Fuel filter change interval?

[jspringator]

What is a good rule of thumb for a fuel filter change interval? I have the stock filter and a 30 micron Racor separator before the lift pump.

[CareyWeber]

Originally posted by James Springate:
What is a good rule of thumb for a fuel filter change interval? I have the stock filter and a 30 micron Racor separator before the lift pump. James,

I have the same setup you have and I have not found a good way to tell when to change.

This is what I am doing I got a 0-15 psi electric fuel pressure gauge and I'm trying to get a vacuum gage.

Pressure gage will go post factory filter

Vacuum gage between the Racor filter and the lift pump.

Racor makes vacuum switches that would work great, but they are $$$.

Due to my upcoming PCS move I'm going to chage both filters and they have been in for a year and a couple of months now (better safe than sorry).

Carey

[Turbine Doc]

Been my experience change when needed at performance loss, as you never know when you can get a bad load of fuel; I did not like that answer so when I added my frame rail filter I also added vac switch I connected to a LED that tells me when filter blockage is occurring. I also added a tee to the line on the outlet of the factory filter for a second switch, it's neveerw "gone off" which tells me my frame filter is working , at 20K miles I could not stand it, and cut apart the factory filter, other than brown color it was clean vac switches from Racor are pricy but so is changing a filter with life still in it, in long run I feel I'm money ahead. At end of day vacuum is vacuum so any switch or gauge that measures it will work does not have to be a Racor one.

I posted this on another site I hang out at, it was here also but got lost evidently as I could not find the internal link to where I was playing with idea of parallel lift pumps as well

Several vendors out there can get the switch (Racor pn RK20163) set for 7" Hg, do a google search for Racor for vendors, I think Greg at www.lubespecialist.com (http://www.lubespecialist.com) sells Racor products, also I think John www.kennedydiesel.com (http://www.kennedydiesel.com) and Bill www.heathdiesel.com (http://www.heathdiesel.com) I got mine at www.go2marine.com (http://www.go2marine.com) they had a clearance special that could not be beat last year, make sure when you order from non TDPL advertisers that the filter you need is for a DIESEL and not a GAS engine, both use same filt body but different elements. Switch seen on outlet of filter is where I'll hook up one leg of a 12v LED to alert me when I need to change filter.

More info on Racor filts here http://www.parker.com/racor/pdf/Section01.pdf

[tom.mcinerney]

Yes, James-
Tim has the only rational solution. It's possible to buy great , clean fuel for a couple years, and then get a bad load (containing much debris, and other contaminbation).
A transparent fuel-bowl allows routine visual inspection ... this gives some indication of change-of state.

[CareyWeber]

This made me think about draining my Racor for this first time since I changed filters last spring and I had less than an 1/8 of a teaspoon of watery crud that drained out.

Carey