How dirty is your fuel filter when you change it?

[Pit Bull]

I change my filter every 12K miles. This time it was a little dirty. I think I will go to 10K miles. I only use truck stop diesel and I use Rotella DFA every tank. I guess it is suppose to get dirty (it is a filter) but I was wondering what you guys see?

 

[Wheaties]

Mine comes out black, does that mean it's dirty? I change it about every 15k



Matt

 

[MJawsman]

I change mine at the 15K mark and it's usually gray... never seen it black. Could be a fuel additive?

 

[BK]

I change mine once a year.



This spring will be the third time, scheduled to change is next month. Did it twice before since it's new, and this spring will mark the 3rd year owning it.



With that said, I have about 26K miles on it.

So I'm averaging 8K miles between changes.



Both times it was black.

 

[TomGolden]

I guess I'm a wee bit more paranoid than some of you guys. I change mine at every oil change - every 5K miles. I figure filters are cheap insurance against potential problems.



Tom

 

[LSMITH]

Do yourselves a favor and get a temporary gauge or hook up your full time gauge to read both pre and post to check the filter. The guage is paid for in short order when you are not changing filters that are still good. You test the pressure pre-filter and post-filter, I bring it up to 2500 RPM and take a reading or go out on the road and test pressures at WOT. If I see more than about 3 PSI restriction I change it out, 4 PSI it gets changed for sure. The amount of restriction is essentially the same at 2500 RPM in nuetral as it is at WOT and 2500 RPM in drive on the road. I check it every oil change and halfway to the next oil change. I have gone as low as 7K miles and it needed changed and as far as 22K miles before it needed changed. Unless I have gotten a bad tank or two it will go 18-20K miles easily and not have 4 PSI of restriction. Some of you seem to be wasting a lot of money on filters that are still good. Save the money to buy speed parts .

 

[illflem]

I change mine every 20k but could probably go longer, but of course I monitor it with a fuel pressure gauge. I use only one gauge on the outlet side of the filter and figure my inlet pressure to always be the same at idle with a clean filter. If the outlet pressure at idle drops I know it's time to change the filter. It only takes one bad tank of fuel to clog a filter, hard to go on just miles alone. Papa Joe posted 63k on his stock filter before it clogged.



Side note: at 18 mpg after 20k you would have filtered 1100 gallons of fuel, this doesn't count the return line fuel that gets filtered over and over. Really not that much when you consider the fuel is supposed to be clean from the pump.

 

[GSchlegel]

I've got a Prime Lock with a pressure differential gauge. I change the fuel filter about once a year (40,000 to 50,000 miles) even though the differential gauge shows very little restriction - just nervous. I drain the fuel filter every other fuel stop just to keep the rust, etc. down. So far so good.



Gene

 

[csevers]

18-20k

I change mine at the above miles and have only had very little color change and no visual sign of dirt on all filter changes .

 

[Joe G.]

I went over 50K miles (can't remember exactly) the last time I changed a fuel filter. I got nervous because illflem had a story about the media collapsing in a D7 he had and ruined the FI pump. I cut the can open and inspected the filter. The outside was covered with black scum and the inside was sparking clean. The media was still in good shape. Could have gone a lot longer as long as I got clean fuel. This one gets changed IF the pressure drops. That's the criteria we used on the fish boat. I have a spare in my goodie box.

 

[Champane Flight]

25000

I go 25000 miles on fuel filters and drain every six months. They are still pretty clean when I change. I always watch stations for unloading trucks and do NOT fuel if I see a tanker unloading at the station. This stirs the bottoms up on the tanks and the results go to your filter. I try to learn the habits of the operaters of local stations and use the stations that have the best record for running on the top half of their tanks. You can do this by talking to your local tank drivers and finding out who runs out the most. Price is not everything and I try to go for clean, quality fuel, before two cents in savings.





I was talking to a guy one time at a RV park who went 120000 miles on a fuel filter. Of course it left him going down the road. He did not even know that the fuel filter should be changed regularly.

 

[Pit Bull]

Iwonder if diesel fuel additive would discolor your fuel filter?

 

[The patriot]

I've been doing mine every 9-11K miles.

I get my fuel bulk in a 550 tank, so the fuel quality is "known". If I run the 550 down, 9K miles seems like it's needed. The tank isnt old, (3 years old, heavy gauge made for burial)just seems like there's a need to replace the filter more often towards the bottom of the tank.

Other than that, the filter looks as if it can easily go more miles. I recently tapped my fuel filter housing, so I plan on putting some gauges in to montior the filters restriction. I have the snubbers, etc, just havent decided on what gauges to use.

I also do not have a filter on my fueling setup, and plan on adding one soon. Can anyone suggest one? I'd like to go to 5 microns if possible?

Thanks.

Eric

 

[illflem]

Eric, Golden Rod filters are the way to go on your tank, they're pretty much the standard.

 

[The patriot]

Thanks Bill. I see them at CT and Tractor supply, etc, just wondered how many microns they were good for?

Also, is the water seperating one a waste of time, or what?

Eric

 

[illflem]

Eric, not sure on the micron rating. I've never seen one without the water seperation feature, guess that answers that question.

 

[Bigsaint]

Goldenrod filter

Eric, I put one of these on my transfer tank, it's the has the ability to trap up to 1/2 a cup of water and filters down to 15 microns. http://www.northerntool.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=350494&prmenbr=6970



Word of caution on the petcock drain valve... lefty=closed, I found out the hard way, took a good bath one night .



Scott W.

 

[illflem]

Eric, word of caution. Don't use Teflon tape on your tank fittings, I 100% guarantee they will eventually leak. Permatex #2 or anti-seize work great.

 

[Champane Flight]

For threaded fittings,

Try to find some Gasiola. We use it in the industry, it is messy, but works. It is a teflon fibered paste.

 

[chuck3]

I change mine about 12 to 14k, allways looks like new, and no increase in flow pressure with new one.