or about that time when it is convient I have yet to notice a power problem or restoreation after filter changes yes filter is dirty but I think it is stuff seperating out of the low sulfer fuel and collecting on paper I have been doing services on semi for years and have noticed since the several cut backs on sulfer ower filters come out blacker and blacker but still not pluged that is just my observation

 

[Bigsaint]

I changed the first one at 5,000 miles, beyond overkill and a needless waste of money. I changed the second at 7500 miles, ditto. I won't change the next one until I see a drop of 3 psi's across the filter, or just before winter sets in, whichever comes first.



Scott W.

 

[LSMITH]

Originally posted by Rob Thomas

I was changin' mine @ 15,000 miles, now I have a pre and post filter gauge's. So I'll determine how many miles I can get between changes via pressure changes.



Later, Rob

This is the right way to do it. Check the pressures and when you see 4 PSI or so of restriction you are ready to change. The color/weight bla bla bla means nothing. The pressure differential is the only way to tell it needs changed. You don't need an elaborate gauge setup with a couple senders or any of that. A simple temporary gauge is all you need (the Briar Hopper setup comes to mind, but I made my own several years ago) to check it every couple thousand miles. I have had a filter that was completely used up in only 3500 miles!!!! If I had gone to the interval like most guys I could have had problems. Get a temp gauge at least and check it, when it is bad then change it. You will also save a lot of money doing it this way if you get clean fuel. I have gone 22K miles on one filter before I needed to change it.

 

[TomGolden]

I am probably one of, if not the most conservative member on this subject. I change mine at every oil change - ~5K miles. Is it overkill, most likely, but for an extra $11 per oil change, it gives me piece of mind. Ultimately, it's your truck and your piece o fmind, and everyone has their own comfort level.



merely my own $. 02



Tom

 

[BFC]

I change mine every other oil change, I go 5K between oil change. I have a fuel pressure gauge so if the pressure drops, out goes the filter.



Glenn

 

[Motorhead]

It sounds like I might be going a bit too long. I don't have either a fixed guage or a test guage to check for any restriction. The guages are at the top of the list! I have a spare fuel filter, so it gets changed out tomorrow. Thanks for all input.

Chris

 

[Turbo Trucker]

I do it every 30,000 miles.

 

[Motorhead]

Changed it today at 17k. looked dark but no crud at the bottom of housing. Chris

 

[Bigsaint]

LSMITH really summed it up, IMHO. Without at least one FP gauge, post filter, to watch for a drop in psi's, you are really just taking a guess using the mileage theory. All it takes is one load of crappy fuel to clog the filter. Short of having performance issues, you really won't know if the filter is still good or not, even after 1,000 miles, or 500 for that matter. Just one more reason to invest in a temp. or permanent FP gauge.



Scott W.

 

[cullyguy]

This is what I chose to do: Remote mount my Fuel pressure sender on the firewall, use a tapped banjo bolt to take the pressure reading from the bottom of the filter. This way I get steady readings as to what the VP44 is getting post filter. While driving I know what the pressure is & if I see a drop after a fresh tank of fuel, I pretty much know it was bad ( or I have a lift pump issue). When I change my oil, I put on a pressure gauge on the port coming into the fuel filter( If you have an 02 you will need to add this port, $37 from Dodge or use a schrader valve / Ray's tapped set up) . Cummins specs are no more than a 5 psi drop across the filter. I always use a fuel suppliment (Power Service or Rotella DFA), which I doubt has anything to do with filter life, but I think it may help lift pump life as my last one went 73,500 and was still going strong when I traded the truck.

 

[Grey Wolf]

I wouldn’t want to alarm any of you guys, but in my thirty or so years of working on and driving Diesels, when I saw black in a filter I knew I had a microbe problem. When I saw black if it was the least bit slimy, I went looking for my can of biocide and started treating my fuel…. . Just something to keep in mind

 

[AlFischer]

I just changed my oil for the first time (7500 miles) and checked the fuel pressure before and after the filter. There was 1-2 lbs drop. Drained the filter by opening the valve into a clean glass jar and found two tiny drops of water at the bottom. There was absolutely no sediment in the drain sample.



My observation is that I must be getting good clean fuel and that there is no reason to change the fuel filter at this time.



If the fuel never has any contamination why would the filter ever have to be changed? If I drain and check at every oil change interval and the findings are the same would I have need to change the filter? Should I expect sediment to show up in the drained fuel? Does draining remove all of the trapped water?



Lotsa questions, but no dumb ones!!!