adding a filter to the off road fuel pump

[treemuncher]

Every move my fuel makes is run through at least 1 or more filters, always. I have the Napa/Wix 4389 filter bases on all of my storage and delivery tanks. Clear sediment bowl with relatively cheap 12 micron paper cartridges get everything ready for final dispensing. I did have a Goldenrod brand unit once but it cracked within the first couple of years after it became milky yellow, so I swore those off for good. I find these Napa/Wix units don't discolor the bowls, the bowls are nearly bulletproof and I've been using some of these housings for 25+ years without problems. Fast and easy to service with a new filter, too. Simple 1" NPT plumbing to get these installed.


The only real clogging problem that I've ever encountered was with a bacterial infection on some of my tanks. It left a very dark residue on the filters. Bio-Bor dosages to all of my tanks has solved that problem. Now it's just maintenance dosing every 6 months or once a year to keep that problem away.

 

[skyking1]

I need to go find 3 of those

Tractor supply has them for $40 if you prefer to buy local. Amazon has them for $36
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/dutton-lainson-goldenrod-495-fuel-filter

 

[petepilot]

Tractor supply has them for $40 if you prefer to buy local. Amazon has them for $36
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/dutton-lainson-goldenrod-495-fuel-filter

good info thanks. you seem to be up on filters have you heard of a water separator for oil?

 

[skyking1]

I am far from "up on filters". The mechanics here will chime in. I have relied on cooking whatever moisture got into an engine back out of it, with limited results.

 

[treemuncher]

good info thanks. you seem to be up on filters have you heard of a water separator for oil?

Look into the Parker Filtration Carts and get the water absorbing filters.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ye6pZAoVL._SY445_.jpg
These are used mostly on hydraulic systems but they work on any fluid (with the correct filters). I've used mine for diesel, engine oils and hydraulic oils. Any time oil (even new) is pulled out of a barrel or other container, it is recommended that it is filtered prior to adding to any system.

I use mine for regular maintenance and to drain my systems for repairs. I usually try to let each barrel of fluid run on the filtration cart for 30 minutes or more when I pull a system down empty. Seems to have cut down on my catastrophic episodes. Makes flushing out a trashed system a lot easier too.

 

[petepilot]

Look into the Parker Filtration Carts and get the water absorbing filters.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ye6pZAoVL._SY445_.jpg
These are used mostly on hydraulic systems but they work on any fluid (with the correct filters). I've used mine for diesel, engine oils and hydraulic oils. Any time oil (even new) is pulled out of a barrel or other container, it is recommended that it is filtered prior to adding to any system.

I use mine for regular maintenance and to drain my systems for repairs. I usually try to let each barrel of fluid run on the filtration cart for 30 minutes or more when I pull a system down empty. Seems to have cut down on my catastrophic episodes. Makes flushing out a trashed system a lot easier too.

parker looks to be the go to suppliers but the price is a little much for the amount of stuff i`m dealing with`less than 200 gal. good place to find enough pieces to cobble something together though

 

[lantraxco]

https://www.zinga.com/products/

 

[Sberry]

12 microns anymore is like using the blue fiberglass air filters. Catches the big chunks.

 

[skyking1]

I don't see it that way. I went from no filter at all to a 10 micron filter plus sump. That's a big improvement.

 

[treemuncher]

12 microns is still much smaller than a typical oil filter at 25-50 microns. For my bulk tanks and mobile tanks, 12 microns is more than sufficient. I can still pump at over 10 gpm with the 12 micron filters until my filters get clogged. If it takes more than 6 seconds to pump a gallon through my filters, it's about time to consider changing filters.

I expect the filters on the machines to do the final polishing of the fuel down to the 2-5 micron range. Assuming that my supplier delivered clean fuel that might contain something up to 100 microns in size, my tank filters have done over 90% of the work and the machine filters do not work as hard as unfiltered mobile tank fuel. And those mobile tanks are always sucking in more dust and contaminants than my stationary tanks do.

My stationary tank filters get changed out more often than my mobile tanks does so I know that my supplier never delivers perfect fuel. I would not consider using any mobile tank without redundant filtration. It saves me a lot on machine filters but even those need changing every so often. YMMV.

 

[Sberry]

I was messing with you, Good elaboration. I figured it was for simple transfer but how much fuel you got to handle to clog it? Our hours are so low that its easy to get complacent. I got a few things prolly should change due to age but have had couple times I outright clog a filter on a tractor. Not sure I figured out why, seems it was something weird and change it out and never another problem, juice looks like new.

