CAT 2 micron or Uber 1 micron filter?(south texas hot almost all year round)

CAT filter its cheaper and more available to get online, better reputation but Uber is a 1 micron, what do you guys recommend? (new injection pump, new bigger nozzels and pop test injectors) Thanks.

any ideas?

cat works just fine. good enough for jp8 aircraft turbines

CAT it is then, how about the Donaldson brand?

lowdub said:

cat works just fine. good enough for jp8 aircraft turbines

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Why muck around with what works stock already? What are you hoping to accomplish with all this fine fuel polishing? The stock setup seems to do perfectly fine for 99% of everyone's driving.

Lightflyer1 said:

Why muck around with what works stock already? What are you hoping to accomplish with all this fine fuel polishing? The stock setup seems to do perfectly fine for 99% of everyone's driving.

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For a couple of reasons: firstly, and this is opinion, you can't over filter diesel fuel. The pressures involve at injectors make purity an important parameter. It would follow that injector life span could be extended.

Secondly, having a Cat head makes replacing filters a breeze. Spin-on rocks.

Thirdly, Cat spin-ons increase your intervals phenomenally. If you mimic the fuel flow of a tractor or semi, you would be keeping the same filter for a 100K miles.

Fourthly, they're cheaper.

Okay, that's more than a couple. Good question!

thanks guys, I all ready order the CAT setup from Nictane Uber filter kit without filter so came out to 99 plus shipping like 13 more.. I also purchase 3 Donaldson P551313 to have in stock for at least 60K miles... I did a quick research and it seems a little bit better than the CAT for the same price..

Agree, can't over filter a diesel and the fact it is cheaper makes even more sense.

OlyTDI said:

For a couple of reasons: firstly, and this is opinion, you can't over filter diesel fuel. The pressures involve at injectors make purity an important parameter. It would follow that injector life span could be extended.

Secondly, having a Cat head makes replacing filters a breeze. Spin-on rocks.

Thirdly, Cat spin-ons increase your intervals phenomenally. If you mimic the fuel flow of a tractor or semi, you would be keeping the same filter for a 100K miles.

Fourthly, they're cheaper.

Okay, that's more than a couple. Good question!

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Diesel can be over filtered. It only needs to be filtered to the point it is acceptable for the application. Anything more than that is not needed. The real life experience seems to be that the stock filter does a very good job. From my reading most injectors last over 100k miles and are suggested to be replaced around that time anyway.

Changing the NicKtane spin on doesn't look to be that easy as it is only held on with hose clamps to the filter itself. Had the head been mounted instead of the filter itself, then maybe it would have been easier, assuming there is enough room to remove from underneath.

Some say the original filter can last longer than 20k miles. Only testing would tell.

The Donaldson are cheaper. The CAT 2 micron nearly the same and the glass nearly twice as much. When you take into account the cost of the kit and the CAT filter the payback is over 150k miles.

CAT $20
Stock at idparts $23.95

I personally wouldn't waste my money on any of those aftermarket fuel filter contraptions. I pushed my last fuel filter change to around 40K miles or so and the car still ran fine and didn't show any signs of clogging.

I had the nicktane on my bug. The bracket broke when it was time to change the filter and Nick has no replacements. I restored the stock filter setup. I also have the nicktane on my jetta and it is harder to change then the stock setup. Yes it's spin on but first the bracket needs to come out so you can get to the clamps to release the filter. I should have left it stock to begin with. Maybe on the high pressure duramax it is worth it but on the ALH, I just don't think it is worth it.

The injection systems use the fuel itself to do the lubrication of the parts. Since the fuel is thin any particulate in the fuel will wear the surfaces overtime and depending on the particulate it could get to the point of clogging the spray ports on the nozzles. Then there is water problems. Water flash boils at the injector tip causing it to explode a little at a time. John Deere has issues with watery fuel actually blowing the whole injector tip off if the fuel is bad enough. But that leads the injector nozzles to go from spraying correctly to streaming hot fuel into the cylinder instead. That can fill your oil with fuel and even burn the fuel through the piston. Running a filter till it is actually clogged to the point of noticing means you are cavitating the pump which also does damage. If you want to test it properly you would need to do a differential pressure system that takes the pressure (or suction on the ALH) on both sides of the filter. But then you would have to see what the base line is and what would be considered plugged? As far as getting your money back out of it-I plan on driving my vehicles more then the 150 or what ever miles it takes to get the return. I stocked up on the filters and Orings while I worked at the mine and got the filters and Orings for together for under $15 a change no shipping of a filter needed and since the rabbits are converted I carry one filter rather then two.

Well, I currently use MANN filters which were rated a 5 micron(IIRC) so I don't think a few micron is going to make a difference.

The original filter seems to do a fine job with particles and is approved for use by VW for fuel that was worse before ULSD. The cat filter from my reading does nothing for removing water, so if you have water you still have issues. Buy good fuel from a high volume retailer and motor on. Some want to "improve" everything on their car whether it really does or not, that is their decision. I don't see this as much if any improvement though and will stick with the stock filter. Thousands of tdi's are using it with seemingly no issues and high mileage.