Keeping fuel clean . . Mr. Funnel to the rescue.

[AxleHub]

Greetings,

Small engines and ethanol don't agree. Many of us have learned that . . espcially in MidWest winters. So already for 2 or 3 years now I've used ethanol free 87 octain gas in my small engines plos a little gas dryer and my pickup (which likes premium but runs on non-ethanol quite well).

This late Winter and early Spring I was preparing to invest in a new sub compact diesel tractor also. I saw a small thread about "Mr.Funnel" on TBN and at first I thought someone was joking. Then I read further and started to do some study on them. Virtually all stores don't know about them.

Before tractor delivery . . I bought one of the Mr. FUNNEL sizes locally and a month later I bought a second one of the same size.

So what is the result ???

Well I stoped putting dryer in my gas cans because it allows water to pass thru the Mr. Funnel. Instead I use just straight gas (or straight diesel fuel for my Massey GC1715). If I want additives . . I put them directly into the engine tank instead. But I soon stoped putying adfitives in at all.

Mr. Funnel is designed to separate dirt and water from fuel as you use it. How? Water is bigger molecules than diesel or gas. And dirt/rust is even larger.

After fueling a small amount (less than 2.5 ounces) remains in the funnel which I put in a bottle instead of throwing away.

I use only plastic gas cans. And my gas is never older than 45 days at most.

Again yesterday after fueling a couple times I examined the contents of that bottle I save. I can not believe the contaminents I was able to filter out. Its fine and its brown and it was more than a tablespoon ful (not teaspoon) of stuff.

This is from just 1 day and maybe 4 or 5 gallons of gas. Imagine what that adds up to over 6 months. And then there was a little water too.

Where do you get Mr. Funnel . . at O'Reilly Auto stores or Tractor Supply stores or Amazon are the only places I could find them. And some O'Reilly or TSC stores don't even know they carry them . . but they do in stock.

P.S. Yes, Mr. Funnel also works with 2 cycle premix as well as straight gas or straight diesel.

 

[davesl708]

Wow. Fifty bucks on Amazon for that filter. Sixty-seven at WalMart.
I guess I have very clean fuel. Never have had any problems with water or crud in the fuel.

 

[murphy1244]

They have different sizes too. All my fuel goes thru MR. funnel.

 

[Wa11banger]

I saw one of these on sale at the local tractor supply Co.. They were like 14.95.. I thought about getting it but decided it was harder to clean than running my own filters and left it on the shelf

 

[AxleHub]

I saw one of these on sale at the local tractor supply Co.. They were like 14.95.. I thought about getting it but decided it was harder to clean than running my own filters and left it on the shelf

The price of the 3.5 gallon per minute Mr. Funnel is between 12.99 and 19.99 depending on which location you get it and if its on sale.

But I don't understand what you mean by "harder to clean". These units are self cleaning.

I have never yet in 6.5 months cleaned one and I use them 3 to 6 times each week. That's part of the benefit.

As an early test because I was a disbeliever . . I put it in the utility sink and ran water in it for 3 minutes. Not a drp came out the bottom but of coarse it spilled all over the sides. I then took it full and set it on a bucket for an hour (funnel full of water). After that hour it was just as I set it.

Gas and diesel fuel self clean when you empty the refuse couple of ounces. I'm even cheap enough that I save the refuse in the bottle a number of times then poor it back in the funnel in case any is good. Did that to a cloth underneath and the only thing came out was clear gas.

We all know that spark plugs and engine parts wear from impurities in fuel. I figure why create a problem when it is so easily cured.

But also . . fuel filters restrict flow as they clog too . . But you never know till it won't rev.

And water . . Is a natural result of ethanol use in fuel. "Green" carburetors are expensive to service or replace or fight to start and keep running.

Anyway . . My engines have never run as good as they do now.

 

[Ed of all trades]

I have an old gas funnel that I have had for years that does very close to the same. It has a fine screen in it and works well. Ed

 

[AxleHub]

I have an old gas funnel that I have had for years that does very close to the same. It has a fine screen in it and works well. Ed

I had an older one also with a fine screen . . But the screen was flat (horizontal) and made of metal (stainless) . But the Mr. Funnel is vertical funneling so buildup doesn't slow down fuel flow. And the filtering material is hard to determine because it is so very fine . . .far finer than anything I've owned. And it is super "slick" so nothing sticks to it which really helps with being self cleaning.

At first I didn't like the idea of a lowered area where excess dirt snd fuel accumulates (2 to 2.5 ounces) . . but I was a disbeliever st the time. Now I understand how 3.5 gallons can be filtered so quickly without any quality loss. And no rusting or blocking or crappy cleanup issues.

 

[Bird]

When my brothers were Matco Tool Distributors, they sold the Mr. Funnel on the tool trucks and gave me one for my diesel fuel. They really can be handy, especially if you get water in your fuel.

 

[Fiziksgeek]

Thanks for the review. I need to pick one up. Earlier this year I had picked up a contaminated batch of diesel...probably went to the station right after the tanker filled up the storage tanks or something. Here is a pic of the old filter next to the new.

 

[tomd999]

Hiya,

The 50 to 67 bucks for a Mr Funnel will buy a mountain of automotive paint strainers that you can drop in a regular funnel every time you fill. (If your a regular customer at a parts store that sells automotive paint, just ask them for a handful next time your buying parts, most places will give you a short stack for free)

The bonus with the paint strainers is that if you have any algae in Diesel fuel, they will instantly plug solid, stopping the fuel and alerting you to the issue before you get a bunch in your equipment. They won't stop water however, if you use the correct additive for equipment that has a water separator, one that precipitates out water not the type that disperses, that will catch the water for you.

Tom