 

[Old Growth]

I dont have much to add to the filter database, but an observation I have had using my tanks/pumps/filter is,,,

When I start to pump the diesel (not red/off road) will be kinda yellow for a couple seconds then turn nice n clear. Almost like whatever sits in the clear sediment bowl has some kinda discoloration/soaking from sunlight/uv rays, or who knows??

So I always pop off the cap on the tank and just pump a half gallon back into the tank so only nice clear diesel goes into my machines when filling.

And yes the golden rod filter housings will crack. Plastic and metal don't expand/shrink at the same rate and the bottom of the bowl will eventually get a few tiny spider cracks around the drain plug.
I just take the plug out and put a bolt/nut in the hole with a large fender washer inside the bowl and a matching diameter rubber washer. The fender/rubber washer combo is always larger than the reach of the tiny cracks, so leak SOLVED. No new bowl to buy.

I get some kinda satisfaction out of seeing the fuel and bubbles whirl around in there in that clear bowl while pumping. I guess Im easily amused!

 

[skyking1]

I'll find out how long they go. I just put the first 50 gallons through it. I don't do high ball digging with the 120, it takes more than a week of typical work to go through 50 gallons. My pump tank is 100 gallons aluminum and beautifully clean by flashlight.
The engine mounted filter in particular is a real PAIN to get off. The first filter is easy down by the hydraulic tank. I am hoping to stretch that engine filter out a while with clean fuel to start with, and more frequent changes of the first filter.

 

[Sberry]

On some older low powered equipment had a brain fart to add a common fuel oil filter in serices. If it was much a problem could pre filter with the cheap easy 2$ filter. The burner on my pressure washer came with some little proprietary deal seems like it might have clogged at one time and never had a moment trouble sinice I change to that commom 1A or A1 or whatever that common filter is and a guycan even score them at a box store under 2$ I think.

 

[Sberry]

At some level here we got to wonder about the volumes of fuel we are talking about. With clean fuel we should almost never have a filter clog. We talking about 50 and 100 gallons here, different than 5000 or 10k should go thru one of those before it ever think of clog especially after it pass thru a 10 or 12.

 

[Sberry]

I agree that none to a 12 is a big leap and should be used. I had a pinhole in an old tank so I open it so I could look inside. The erosion was local and about the size of a pencil eraser, 5/16 or so a drop of water must have settled in and the rest of it near perfect. I do move a little with jugs, easy to see that they are clean.

 

[treemuncher]

At some level here we got to wonder about the volumes of fuel we are talking about. With clean fuel we should almost never have a filter clog. We talking about 50 and 100 gallons here, different than 5000 or 10k should go thru one of those before it ever think of clog especially after it pass thru a 10 or 12.

I would estimate that I go through about 8-10 thousand gallons of diesel per year on a good year. I average 120 - 200 gallons per day depending which machine I am running and what conditions I am working in. My stationary tanks go through a rough spin on filter and then through the 12 micron Napa filter with water bowl. The spin on is usually changed out about once a year and the 12 micron maybe once every 1-2 years. My mobile tank (200 gal) on the service truck has the same 12 micron Napa filter and that one maybe once a year or two. I usually only change the filters when my flow has slowed down significantly and once it starts to slow down, it clogs up fairly quickly.

The worst thing that I ever had to happen to my filters was a bout with fuel bacteria. That stuff will clog up filters fast with a near black residue. I now dose all of my tanks with Bio-Bor about once or twice a year as I remember to. Initially, it takes a large dose to shock the tanks and then the maintenance doses are fairly lenient. No change in performance after dosing a tank.

If you purchase filters in bulk, I've had really good pricing and availability from FiltersPro.com

 

[Sberry]

My use haddropped so low and I should get some more fungicide too. But the tanks are really clean. I had 1 bout with the brown but it has been 35 yrs ago. Juiced the tank a time or 2 since and the fuel guy might slip a shot in on occasion. Prolly only using 12-1500 a year now and try to empty and get fresh about 400 a shot.

 

[skyking1]

Yep I'm a small time user. The mini might burn six or seven gallons a day, the 120 might be more like 20.
That Derrick I was working on had 13,000 gallons on board LOL.

 

[Columbo]

Pardon me for bringing back an old thread, but I have a question to continue this conversation. I’m setting up a transfer tank in the bed of my truck and it came with a 10 micron cim-tek water detecting filter. I’m going to be refueling an older excavator and a new Kubota tractor. I’m less worried about the excavator with its older engine design and bigger filters but I’m considering stepping up to a 2 micron filter either instead of the current one or inline after it to protect the tractor fuel system. Thoughts?