fuel water separator filter

Bigdog wrote:
Of course, the other problem is washing your hands and shirts after you get in the way of that nice perfumey diesel smell.

Diesel is the cologne of choice for manly men! ??

Of course, the other problem is washing your hands and shirts after you get in the way of that nice perfumey diesel smell.

I just changed my fuel separator this weekend. I had asked Freightliner about the diesel running out and they said work fast....Yes fuel runs, I put my oil pan underneath. Just have new filter ready to go. The only thing that takes time is removing the clear bowl attached to the old filter and putting it back on the new filter.

Drove charter buses over 25 years. Carried quarts of transmission fluid and strap wrench. Would get clogged fuel filters once in a while. The older buses didn't have electric pumps in the tank so you would have to prime the filter. I never put in a dry filter and the t-fluid would lube the fuel pump. Hardest part was getting to the filters. Good luck.

I had a similar problem and followed Scotts (FIRE UP)' advice. I added 1/4 turn valves on both sides of the filter and it solved that problem.

Solution for right now-- fuel level in tank ABOVE level of filter housing-- see comment below:

Have new filter ready (seals oiled).

Bucket under filter.

Remove old filter and drop in bucket.

Install new filter (dry).

Do not tighten new filter all the way until fuel runs out.

Final tighten and wipe off filter.


Comment about pointing coach downhill, etc so level of fuel in tank is lower than filter head-- BAD IDEA, as removing the filter WILL cause fuel to flow toward lower level. Yes, if level in tank is higher, it will continue to flow out the filter head. But, that is MUCH BETTER than fuel flowing back to the tank, as that will leave you with 25'+ OF AIR in the fuel line. Priming with that much air is a whole other issue.


Permanent solution: Install a ball valve on the inlet side of the primary fuel filter. Close when changing filter. And, also, a heck of an anti-theft device!

bdpreece wrote:
You will notice my directions said to have the filter filled and ready to install. I installed one dry one time. NEVER AGAIN!!!!!!!! I don't care what Cat or Cummins say.

times 5

skipper13 wrote:
Servicing the coach today and put on new fuel filter, no problem.

Went to remove the old fuel water separator with clear bowl and fuel runs out continuously. Drained the bowl first but when unscrewed filter 3 turns fuel ran out the top of filter. Let it run for about 5 minutes and did not slow down so I just tightened it back up. Would like to put on new filter but is this normal and just have fuel every where. Please help and thanks in advance.

why would u ever let it run for 5 minutes? you could install (or at least I could) a new filter in well under a minute

You will notice my directions said to have the filter filled and ready to install. I installed one dry one time. NEVER AGAIN!!!!!!!! I don't care what Cat or Cummins say.

skipper13 wrote:
Servicing the coach today and put on new fuel filter, no problem.

Went to remove the old fuel water separator with clear bowl and fuel runs out continuously. Drained the bowl first but when unscrewed filter 3 turns fuel ran out the top of filter. Let it run for about 5 minutes and did not slow down so I just tightened it back up. Would like to put on new filter but is this normal and just have fuel every where. Please help and thanks in advance.

Well Sir,
First off, being advised to change the filter with the coach "Nose down" could end up DISASTEROUS for you. I know, I've been there. It's a really long story but, I'll give you (and anyone else wondering) the short version. I parked my coach, an '04 Itasca Horizon 36GD with the C-7 330HP CAT, in a slightly NOSE DOWN position, with less than a 1/2 tank of fuel. I only have one fuel filter on my particular version of CAT and, it has the water separator bowl on it too.
I removed that filter and, no fuel came out of the head.

At that time, I was following a CAT book on the procedures for changing filters. THAT BOOK stated to install the filter DRY. I did that. BIG MISTAKE!!!! I cranked and cranked and cranked and cranked and no start. Ultra long story short, what happened was this. By having less than a 1/2 tank of fuel and, by tilting the coach forward some, when I removed that filter, it broke the seal all the way from the engine, through the filter and, all the fuel in the line went 25' all the way back to the tank.

THERE IS NO PRIMING PUMP on this coach. So, in order for our coach to run again, we had to PRESSURIZE the fuel tank. Once pressure was applied, we could bleed it at the fuel filter head and, the inlet for the primary pump, at the HEUI pump.

So, the moral of the story is, if I were you, I'd not tip that coach forward to keep fuel from running out. If I were you, I'd simply have an already filled fuel filter ready. Then, put a large drip pan under it, remove the old one and quickly install the new one. Yeah, you might make a mess for 10-15 seconds or so but, not a big deal.

What I did on mine to alleviate any fuel back-flow problems in the future, I simply added 1/4 turn valves on both sides of the filter. That way, I can shut both sides of that fuel system down and take my time on changing the filter.
Scott