| Author | Message | ||
| Lorin David McCleary (Wacoastmci) (148.78.243.122)
Rating: N/A |
Just curious as to how often others change the coach diesel engine fuel filters. Anyone have a good "rule of thumb" on how often seems about right? | ||
| Jim Ashworth (Jimnh) (172.140.247.202)
Rating: N/A |
Prevost recommends every 12,000 miles. I let mine go to 14,000 and the bus was starved for fuel to the point I had to change them on a trip. Needless to say, it's 12K for me from now on. Jim | ||
| TWO DOGS (4.227.117.122) Rating: N/A |
10,000 is a good rule.....you can try for longer....but they die in the weirdest places.... | ||
| Glenn (166.102.79.157) Rating: N/A |
Well, I'm probably gonna get scolded here but...it’s according to where you get you fuel from. If you fuel from a place that pumps a big volume of fuel (truck stops), you can usually feel comfortable in knowing you're getting good clean fuel. But, if you fill up from a place that doesn't pump that much (small out of the way places); you could be getting some gunk. I personally change my filters every 8,000 miles or four (4) months. This may be to often for some...but it works for me. My reasoning is this... I sing with a gospel group and we're usually always on a time schedule during the day. And coming home at night....we don't want to be changing out filters on the side of the road. I figure it's easier to work on (changing filters) at the house than doing it on the side of the road at the most inopportune time. This is MY opinion. Now, you can take my opinion and $1.25 and usually buy a cup of coffee at any 7/11 store. LOL Glenn | ||
| fueljockey (12.73.120.241) Rating: N/A |
Glenn, do you have any facts to back up this ridiculous claim, or are you just repeating something you heard someone else say (seems to be a lot of that around this board). Buying fuel from a large truck stop or a small service station in a small town will get you the exact same fuel. It may very well have come from the same pipe in the same refinery. The idea that small, low volume stations pump gunk is simply ludicrous! Where to heck do you think they are getting gunk into their tanks from? Most all pumps have filters right on the dispensers, also. Besides, that, small stations have small tanks on the order of 1000 - 5000 gallons. Large truck stops have tanks on the order of 10,000-20,000 gallons. Fuel stays in the tanks just as long, they both have to fill their tanks just as often. | ||
| TWO DOGS (4.226.105.24) Rating: N/A |
beg to differ fuel guy....have seen cut rate places pour the oil changes in the fuel tanks | ||
| daffycanuck (66.82.9.25)
Rating: N/A |
Picked up fuel at small northern community. 50 Km down the road I was changing fuel filters...they had been just changed....glad I had a spare set....also changed them again about 500 kms down the road. That wouldn't happen at a well used truck stop.!! | ||
| FAST FRED (4.245.230.46) Rating: N/A |
If someone is concerned with fuel quality , or heading south of the border, a Baja Filter can be used.(west marine) This is a funnel with a fancy screen setup that won't pass (much) water dirt , fuel reconverted refinery lumps . It fills far slower than the nozel at the truck island , so refuling at the auto diesel island would be prefered. Have used one for 30+ years on boats and frequently am amazed at the crap that comes in the fuel , even in high buck places. Works for me, FAST FRED | ||
| Glenn (162.39.206.16) Rating: N/A |
To Mr. Fuel Jockey... "Glenn, do you have any facts to back up this ridiculous claim, or are you just repeating something you heard someone else say (seems to be a lot of that around this board)." I'm glad you asked that question sir! As a matter of fact I do. Our group used to run a 4104. We were singing a couple of years ago in North Carolina and I had decided to wait about fueling up until I had to. I was told by some of the local folks about a local station that had fuel. So I found that station (it was on my route home) and fueled up. The filter on the pump was a old cartridge type filter. I'm not even sure if there was a filter in it. About an hour down the road (10:30 PM), I started loosing power. Being that I'd never had that problem before I figured it was the fuel filters. I found a place to pull over and changed them out...cranked it up and come on home. So Mr. Fuel Jockey, you go ahead and buy your fuel from where ever you want to.....but not me! Glenn | ||
| Gus Haag (Mrbus) (205.188.116.136)
Rating: N/A |
My idea for the most accurate estimate as to when to change fuel filters is simply install a fuel pressure gauge with the sending unit mounted between the primary and the seconday filters. With fresh filters, record the fuel pressure at normal operating RPM. As the filters plug, the pressure will fall when the primary filter is plugging, and the gauge will indicate a rise in pressure if the secondary is plugging. If you monitor the gauge, it will give you plenty of warning before a filter plugs enough to cause a power loss. Simple and effective. Gus Haag | ||
| RJ Long (67.181.236.27) Rating: N/A |
