I'm Confused...

[k_williams1982]

As I was getting ready to head to my parts truck today, I decided to check all the fluids before I left. Up until stripping the parts truck, I had no clue where the fuel/water seperator was on the older 6.9L trucks (my cruise control always covered it from view). Anyways, I decided to look at it to see if it was bypassed like the parts truck. Instead of a "pull plunger" thing on the top, there is a valve like what an air compressor tank has for the drain and a metal "screw on" filter on the bottom of the housing. Is this a factory thing, or has someone changed this out? I didn't see any numbers on it, so how do I find out what kind of filter to put on the thing to change it out? I'll take pics of it tomorrow and add them.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

can youpost a pic of the thing? Sounds sorta like what my buddy has in his '86, but the screw-on filter thing gets me a bit confused there...

 

[Fozz]

What year is your parts truck? That sounds like the fuel filter in my 92. There's the filter bracket that is over the #1 injector. The filter screws up onto that, and then there's another lower metal part that screws up onto the filter with the water sensor wire and the drain you explained, right? That is factory. Napa has the filter. I hated taking all of that apart for a filter change. Napa has another filter with a drain in it already and then you don't need the bottom screw-on part, plus it's cheaper.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

Yeah, but if you have a WIF light you gotta transfer the sensor when you swap filters, which is about as bad as swapping factory bowls. And that filter and head ain't factory for the '86, maybe someone installed them in place of the factory water separator so they can run dual filters?

 

[BigRigTech]

Sounds like the filter on my 91. It has a screw in drain and a removable WIF sensor...It's right over the #1 injector as well.

 

[Agnem]

Yes, that is factory. Early stanadyne units had the screw and drain. Better in some ways then the pull the ring kind, cause they are better at re-sealing after a drain.

 

[k_williams1982]

The filter is not the style that is over injector #1. I have a 7.3L filter housing that I was going to put on my truck, but I heard that the 6.9L filter will filter down to 6 microns and the 7.3L filter only filters to 12 microns. The "filter" assembly is located on the driver's side and the housing is bolted to the firewall. Here are pics. One is of the topside of the housing. Sorry the truck is so dirty, but I never knew that this thing was back in there due to being covered by the cruise control and all the hoses/wiring. I don't want to pull the filter unless I know that I can find a replacement for it.

The '86 F250 had the "pull plunger" style drain. This filter is on my '85 F350 CC in my sig.

 

[fastass350]

Sure looks like a Napa or other brand of add on filter head. I have one similar, and at one time was mounted in the same location you described to me earlier. Took a 3210 if I remember correctly (though I probably don't) and it had a drain on the bottom. It's kinda hard to tell from your pics though.

 

[k_williams1982]

I think I'll go ahead and remove the filter as nicely as possible smash. After talking to Towcat, I think he's got the right idea about it... By having the two filters, I'm putting extra "strain" on my lift pump to get fuel to the IP, unless I install an electric pump to help out a bit. I kinda like the idea of two filters on the truck since I do run WMO, but if I ever run out of fuel it's going to be a PITA to prime BOTH filters with just a mechanical lift pump. If I can find a filter for it, I might just replace it and add an electric pump later. I think I better get a good set of return line put on the truck before I add the electric pump otherwise I'll end up with more fuel leaking from the injector caps.

 

[k_williams1982]

Okay, I pulled the filter and it is a NAPA Gold Primary Fuel Filter # 3121. NAPA shows that it is a filter for a Ford truck, but that is all that they list. I think it's clogged or pretty close to it because when I removed it, it was only half full... I'm going to replace it until I finish up using the WMO in the tanks right now and the 28 gallons of ATF that needs mixed with diesel. After that, I'll bypass this filter and just use my normal 6.9L filter. I have a spare 7.3L housing that I'm thinking about putting on as a "primary" filter once I install an electric pump.

 

[k_williams1982]

Nvermind.. I just researched the filter and it's a filter for a 8.2L Detroit diesel engine with a micron rating of 30! 30 micron will work fine if I'm trying to catch golf balls before they get to the IP. I'm going to bypass the filter and just run the one 6.9L filter for now.

 

[typ4]

Nvermind.. I just researched the filter and it's a filter for a 8.2L Detroit diesel engine with a micron rating of 30! 30 micron will work fine if I'm trying to catch golf balls before they get to the IP. I'm going to bypass the filter and just run the one 6.9L filter for now.

I use that micron filter as a primary down on the frame rail.

 

[k_williams1982]

I use that micron filter as a primary down on the frame rail.

After more research, I found out that the '82-'83 Chevy 6.2 fuel filter/water seperator filter has the same gasket measurements (3.444 O.D., 3.100 I.D., and 0.260 thickness). I talked to punkmechanic and he thought it was a good idea to leave it so that I have a filter before the lift pump. I'm going to change the filter out to the Chevy 6.2L filter (using current housing) because then I will have a water seperator on the truck, and the Chevy filter is a 12 micron rating. I changed out my 6.9L filter last night and I got a little more power back, so I think that was the one that needed the change. I'm installing the return lines today, and adding an electric pump.

 

[subway]

i was going to suggest you check the price and availibility of the filters. if the micorn range is good and you can get them easily might be better to go in that direction. the 7.3 filters are expensive at about 30 or so dollars each at parts stores. i have been thinking of changing out my filter head if i can find a cheaper to replace unit that will do the job. running WMO cuts the life of mine short anyway.

 

[k_williams1982]

i was going to suggest you check the price and availibility of the filters. if the micorn range is good and you can get them easily might be better to go in that direction. the 7.3 filters are expensive at about 30 or so dollars each at parts stores. i have been thinking of changing out my filter head if i can find a cheaper to replace unit that will do the job. running WMO cuts the life of mine short anyway.

The Chevy 6.2L filter is about $20-$25 bucks, but it doesn't require the bottom thing that goes on the 7.3L filter (I guess it's a glass bowl). I was going to buy a 7.3L filter because I have the a setup here to put on on, but I'm missing the bottom part that goes on the filter according to the parts store. The Chevy 6.2L filter is a solid unit with a drain thing on the bottom.