How good are fuel filters?

   / How good are fuel filters? #1  

stuckmotor

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Lower Up State S.C.
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AC WD 34 hp/3500 lbs MF 261 60 hp/5380 lbs
I think a small amount of dirt, posibly the volume of 1 or two inches of pencil led might have washed down the outside of the spout of my diesel jug into the tank on my tractor. I'm running a Massey filter now and am about to replace it with a NAPA filter.
My question is, on the chance that a tiny bit of dirt got into the tank, will the filter catch it, or should I drain the fuel and try to get any traces of dirt out of the tank?
 
   / How good are fuel filters? #2  
The filter will catch stuff your eye can't see. To give you an idea, the typical final fuel filter catches particles down to 10 microns. The thickness of a human hair is 100 microns. Humans can't see anything smaller than 30 or 40 microns.
 
   / How good are fuel filters?
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Thanks, Katahdin. That makes me feel better.
 
   / How good are fuel filters? #4  
think MICRONS. you can check your filter(s) rating. some have final rating of like 5m.. some as high as 25....

25 microns = 0.000984251969 inches

from wiki:

the diameter of human hair varies from about 40 microns to 120 microns

so.. some of the worst fuel filters are filtering particles HALF the width of some of the most fine/lowest diameter, human hairs.
 
   / How good are fuel filters?
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Good idea, Soundguy. I'll check it, hopefully the info is on the box.
 
   / How good are fuel filters? #6  
Fuel filters are designed to do just that, catch and hold non-fuel items.

In your case, I would not sweat it much with that amount of dirt.

If one was really worried about it or had a significant amount of dirt or crud in the tank that needed to get removed witch had happened to me,:eek: I found a shop vac, duct tap, a length of copper tubing and a flash light works wonders in a drained tank to suck out the junk.

I would just run the tractor as usual and keep the spare filter handy just in case it don't make it to the next maintenance routine, But I bet it will:D
 
   / How good are fuel filters?
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Spruce Deere,
I hadn't thought about a shop vac. As it happens, I also need to clean out the tank on a gasoline powered tractor. Would a shop vac be safe to use in that application?
 
   / How good are fuel filters? #8  
With gas, fumes are a BIG issue.

Electric motor + gas fumes=boom.

It can be done, but the tank has to be COMPLETELY void of gas fumes and fuel...... Even with to days junk gas:D
 
   / How good are fuel filters?
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Spruce Deere,
Thanks, I think I'll seek another solution for the tank with gasoline. Being burned to death isn't how I want to go.
 
   / How good are fuel filters? #10  
i'd run it. you can always drainthe tank and clean it if it bugs you.

I've seen worse setting inthe bottom of gas cans.

heck.. I've cleaned worse out of my own diesl tractor tanks.. and I keep them pretty clean... 'stuff happens'


soundguy
 
 
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