View Full Version : Brand New Fuel Filter Inspected
JEBar sent me a brand new Dmax CARQUEST fuel filter (http://community.webshots.com/album/78464371PcGaFz) to cut open and inspect. He sent me this filter because I inspected his 12K fuel filter and found extensive rusting on the inside of the sloping portion of the metal case (water drain area).
The filter was still wrapped in the original loose plastic shrink wrap when I received it. I was suprised to see quite a bit of rust on this brand new and unused filter. On this filter, rusting was present throughout the inside of the metal case and NOT limited to the sloping portion. The sides of the case had spotty, early oxidation that looked like moisture or a caustic liquid had been introduced into the filter case.
If the hyperlink does not work, click the second link in my sig and choose the DURAMAX FUEL FILTERS album. The new pics should be the first (4) in that album.
JEBar,
Thanks for the $20 sacrifice :eek: Let me know if you want the filter returned - you might try for a refund. I can also return your 12K filter - these things are starting to pile up....
tim@cmsinter.net
09-12-2003, 17:13
Mdrag,
Where can I get a boost/egt guage like yours online?
Thanks
Tim,
I have the SPA DG-111 digital Boost/EGT gauge. SPA replaced this gauge with the DG-211. I bought the gauge at from a TDP advertiser, DIESEL INJECTION SERVICE (http://www.dieselpage.com). DIS no longer lists SPA gauges on their website.
KENNEDY (http://www.kennedydiesel.com) has the SPA DG-211 listed on his web site, send him an email or give him a call.
mdrag
Originally posted by mdrag:
... The filter was still wrapped in the original loose plastic shrink wrap when I received it. I was suprised to see quite a bit of rust on this brand new and unused filter ... :eek: :eek: This is not good :( :(
I wonder what RACOR has to say about this... Also I wonder how common this problem is in other filters, oil and fuel ? Or would the manufactuer say is doesn't matter since the corrosion is on the dirty side of the filter? Since most of us are not in the habit of cutting open new filters, this problem can easily go undetected... It's also making me re-think my filter storage practices. I'm one of those who buys in bulk to get the best price, but what if my filter stash is rusting on the inside while sitting on the shelf :confused: ?? (Woe is me something more to worry about :rolleyes: )
That filter looks like **** ......
I wonder ....
The Filter is manufactured as a plain wrapper .... I wonder if the same company does on the marketing labels and print ??
I would definately bring it to someones attention ...
Mac
That doesn't look good at all. I thought that can was suppose to have a water shedding coating. Evidently not :eek:
george morrison
09-13-2003, 18:52
Mittie,
Thank you so much for those superb "cuts" (as always!) and photos.. This filter is totally uncacceptable for use in our engines. The sub-micronic abrasives that would be released with use would cause considerable damage to a fuel system. It looks like we should do some more "new" filter inspections as we know there are very few true manufacturers of our filters; we need to make sure they aren't all like this..
George
Mittie ...
:( Not surprised by your findings and do appreciate your effort and picture post. If you don't mind sending the filter back, I will take it back where I bought it and see what happens... will post reaction I receive. Having an early '02 D'max, I am highly concerned about damage which may have been done to my injectors (as stated above by George Morrison). I can only wish I had installed a Mega filter Post OEM much earlier....and am most certainly happy to have it on my truck right now ... Jim
I wonder if the inside of new filter could be inspected with a dental mirror since the bottom is open (??).
Or maybe there is a do-it-your self version of those fancy cameras the Dr's use to look up your... well you know... :eek:
chuntag95
09-15-2003, 11:18
No, Bill, I don't know. tongue.gif
I looked at my spare and it had a couple of dots of surface rust. I was thinking about vacuum sealing my spares in the truck to keep the moisture out. Have to use the wife's meat sealer while she's out though. :D
Should have known you engineers would come up with a way to check and preserve these filters.
Dental mirror and meat vac sealer. LOL :D
Had to laugh when I pictured you guys doing this.
Sorry, Got to go vac pack my filters before my wife returns. :eek:
Later, Tommy
Unfortunately, the new filter mdrag cut open for me was still factory sealed in a plastic bag when he opened it. (Refer back to his original post.) Considering they come to us sealed, what options do we have to correct a problem that appears to be predestined by the makers of the filter... Jim
DmaxMaverick
09-15-2003, 15:13
For years now, I have stored extra filters in the trucks in zip lock bags with a silica-gel packette. Good idea about the vacuum seal thing. Wife's had one for years and I never thought of it. Heck, I seal everything else up. Why not filters?
Maybe vacuum seal and a silica-gel? Wonder how long the shelf life would be then.