The charter bus company I used to work for had a very simple, effective policy regarding changing the fuel filters: It was done at every oil change. This was based on the philosophy that it was much less expensive to change the filters than it was to "rescue" a downed coach out on a charter somewhere full of people. Especially with our summer heat. . . FWIW, RJ PD4106-2784 Fresno CA | ||
| DrivingMissLazy (66.168.175.51) Rating: N/A |
I had a fuel pressure guage on DML. It normally operated at about 60 PSI while cruising. I never got a bad batch of fuel, and changed the filter regularly, so I never got to find out if the pressure dropped when the filter got clogged. Anybody know how good a reference the pressure guage would be? Richard | ||
| Jim Ashworth (Jimnh) (172.165.189.251)
Rating: N/A |
It's an excellent reference. In my above post, I was in Canada and noticed the gauge dropped from its normal 65 psi to about 55 psi. I started looking for filters. Well, it was Sunday and only the "Autozone", "Pep Boys" type of stores were open. They didn't have a listing for the Racor filter I needed. (They had other Racor filters). So I kept driving to Quebec City where Prevost is. The fuel pressure dropped to 50 and then 45 psi. At this point, the bus could barely make 55 on the straight and level (8V92 DDEC). When it got to 40 psi it just was too slow so I pulled off the highway and let it sit for a while. After this it would run for a few miles with the pressure at 55 or so, and then the pressure would drop again. I did this a number of times until I got to Prevost. I believe the crap would settle off the filter while sitting and then would come back onto the filter and plug it again. Anyway, I had the filters changed and everything was fine. BTW, the pressure sender is between the primary and secondary filters. I also had filters at home that I forgot to put in the bus before I left. I won't make that mistake again! Jim | ||
| TWO DOGS (63.156.216.38) Rating: N/A |
always carry a gallon of POWER SERVICE in one of your bays...if filters get dirty,fill with power service ,can extend the life for a couple hundred miles | ||
| Rodger in WA (64.70.24.58) Rating: N/A |
Mine gets changed only when necessary and I always know exactly when it's necessary. I replaced the 3 former filters on my 8V7, with a Diesel Pro fuel filter/water separater, bought from a Detroit shop. The filter element and fuel conditions can be monitored visually through a 6-1/2" tall, transparent bowl/cover on top of the filter base. The filter element is in the bowl. When clean, about 1-1/2" of fuel is visible. As the filter gets dirty, the fuel level rises. When the fuel level nears the top of the element, it's time to replace it. Just drain the bowl by flipping a lever. When the fuel level drops below the bowl, close the drain, remove the bowl, drop in a fresh element and replace the bowl. No fuss or muss and it only takes a few minutes. Filter elements are cheap. I carry a replacement. I've gone as long as 14,000 miles before needing to change the element and as short as 6,000 miles. The water separater is in the base. If water is suspected, just drain the filter as described above. In the event of air entering the supply line between the filter and the tank, it will be detectable by the bowl emptying out and air bubbles in the fuel. No air will get past the filter until the filter base empties completely. Stop the engine before that happens. The air can then be bled off by refilling the filter bowl through a cap on the top, then running the engine until the bowl stops emptying and air bubbles in the filter bowl are no longer visible. This might require stopping the engine a couple of times before the filter empties completely and refilling the bowl. Over the past 5 years and 45,000 miles, it's saved me a few unnecessary filter changes and allowed me to detect contaminated fuel before it caused a problem on the road. I consider it well worth the couple of hundred dollar cost. A more expensive model with a heater is available. | ||
| Henry R. Bergman, Jr. (Henryofcj) (63.224.197.10)
Rating: N/A |
OK class...listen up now. Class....classs.... .....CLASSSSS!!!!! He he he. Thank you. It seems what we have learned here is to be more polite... ...to others asking valid questions. In this case, it appears that changing out... ...your fuel filture at YOUR convenience VS at "its" convenience goes without saying. Sosss I won't. Also begs the next question on having a way of either getting some... ....clean fuel out of your tank or perhaps carrying a dedicated one gallon gas can full... ...of clean diesel fuel for refilling the new filture. Thank you class. He he he.  | ||
| Jim Stacy (209.247.222.91)
Rating: N/A |
That's another neat feature of the Fuel Pro Rodger was describing, it doesn't lose its' prime when you change the $6 filter. I have changed mine several times in a rest area when I was struggling with an old tank. Put on some latex gloves, catch the drainoff in a plastic jug, change filter without wrenches, put old filter and gloves in a ziplock bag, put bag in trash and jug back in the bay. Five minutes tops and no mess. FWIW JIm Stacy | ||
| LHD (216.58.210.199) Rating: N/A |
I also use the same filter as Roger took the filters of the motor and tossed like new setup |