Fuel filter light on again

[dave1shere]

Hello everyone seems as if the biodiesel I'm running is cleaning out my tanks, very well. I have my fuel filter light coming on again. Just bought a filter at my local NAPA store, and they are very proud of those filters. Does anyone know where I can get cheaper filters that will protect the engine and operate the way they are supposed to proper micron level and so forth. I did a search on this forum and found some cross references on filters. I should've marked that as a bookmark, but it was late at night and I forgot to have not been able to find it again. Thank you Dave.

 

[93turbo_animal]

I looked and looked and any of the good filters that will flow and filter like yours while still catching water are expensive so what I did is simply add another filter head with a $3 filter to catch all the junk and the stock filter will catch any water I might get

 

[bigguy22]

I use the frams ps6554 from wal-mart for about $22.00 bucks. Went threw about one a week for a mouth. When using bio. Now one every oil change haven't any problem yet. 94 extra cab a/t factory turbo 4'' ex. 85 6.9std cab 3'' ex a/t 35 BFG's on 12'' weld's

 

[dave1shere]

93turbo animal - Thanks for the reply. Wondering what other filter did you use and how did you set it up. I have an old 81 Mercedes Benz - they use a primary and secondary filter. The primary is a little plastic throw away and the secondary is the spin on filter. I always thought that was a good idea. Maybe one of the larger see-thru plastic throw aways like you get at Discount Auto would work. I think the one for Mercedes is too small for a pickup truck.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[93turbo_animal]

http://www.fleetfilter.com/Store_ViewProducts.asp?Cat=68

Thats the housing and the 3107 filter is what I use I'll try and get some pics of how I have it mounted

 

[firemedicmonkey]

Hello everyone seems as if the biodiesel I'm running is cleaning out my tanks, very well. I have my fuel filter light coming on again. Just bought a filter at my local NAPA store, and they are very proud of those filters. Does anyone know where I can get cheaper filters that will protect the engine and operate the way they are supposed to proper micron level and so forth. I did a search on this forum and found some cross references on filters. I should've marked that as a bookmark, but it was late at night and I forgot to have not been able to find it again. Thank you Dave.

That is exactly what biodiesel does. It cleans up all the crap in your fuel system and you will have to change filter regularly until all the crap is out... Then you are golden... You can use luber finer filters from autozone until you get the crap is out...

 

[GREASE FIRE]

That is exactly what biodiesel does. It cleans up all the crap in your fuel system and you will have to change filter regularly until all the crap is out... Then you are golden... You can use luber finer filters from autozone until you get the crap is out...

i used to believe that until i had to pull the tank on my 89 f250 because it had a small leak. It was the original stock fuel tank, been on the truck 19 years and the inside was perfectly clean with no sign of debris, gunk or anything (and i had only run diesel in it as well, no bio).
So now i wonder if the insides of diesel fuel tanks really get that dirty, and if so, why didn't mine??

the other thing that could be clogging your filters is cooler weather (if you have it). Bio starts to clog filters a lot faster when it gets cool/cold, and this depends a lot on what kind of oil the bio was made from.
just my experience...

Paul

 

[93turbo_animal]

yeah I've changed a couple tanks on different trucks and they have always been cleen too

 

[firemedicmonkey]

I don't think its so much the tank that gets cleaned as the fuel system: Fuel Lines, Injectors etc... I have to agree now that I think of it most of the fuel tanks I have changed have been very clean on the inside... hmmm

 

[dave1shere]

Well now I have a new problem. I changed the fuel filter and bled it of air, I took the truck out for a test drive. Everything seemed fine, all a sudden the fuel filter light comes back on. I drove into town about 10 miles the truck started surging and acting like it was going to die. I pulled into a parking lot, shut it down, opened the hood and had the wife turn the key on, so my electric pump, would pump pressure to the filter used a screwdriver on the little bleeder fitting. I got a lot of air out of it but was able to get the truck running again had to repeat this procedure, three times on the way home. Looks like I have the infamous air leak somewhere. So I guess my fuel filter was okay. My question is does the fuel filter light come on, when it sees a vacuum or just air is enough to trigger it. Well I guess I'll just start hunting to see where my air leak is. What a pain.

 

[subway]

the light comes on when it senses a vacume, if your fuel pump is not keeping up the injection pump can pull a vacume by itself and actually pull air into the system.

it can do this especailly through the schrader valve if it is not capped off tight.

 

[GREASE FIRE]

the light comes on when it senses a vacume, if your fuel pump is not keeping up the injection pump can pull a vacume by itself and actually pull air into the system.

it can do this especailly through the schrader valve if it is not capped off tight.

my schrader valve does not have a cap - do you know where to get one? it does not seem to be the same size as the kind found on car tires (at least mine is not). I also have air issues, i wonder if the valve is the problem.
thanks,
paul

 

[GREASE FIRE]

Well now I have a new problem. I changed the fuel filter and bled it of air, I took the truck out for a test drive. Everything seemed fine, all a sudden the fuel filter light comes back on. I drove into town about 10 miles the truck started surging and acting like it was going to die. I pulled into a parking lot, shut it down, opened the hood and had the wife turn the key on, so my electric pump, would pump pressure to the filter used a screwdriver on the little bleeder fitting. I got a lot of air out of it but was able to get the truck running again had to repeat this procedure, three times on the way home. Looks like I have the infamous air leak somewhere. So I guess my fuel filter was okay. My question is does the fuel filter light come on, when it sees a vacuum or just air is enough to trigger it. Well I guess I'll just start hunting to see where my air leak is. What a pain.

that kind of goes along with what i said earlier - and i think most bio users who think they have problems with filters clogging due to debris in the tank getting cleaned out actually have other problems - at least that was the case with me.
one thing to consider is the fuel lines - do you have any old rubber lines anywhere that could be deteriorating? that could easily let air in. i have one small section of the old hose left, just before the lift pump, and it is weeping from the bio blend i put in the tank a while back.

BTW if you do decide to replace fuel lines, i have found that goodyear fuel line hose does fine with b100 and is far cheaper than viton. I have a section of it in my shop - if needed i can read the numbers on it to tell you what kind it is. But i THINK it says 30r7 or something like that.

paul

 

[subway]

my schrader valve does not have a cap - do you know where to get one? it does not seem to be the same size as the kind found on car tires (at least mine is not). I also have air issues, i wonder if the valve is the problem.
thanks,
paul

it "should" be the same as a car schrader valve. i know mine are. my cap looks just like a regular cab but it has a rubber insert in it to seal. not sure where you would get an extra besides a Ford, IH dealer or salvage yard. i dont have any spares myself.

those valves are made to hold pressure but not vacume. i dont know if it is your problem but something to check out. you could clamp a rubber cap on it to check it out short term though.

 

[Ironman03R]

I think you just have your fuel too thick. I have had this problem with my 94 since I started blending, but only in colder temps.