Oil & Fuel oil change, oil filter change, but what about fuel filter?

[Hope Caper]

Hello All,
Looking for advice on a maintenance question. I'm in the process of changing my oil and oil filter. I'm buying the oil and filter from a local garage, not a tractor dealer. Anyway as I'm purchasing the products the garage owner suggests that I change my fuel filter at the same time. He tells me that local long haul drivers usually change their fuel filter along with the oil filter when doing their oil. I have not seen that anywhere in any of the literature or helpful suggestions on here. Anyone know if this is recommended practice? By the way I am changing the oil and filter due to the passage of seasons not due to hours on the machine. I have about 40 hours on the oil, oil filter and fuel filter. But I have had the tractor a year and a half. All fluids, filters, etc. were changed when I bought it.

 

[murphy1244]

Hello All,
Looking for advice on a maintenance question. I'm in the process of changing my oil and oil filter. I'm buying the oil and filter from a local garage, not a tractor dealer. Anyway as I'm purchasing the products the garage owner suggests that I change my fuel filter at the same time. He tells me that local long haul drivers usually change their fuel filter along with the oil filter when doing their oil. I have not seen that anywhere in any of the literature or helpful suggestions on here. Anyone know if this is recommended practice? By the way I am changing the oil and filter due to the passage of seasons not due to hours on the machine. I have about 40 hours on the oil, oil filter and fuel filter. But I have had the tractor a year and a half. All fluids, filters, etc. were changed when I bought it.

I would not bother. Check the bowl is it dirty?

 

[VictorW]

The manual for my CK30hst advises fuel filter every 400 hours. That's how I've changed mine and even then the filter looks pretty clean. I give it a look, like advised by murphy, during my 100 hour oil changes just to make sure it looks good. Never had a problem.

 

[RickB]

Absent any fuel quality problems I change my tractor's fuel filter between Halloween and Thanksgiving every year. Going into winter with a fresh filter and clean fuel bowl, along with properly treated fuel, keeps winter fuel issues away.

 

[murphy1244]

I do run all my fuel thru a Mr. Funnel also.

 

[ritcheyvs]

As long as the oil is Diesel rated (Cx API rating) and the correct viscosity for your climate, any source is fine. Many of us use Mobile 1 or Rotella from Walmart. On the other hand, I try to get real Kioti filters. Some folks here have had problems with other brand filters that should have been OK according to the cross-reference charts.

One load of dirty fuel will plug the fuel filter. On the other hand filters seem to go forever on clean fuel but I guess they can get tired. If you have clean sight glass just go by the book (400 hr).

 

[Hope Caper]

Good information everyone, thanks.
If I may further tap your brains on a related question:
Since I put such few hours, at least so far, on my tractor I was wondering what grade of oil would be best to use year round. The book calls for 10w 30 in the summer and 15w 40 in the summer. At this time I am likely going to change my oil once a year. I have noted that many of you use synthetic and wondered if that would be a better choice. Where I live it gets up into the high 20s and low 30s in the summer ( in Fahrenheit that would 80s and 90s) and minus 20s to minus 40s in the winter (in Fahrenheit that would be 10 below to 40 below). As we all know there is nothing consistent about temperature but these are average numbers.

 

[Hope Caper]

I do run all my fuel thru a Mr. Funnel also.

Great tip there Murph. Should I use this funnel exclusively for diesel or can I use it for my gas equipment as well?

 

[murphy1244]

Great tip there Murph. Should I use this funnel exclusively for diesel or can I use it for my gas equipment as well?

I use it for both. I have 2 of them 1 big and 1 small for my splitter. Never had a fuel problem.

 

[oosik]

I've never, in 30+ years, had problems(water, sediment, dirt) with the diesel fuel I use. The fuel bowl has always been clear. My owners manual recommends changing the fuel filter at 400 hours. I change my oil & filter once a year and use Kubota oil & filters. The owners manual recommends EITHER 10w30 or 15w40. I've always used 15w40.

There are a lot of other excellent diesel rated oils you could use - I got a fantastic deal on Kubota oil - that's why I use it. I say Kubota oil, knowing that some company makes it for Kubota.

I have a Mr Funnel and used it for a couple years but found that it was kind of a PITA and took forever to fill the tractor. As long as I take care of the storage and handling of the fuel everything has been OK. If I ever go to a fuel transfer system - so I don't have to hold a full 5 gallon jerry can up in the air - then I may go back to using Mr Funnel.

 

[murphy1244]

My Mr Funnel will go as fast as my little pump can put out. Any additives you use must be put in after or before using the funnel as they may not make it thru.

 

[oosik]

Hmmm........ I wonder------ I always put Power Service in my fuel. I wonder if that could have caused a slow flow-thru rate with the Mr Funnel.

