[AT] Update AT 3 cyl diesel problems & fuel filters

[James Peck]

One approach is to circulate the diesel fuel through a separate filter.

https://www.cjc.dk/products/filter-separators/ptu-1512-compact-filter-separator/

Carl Szabelski AT list member and tank knowledge resource (szabelski at wildblue.net); I would imagine that the 10 micron filter is actually serving as a pre-filter, acting to catch the big stuff and allow the 5 micron screens to last longer before needing service. Also if you were to put in a 5 micron filter in place of the 10 micron filter, you may see enough pressure drop in the fuel line to affect how the engine runs once it starts to catch the 5 micron particles (in line restrictor???).

If you allow the 5 micron stuff to pass thru the 10 micron filter, then it essentially get distributed evenly across each injector screen and it takes longer to start plugging each of the screens, versus catching it all in an in line 5 micron in line filter which would plug faster.

This of course would be dependent on the surface area of any filter or screen in the fuel system.


I know wood workers who complained that the dust bag in their dust collecting system was passing 5 micron dust  that would eventually wind up on surfaces. They would spend big bucks putting in a hepa filter bag, and then complained that their filter system wasn’t sucking up dust like it used to, air flow restriction due to finer filtering properties of the bag. 

Cecil Bearden AT list member, Oklahoma farmer, and Professional Engineer (crbearden at copper.net); On the subject of filters.  My 2000 Ford F-150 4wd gase 5.7liter was my first and last drug confiscation truck.  It had sat outside the Stephens County jail and it appeared that someone had dumped sand in the gas tank.  It also had never had the oil changed for 8 years while the county abused it, a story for another time.  The injectors kept plugging up with a very fine stuff like rust.  I changed the fuel filter several times and found nothing in it.  I put 3 sets of injectors in it before ordering a fuel  tank from Amazon and when I changed it I found a pound of sand in the tank. It was taking the rust off the inside of the tank and plugging the injectors.  The filter is a 10 micron filter, but the injectors are 2 micron with a 5 micron screen in the injector connection.....   Why put a final fuel filter in a system that allows particles 5 times larger than the part you are trying to protect???