Great idea. Thanks
What about pouring (or spraying) a little WD-40 in the bottom of the filters? For oil filters the WD-40 could be poured in through the ADB valve. Seems like this might prevent any rust from forming in filters being stored...
It makes me wonder if we're going to have to check the "born on" date of our fuel filters when we buy them- just to make sure they haven't been sitting on the shelf too long!
zip
MadDuraMax
09-16-2003, 12:22
Sounds like a low budget washing operation to me. We purchased spring brake actuator housings from a company in Ca., specified pickled and oiled steel. Raw material looked great, stamped great etc. But once the washing process took place to get the drawing compounds off, they just tossed the parts into a wire basket. Ship them to Michigan in the winter, add a little condensation and wow rust spots!
Photo of the new filter housing looks identical to what I saw on the brake housings!!
Mark
That said, the other filter with tons of rust still had to have gotten worse during operation. Had the fuel been treated, and water free the progression should have stopped no? I STILL don't want water standing anywhere in my system, filter/separator or not...
John,
Let me know if you got dem pics in your e-mail. Curious to see if I can graduate from pic emailing class. :eek:
BlueOx03
09-16-2003, 18:49
I checked the Baldwin I have in standby today, it has some spots in it. I didn't cut it open, I just used an inspection mirror. When I cut open the factory filter, it had spots of rust and some chunks of rust. The chunks were pretty good size, I think I got some of a storage tank from somewhere. In my opinion, the problem is that the opening for the water sensor allows air and moisture to get inside, where most other spin on filters have media in between the case and the atmosphere. It only takes a little moisture to get rust going and the media most likely keeps that little bit out. I'd bet money that if the manufacturer put a plug in the bottom this wouldn't happen.
My $.02
TJ
Sounds like they are using recycled AMC's and early Chevy Luvs/S-10's for the casing! :rolleyes:
Seriously, it does sound like a potential handling issue. Guess I'll have to check my stock and see what they look like.
Makes a guy feel good knowing there's another filter after the OE Racor... http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/happy/xyxthumbs.gif
BlueOx03
09-16-2003, 21:23
Hopfully I'll be feeling good within a week. I'll be ringing JK's phone as soon as he opens in the AM. Kinda hard to put any faith in something that's prebroke or prerusted as the case may be.
TJ
Steamboat
09-17-2003, 02:40
May want to look at the spin on Alli filter for rust (foreign material) as well. I had to request the dealer look through several of his in stock units to find one that didn't have discoloration already started around the top metal section. Ordered replacements from JK and first thing I did was notice how clean they looked compared to OE parts.
Today I checked the four OEM fuel filters I have sitting on the shelf in the garage. I removed them from the plastic wrapping. Using an inspection mirror, I observed there was some minor surface pitting present in all four filters. Mainly on the metal surface near the plastic fitting where the water sensor screws into. Nothing anywhere close to what is present in JEBar's new filter. I plan to clean them up, spray a light oil inside and then re-seal them. They should be useable in the future
This is a good find by JEBar and Mdrag. One hopes that if anyone with some authority at GM ever looks at this website, they will take notice. They need to improve some of the processes used by one of their suppliers (Racor).
Another thing I noticed while inspecting the four new filters plus two used ones that I had cut apart previously; the plastic end piece on the filter that the water sensor screws into has changed somewhere along the way. Take a look at the pictures posted by Mdrag. Look really carefully at the plastic end piece. His pictures show two different types. If you have some older and newer filters on hand, also look at the threads. There are some changes there also. I wonder why the change was made (or do we have two different suppliers?)
I also checked the one, new in the box, Allison tranny filter I have on the garage shelf (per Steamboat's comment). Now my new tranny filter really has some rust problems! It may not be useable. And all this is in low humidity Southern California. Good find Steamboat!
Lesson Learned: Since I buy filters in bulk, I really need to pay attention on how they are stored.
Alan
DmaxMaverick
09-17-2003, 23:30
Wow!
This is disturbing info.
I checked the extra fuel filters I keep under the seat of my '01 HD and didn't find any evidence of rust on any of the three. I didn't cut them open to investigate further. They were sealed in zip lock bags with silica-gel packs. I bought a bunch of them from DIS over a year ago. I also checked the tranny filters I have stored in my house. Strange. No rust at all. They are stored in the original paper boxes and have been sitting on a shelf, in open air. I cool my house with evaporative coolers. They should be rusty as all get up (according to recent reports), but not. If I don't keep my guns oiled up real good, they pit overnight. Guess I'm luckier than I thought.
The tranny and fuel filters I currently have were purchased over a year ago, perhaps 2. Maybe there has been some cuts made in the manufacture/storage process since then. Are all the filters with rust of late purchase?
I'll definately check any I get in the future.
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