 

[Gary Fowler]

My fuel is filtered thru an inline filter from the 12V Filrite pump but I think I was getting some trash in the nozzle as it hung from the pump so I had to change the fuel filters on my Kubota B26 and RTV900 @ 450 hours. I now hang a rag over the end of the nozzle to keep dirt daubers and other debris out of the nozzle so I expect to get more hours than that in the future.
No need to change filter unless you can see visible dirt and/or water in the bowl. Even after 450 hours, I had no water just trash stopping up the filter on the B26. I changed the RTV at the same time just to be on the safe side but didn't find anything in it's filter.

So if you buy clean fuel, keep it clean, and water free then a fuel filter will last hundreds of hours. The B26 started missing and stalling at times which made me change the filter so until you get to that point, I wouldn't worry about the fuel filters that much.

 

[DK35vince]

If I ever go to a fuel transfer system - so I don't have to hold a full 5 gallon jerry can up in the air - then I may go back to using Mr Funnel.

Just put a filter on the pump.

 

[ritcheyvs]

Back to oil, you'll be OK with a multi viscosity (e.g. 10W40) that covers the owners-manual viscosity for your annual temp range. You need an oil that will flow at the coldest temps when you first start the engine; that's when most of the wear occurs. Synthetic oils tend to flow better at low temps and and also adhere to metal better when the engine isn't running. With Diesels, however, you can't extend oil change intervals unless you do oil analysis to ensure the oil isn't over-saturated with soot. One of the main functions of Diesel oil is to suspend soot and remove it when you change the oil. Gasoline-rated oils (Sx API rating) actually lubricate better but they don't hold suspended soot as well; so be sure the oil is Cx (or Cx plus Sx) rated.

 

[Hope Caper]

Back to oil, you'll be OK with a multi viscosity (e.g. 10W40) that covers the owners-manual viscosity for your annual temp range. You need an oil that will flow at the coldest temps when you first start the engine; that's when most of the wear occurs. Synthetic oils tend to flow better at low temps and and also adhere to metal better when the engine isn't running. With Diesels, however, you can't extend oil change intervals unless you do oil analysis to ensure the oil isn't over-saturated with soot. One of the main functions of Diesel oil is to suspend soot and remove it when you change the oil. Gasoline-rated oils (Sx API rating) actually lubricate better but they don't hold suspended soot as well; so be sure the oil is Cx (or Cx plus Sx) rated.

You note that I can't extend oil change due to the soot issue. Which leads me to the question, what is meant by extended? Should seasons or hours be the dictate? For example should I change the oil spring and fall or can I go a year if the hours are within the limits (200 hours)? I don't have the equipment to analyze soot content.

 

[SARG]

I change the fuel filters on two diesel tractors at least once per year. I also run Lucas fuel treatment year round. On the three cylinder machine I gained back over 100 rpm.

 

[ritcheyvs]

Extended means more hours or miles than stated in the owners' manual.

Those book numbers are conservative because soot production/accumulation varies a LOT with engine condition and use patterns. But oil and filters are cheap so why chance it? By the way really large Diesel engines with really large oil sumps and have special filter systems to remove soot so they can use the oil until the lubricating properties and additives start to go bad.

I live in North Carolina in the US where we rarely have extreme low temperatures and I don't use the tractor if it's that cold. So I use the same oil (usually Mobile 1 Turbo Diesel) year around and change every 100 hours, regardless of season. But if want to start and use your tractor at -40 degrees you want a really low viscosity oil (0W), a block heater, or (preferably) both.

 

[Hope Caper]

I change the fuel filters on two diesel tractors at least once per year. I also run Lucas fuel treatment year round. On the three cylinder machine I gained back over 100 rpm.

The fuel treatment idea was mentioned by my local garage owner as a popular item. I haven't tried it as yet. I have heard\read a few people who claim they saw a positive difference. I'm told it will keep injectors from building up as well. I'm leaning towards changing oil once per year unless I happen to put more hours on than I am know.

 

[Hope Caper]

Extended means more hours or miles than stated in the owners' manual.

Those book numbers are conservative because soot production/accumulation varies a LOT with engine condition and use patterns. But oil and filters are cheap so why chance it? By the way really large Diesel engines with really large oil sumps and have special filter systems to remove soot so they can use the oil until the lubricating properties and additives start to go bad.

I live in North Carolina in the US where we rarely have extreme low temperatures and I don't use the tractor if it's that cold. So I use the same oil (usually Mobile 1 Turbo Diesel) year around and change every 100 hours, regardless of season. But if want to start and use your tractor at -40 degrees you want a really low viscosity oil (0W), a block heater, or (preferably) both.

My book calls for change every 200 hundred hours but as I mentioned because of the major change in temperature in a calendar year I am worried about water. I am blessed in that the tractor starts really well. In fact pretty much the whole machine works well. I had to change the ignition a year after I bought it due to moisture getting in the ignition and freezing ( happened before I bought it but it became my problem). I had to replace 4 small hoses on the bucket, and I took the dash apart to clean up the connections for my dash lights and that's about it. I will do some touch up painting on it this year and re-torque the bolts (some guys on here have warned about that).