Blending ULP/RUG

[peter1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close peter1]

Re: Blending ULP/RUG

I don't see the point of those Filters.
They are too coarse to filter anything out of prefiltered oil and anything they would catch would be large enough that it would take a long time to block a decent 1-5UM filter anyway.

If you have anything coming out of your tank or lines, forget about catching it with filters. Been there done that and a person is far better off just pulling the tank, cleaning it out properly, doing the lines as well and not having to stuff around cleaning or changing filters every day or 2.

I only change my filters every 3-4 months and I have put a lot of oil through by then. Other people tell me their filters last 12 months. Dunno what they do different but I have never had that sort of filter longevity myself.

The other thing with multiple filters is you also add in more points for air leaks. I try to minimise them as much as possible especially when I can get around them with other god practices.

[Tony From West Oz Vice Chairperson of WARFA Find all posts View Profile Close Tony From West Oz]

Re: Blending ULP/RUG

Peter,
I would not attempt to tell anyone how they should do things, just how I do things. Where I see something that I see as a problem, I point it out.

I use these filters because they work for me. They also happen to be the filters specified by the manufacturer. I cannot see any better recommendation for using them.
These filters are "rock catchers" they will block if there is a lot of "diesel bug residue" or oxidised oil coming from the fuel tank. They will generally block well before the main filter does. All fuel put in the tank should be filtered to much finer than the rating of the finest filter in the system. In-vehicle filters are there to prevent contamination from within the system affecting the Injection / fuel pumps, not to catch contaminants which were in the fuel at refuelling.

As you know, in a Mercedes 300D, there is a in-tank strainer which can also block. This is a item on my vehicle maintenance plan. I clean it annually.
On my Mercedes 300D, I used to monitor the fuel pressure just before the IP. I stopped doing that because I could tell, by the way the engine responded under full load, how the filters were faring. If I had less power than usual, I changed the pre-filter. If this did not fix the issue, I then changed the main filter.
Because I can clean the pre-filter, it was and still is a logical approach in response to low power at full pedal situations. In most cases, I was able to drive to a convenient location to make the pre-filter change. (the zip-lok bag, which held the clean pre-filter, keeps the used pre-filter from making a mess it the car)

In general, the main filter lasts me over 20 000km and the pre-filter over 10 000 km. I believe that this is due to the settling / filtering processes I use.

I have previously described my fuel processes on this forum. If you are interested, please look it up.

Regards,
Tony

[peter1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close peter1]

Re: Blending ULP/RUG

These filters are "rock catchers" they will block if there is a lot of "diesel bug residue" or oxidised oil coming from the fuel tank.

OK, that makes sense. Never had it so never thought of it.

In general, the main filter lasts me over 20 000km and the pre-filter over 10 000 km. I believe that this is due to the settling / filtering processes I use.

Clearly if you are getting 20L K out of your main filter, the oil must be very clean so what is blocking the much coarser pre filter in half the time?
I can't see you getting Diesel bug all the time so what is it that blocks the pre filter. Do you get bits of poly or the like forming or is it something else these filters are pulling out of what must be good clean oil?

I just came back from the country. I changed the fuel filter before I went up and suffered some power loss when I got tot he big hills and hit full boost. I change my soft Fuel line annualy at exactly this time of year and thought the hose must have gone harder than usual and was leaking. I cut off all the ends, Re clamped everything and had the same problem. I came back to the workshop, Changed most of the soft line with what I had and went for another run with the same problem.
I then got suspect, threw in another filter and took it for a run. It had some air still in it as I went up the hill just down the road but the air went through and as my foot was flat on the throttle, it boosted up and turned the tyres at 40 on a dry road. Yeeha!!

Oh well, at least the price of the filters is right!
:0)

Sometimes it's the most simple, obvious things we over look.

[dagwill Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dagwill]

Re: Blending ULP/RUG

Your probably quite right Peter, i am going from a fairly youthfull memory. just remember taking the float bowl off and it was half full of what looked like water and petrol on top. It very easily could have been 30% water and 70% ethanol and that amount of water was just too high for the engine to run. I just assumed it was water. BUT if what you say is right and adding a little water to E85 makes the petrol separate and float, wouldnt this be happening wherever condensation occured in holding tanks ?? or would this amount of water just be absorbed and not cause separation.??

[Lozzer Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Lozzer]

Re: Blending ULP/RUG

Hi All,
I can only reiterate Tony's comments on the pre filters.
I've used them for a long time and they do a great job of catching any 'rock's and keeping the finer downstream filters cleaner.
Two more points on them..some times it pays to ream out the tails a little to increase the ID without weakening the tails; and one big plus with them is that you can see at a glance if there are any large particles present.
I change mine maybe every 20K but sometimes then its not necessary. I used to wash them out between uses but hardly worth the effort as they are not expensive at all.
Laurie

[peter1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close peter1]

Re: Blending ULP/RUG

Your probably quite right Peter, i am going from a fairly youthfull memory. just remember taking the float bowl off and it was half full of what looked like water and petrol on top. It very easily could have been 30% water and 70% ethanol and that amount of water was just too high for the engine to run. I just assumed it was water. BUT if what you say is right and adding a little water to E85 makes the petrol separate and float, wouldnt this be happening wherever condensation occured in holding tanks ?? or would this amount of water just be absorbed and not cause separation.??

When I seperate the Petrol from the water it takes a " Critical" amount. Not sure what that amount is, never tried to test it. I just know if for Instance I have some water meth left in the vehicle and I empty a few litres of 50% Mix back into the straight e-85, nothing I can see happens. when you add a few litres to 10L, as I sometimes do If I run out of water in the container I use, I come back and the seperation has started. I don't know what the ratio is but I just have seen that say adding a litre of water to 20 L of e-85 dosen't seem to do anything.

I spose it's like the old thing of adding metho to your fuel tank to blend in the water.... only in reverse.