Question for those with an Auxiliary diesel fuel tank

[Bionic_Man]

So, for the 2nd time in 3 years, my in tank fuel pump on my RAM failed. Happened two weeks ago pulling my boat on a 500 mile trip to vacation. The good was it didn't leave us stranded, happened in probably the best possible place, and was able to limp into literally the last town with any mechanics for about 250 miles.

Dealer said that the fuel pumps are very reliable, and they don't know what is causing the problems.

On the way home, I ran the 60 gallon RDS tank dry, and looked into it before filling it today. There is definitely contamination in the tank. I am wondering if this is normal (since I can't see into my OEM tank, I really have no idea what is in there), or if this could be the root problem of my fuel pumps taking a dump?

The tank is plumbed into the filler tube, drops into the main fuel tank. I am wondering if I should put in some sort of fuel filter to go between the aux tank and the OEM fuel tank? If so, which would be the best way to do it?

FWIW, I almost always fill at the same station (which I will now change), and am good about changing my fuel filter every other oil change.

Thoughts?

[Trackrig]

My bed tank is not plumbed in, it has a hand pump on it with a very good filter. If I had to change the truck filter, I'd pump fuel from the tank through the tank filter.

I use a hand pump on my bed tank because I have to remove it a couple of times a year to get other loads in like I'm doing today. I have a second matching tank that I pump the fuel into.

If I had a bed tank that was plumbed in, I would have a filter on it.

Bill

[JRscooby]

OP, when you replaced the pump did you check the fuel in bottom of tank for trash?
Do they run a sock on pump intake?

For the people that carry spare fuel filters, how do you store it? How do you fill it if you have to change?
Early '90s 2 drivers and I fueled at same station went different jobs. When my truck showed symptoms, I pulled into another station, filled the filter from pump. Both drivers sucked fuel out of tank to fill their filters. Water past filter, 2 engines to overhaul.
Later, I looked at a filter that had rode in toolbox for awhile, too much dirt to use. Rest of the time I worked I carried filter in a piece of PCV pipe, with duct tape holding caps on. Also carried a jug of known clean fuel. Later I started to keep bottle of baby powder handy, quick way to clean spill off clothes.

[Michelle_S]

Please what type of filters? Most filters require pressure to pass the fluid through the filter. What being talked about here is gravity feed system with no pressure to force the fuel through a filter.
I suppose an old style bowl with ceramic element would work, has that type on all the old farm tractors we had on the farm and their fuel systems were all gravity feed.

[Bionic_Man]

R12RTee wrote:
I use a "WIX Filters - 33123 Heavy Duty Spin On Fuel Water Separator" between the auxiliary tank and the main tank. To mount the filter I use "Wix Filters - 24309 Heavy Duty Filter Mounting Base". Both were bought on Amazon.

Could you post or email a photo of how you mounted it?

[R12RTee]

I use a "WIX Filters - 33123 Heavy Duty Spin On Fuel Water Separator" between the auxiliary tank and the main tank. To mount the filter I use "Wix Filters - 24309 Heavy Duty Filter Mounting Base". Both were bought on Amazon.

[eHoefler]

I run a spin on fuel/water separator between my tanks. 90% of all my fuel goes through this filter. I change it with the 2 on board filters, every 15,000 miles. I can an extra spin on, I have picked up a load of dirty fuel in Arizona once, totally plugged up the filter before I got back to Oklahoma. Never affected the 2 other filters or the performance.