I've had a stopped up fuel filter every 5000 miles since I've owned my unit. It has sat most of its life. 1999 with approx 60k miles. Question is, could my tank be full of algae and the fuel need flashing, cleaned like my old sail boat did? Or, is it normal to need the filter changed that often? Just wondering............
Dennis Davis
1999 36 ft. 270
Subaru toad
Cut open the fuel filter and check what is plugging it. Could be algae but I think a plugged filter every 5000 miles might be excessive.
Yup, find out what you are dealing with by cutting open the filter.
And, as with your sail boat, you can have a "fuel polisher" clean the fuel/tank.
If algae/bacteria contamination, use a good Biocide such as Biobor.
I've been fighting a problem on our C8.3 thought same thing. Didn't find anything in filters. Found out a mud wasp had built a nest in the tank vent hose.
Blow out hose from tank end. Now fuel tank doesn't pull a vacuum. Now I have a spare transfer pump and extra filters. :o
Just a thought. Mark C.
Don't know if it applies here, but our coach supposedly sat in storage for almost ten years and then was resurrected. Our coach has a 100 gallon STEEL tank and apparently rust flakes had/have been dropping off the inside of the tank. So much so that flakes and algae backed up in the 5/8" I.D. suction hose for three inches and blocked the check valve.
The blockage created a nightmare for us. I changed filters (2 @time) and even went so far as to drain the tank and give the fuel away. Eventually so frustrated we took the coach to someone who knew & understood our 8.2L DD turbo-charged engine. He found the problem first time out.
My '99 has an aluminum tank, I am guessing Dennis' is the same.
Aluminum tank. I haven't used a biocide to kill algae. I will cut them up but I know I'll find that black algae. Thought on my side is that the pre-filter is a larger micron size than the final filter. And both very effective. Back in the day, the filters built by Bosch and installed on Volvo's during the 80's were forever stopping up. I attributed it to small micron passage and our dirty fuel back then. Maybe the same here unless everyone else is getting 10,000 or more on filters. I'm using oem filters.
So, what are the micron ratings of the primary and secondary fuel filters?
If that is not available, what are the brand and PN's?
Both filters are Fleetguard, numbers FS19931 and FS1022.
I get 15k on my filters just about. I change them with the oil filter every 15k miles. I probably could go longer but figured it is simpler to keep everything on a simple schedule.
Finding someone to polish fuel away from the coasts can be hard. I found a Cummins Coach Care shop in Kansas City that had the equipment. The process was to bring the coach in with a 1/4 tank of fuel, they added a chemical catalyst. Then send you to fill up the tank. You parked in their RV site and the next morning they started recirculating filtering your tank for 6 to 7 hours. It was well worth the cost of about $400.
Roy
2009 42ft Nimbus
The FS19931 crosses to a 14 micron element-- a reasonable primary
The FS1022 crosses to a 2 micron element-- a reasonable secondary
Without the specified micron size filtration specified by the engine Mfr one could be spending a whole lot more to have the injectors unplugged!
You are wasting time and money until you correct the source. Either replace the fuel tank, or find a shop that will acid wash the inside and recoat it. Just my opinion, been there done that on a Ford with a rusting steel tank. Biocide and polishing may - MAY - work if it's algae.
Dave,
Assume you are referring to Norm's steel tank, not the newer aluminum tank like to OP has.
Yah Brett, Al is a different animal. Problem I've had with them is corrosion from the outside, under mounts and straps. Esp on boats.
Another opinion,get the tank as low as you can,I know the different brands of filters have different micron sizes but there is no
"wrong filter" if it is a cross reference number.Get the tank cleaned some way,either you do it or get some one else.I would use
something like varsol or something comparible with diesel fuel or else you will be trying to clean the cleaner out when done.
Another method would be get the biocide and use it then get extra filters and keep changing frequently until you think its
filtered out.I read the beamalarm specs and it reccomends the filter change at 6K anyway.This is not the first tank this has happened to,hang in there it will get fixed.