Diesel fuel filter info

Thanks for the coments, think I will continue to carry my 1gal fuel container and put up with the stink and the chance of dirty fuel, has been working for years, just seems like I change out a lot of filters on the road plus the pre trip ones. :-)))

Auto trans fluid is one of the better lubrication for a fuel pump and will burn just the same as good ole diesel, I put it in my tank every chance I can if I can find it and with my engine there is no electric fuel pump to prime filter's, just a lift pump so I fill my filter before hand.

wolfe10 wrote:

NHIrish wrote:
Yep...a great way to ruin your engine. Why would you want to do anything like this?
I don't understand why you would want to carry diesel fuel either...my Ford and GM diesels just need to be either electrically primed or pump primed. You should NEVER add fuel to the filter before putting it on as this puts unfiltered fuel into the engine, and it will explode :)

Larger diesel are NOT the same as your Ford or GM diesels.

And, even the large ones can have very different fuel system for exactly the same engine, as the chassis maker, not engine maker specs and installs them.

Agree it is better to not put unfiltered fuel into the engine. But explode???

If you have to pre-fill, fill the small outer holes (inlets), not center hole which is the outlet.

And, even if you have an electrically primed diesel, if the line from fuel tank to primary filter is filled with air (see my post above), GOOD LUCK.

Geez...the explode part was a joke...come on! I stand by not putting transmission fluid in a diesel engine, and not putting unfiltered fuel through an engine. It ain't the good ole days....

On my C7 Cat I usually fill the primary filter with diesel fuel, but the final filter I just left the filter empty and started it up and let it idle for about 5 minutes and it never skipped a beat.:)

wolfe10 wrote:

And, even if you have an electrically primed diesel, if the line from fuel tank to primary filter is filled with air (see my post above), GOOD LUCK.

That is exactly why my manual says cycle the lift pump three times, that will push the air all the way back to the tank.

Brent Wolfe is right on the money!!!

NHIrish wrote:
Yep...a great way to ruin your engine. Why would you want to do anything like this?
I don't understand why you would want to carry diesel fuel either...my Ford and GM diesels just need to be either electrically primed or pump primed. You should NEVER add fuel to the filter before putting it on as this puts unfiltered fuel into the engine, and it will explode :)

Larger diesel are NOT the same as your Ford or GM diesels.

And, even the large ones can have very different fuel system for exactly the same engine, as the chassis maker, not engine maker specs and installs them.

Agree it is better to not put unfiltered fuel into the engine. But explode???

If you have to pre-fill, fill the small outer holes (inlets), not center hole which is the outlet.

And, even if you have an electrically primed diesel, if the line from fuel tank to primary filter is filled with air (see my post above), GOOD LUCK.

NHIrish wrote:
Yep...a great way to ruin your engine. Why would you want to do anything like this?
I don't understand why you would want to carry diesel fuel either...my Ford and GM diesels just need to be either electrically primed or pump primed. You should NEVER add fuel to the filter before putting it on as this puts unfiltered fuel into the engine, and it will explode :)

Have seen lots of folks, including diesel mechanics, do it. Back in the old trucking days, we used transmission fluid as injector cleaner. It consist of anti-wear additives, rust and corrosion inhibitors, detergents, dispersants and surfactants (which protect and clean metal surfaces); kinematic viscosity and viscosity index improvers and modifiers, seal swell additives and agents (which extend the rotational speed range and temperature range of the additives' application); anti-foam additives and anti-oxidation compounds to inhibit oxidation and "boil-off" (which extends the life of the additives' application); cold-flow improvers, high-temperature thickeners, gasket conditioners, pour point depressant and petroleum dye. In a bind, your diesel will start on it, and it isn't going to hurt a thing. And it will not cause your diesel to explode!!

OK, there is NO, repeat NO single answer on whether the fuel filter needs to be pre-filled or not.

It totally depends on how your chassis maker (not engine maker) set up your fuel system.

If you have what I call a "proper" fuel system, do NOT pre-fill. Install dry and use the manual primer pump on the secondary filter to prime. That is it-- when the manual pump goes from easy(moving air) to VERY HARD (fuel is non-compressible) get in start the engine and drive off.

Proper fuel system: fuel tank, ball valve at inlet to primary fuel filter, primary fuel filter/water separator, lift pump, secondary fuel filter with manual primer pump, engine.

If you only have a single filter, make sure it is a two micron element (which will clog a lot quicker than a 10 primary followed by a 2 secondary) AND you will have to prefill it, as your chassis maker left you no way to prime it.

Further, if the level of fuel in the tank is lower than that of the primary fuel filter base, fuel will siphon all the way back to the tank, leaving you with 25+ feel to AIR in the line-- bad news. That is why I put a ball valve on the inlet to the primary fuel filter-- when changing filters, it keeps fuel from either running out (filter base is lower than level of fuel in the tank) or siphoning back to the tank.

NHIrish wrote:
Yep...a great way to ruin your engine. Why would you want to do anything like this?
I don't understand why you would want to carry diesel fuel either...my Ford and GM diesels just need to be either electrically primed or pump primed. You should NEVER add fuel to the filter before putting it on as this puts unfiltered fuel into the engine, and it will explode :)

I have a 330 Cat and believe me the filter needs to be pre filled
when installed, I'm just trying not to carry a diesel can, mine always seem to leak in the bay.