Oil & Fuel Grand L30 Fuel Filter

[caylor]

I recently changed my fuel filter on my 3130, and after removing the old and replacing with the new, I noticed that the owners manual showed a spring at the bottom of the sediment bowl. When I removed the old filter, I do not remember seeing this spring, and therefore no spring is currently installed.

I suppose I could have dropped this spring and did not notice, since there was fuel drizzling out as I was trying to get the new filter on.

So my question to fellow Grand L owners is, does your filter assembly have this spring?

Thanks in advance.

Chris

 

[_RaT_]

Hmmm, I don't recall. I replaced my filter for the first time at 400 hours. I don't remeber a spring but then, it makes sense since I do recall that the filter does not rest on the bottom of the plastic bowl. I will look at mine.

 

[JoeL4330]

attached seems to show a spring ...I presume the purpose of the spring is to hold the filter in place, but to yield and provide bypass if the filter is clogged ...no spring, it would seem you are in bypass mode ...

for my L4330, the part no. for the spring is 15521-4393-0

 

[_RaT_]

attached seems to show a spring ...I presume the purpose of the spring is to hold the filter in place, but to yield and provide bypass if the filter is clogged ...no spring, it would seem you are in bypass mode ...

for my L4330, the part no. for the spring is 15521-4393-0

Nope, no bypass on fuel filters. If it becomes completely clogged you run out of diesel to the pump and your engine won't start, but it is not ruined as would happen with an oil filter that stopped oil flow to the engine parts. If you bypass, you risk the chance of clogging your injectors. That can be a pain to remedy.

 

[JoeL4330]

Hadn't thought about the downsides of oil vs. fuel ...so, what's the point of the spring ...just to ensure a seal? ...and, if it doesn't seal?

 

[Ben3130]

I just cleaned my fuel filter this weekend for my 100 hour service on my L3130. There is a spring at the bottom of the fuel filter. From what I could see it serves two purposes:

1. It pushes the fuel filter up against an intake nozzle with an O-ring around it. This ensures that there is a good seal between th O-ring and the fuel filter.

2. It also keeps the fuel filter suspended above the bottom of the bowl. There was some debris (dirt from the fuel/tank) at the bottom of my fuel filter bowl when I took the fuel filter assembly apart. If the spring had not been there, the bottom of the fuel filter would have been sitting in this debris.

I would guess that your spring fell out when you took the fuel filter apart. Mine did, and the only reason I knew was because it happened to bang against the front axle and make a noise.

From what I could tell when I put everything back together, if you don't have the spring in there, then the fuel intake leaving the fuel filter and going to the injectors is not sealed, and you could have fuel flowing into the intake without being strained through your filter. As was previously mentioned, over time this can clog the injectors. I would definitely see your dealer and get a new spring ordered.

Hope everything works out ok for you.

 

[caylor]

Thanks for all the responses. After playing it over and over in mind like the obsessive-compulsive I am, I swear that when I removed the old filter, there was no spring in the bottom of the bowl, thus possibly meaning that the dealer did not install it when he assembled the tractor.....

I will contact the dealer today and get that spring and put it on this weekend. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[caylor]

Called the dealer and got the spring coming to the shop tomorrow. For what it is worth, the service tech. said he has seen the filter assembly both ways with the spring and without.

He stated that based upon the size and "raised center" of the bowl and the filter itself, the filter has a positive seal with the inner O-ring, once screwed on, but the spring provides the extra insurance to make sure the positive seal is always there.

 

[kbota]

I just changed the fuel filter in my L3010. It has a spring beneath the filter element. Another little item to watch out for is the 'o' ring at the top of the filter element. It can fall out easily, be lost, and not be noticed.

Next time I do fluid service on my Kubota, I will purchase the seal washers for the transmission drain plugs, front axle drain plugs, and 'o' ring for fuel filter.

If just one seal washer becomes cut or damaged it might cost you a couple hundred dollars worth of udt or sudt. Just wouldn't be worth it for $5 worth of parts.

Have a blessed day.