verylongdrive
Veteran Member
Whenever I get ready to replace the fuel filter more or less at the recommended interval, I look into the tee hole after disconnecting the fuel lines and wonder if I should just drain any water from the bottom and then keep using the old filter for another interval. Even after using Biodiesel the first time, expecting perhaps some tank cleanup results in the filter, it looks clean as far as I can from above. (Is it? Does crud settle even between the layers of fuel filter metrial?)
But trying to undo the bottom of the filter, it generally seems stuck, and I'm afraid I'd break something. (I've tried on a new filter, but they seem quite tight too, and the fear of breaking something there is greater, obviously.)
On the other hand, whenever I think that I perhaps ought to drain the filter in-between replacements, I end up putting off the removal effort (since that's what it is) until it's time to replace, or if I start doing it (always rather late in the interval), I end up just putting in a new one.
Once or twice, I drained already-replaced filters just to see if I can turn the drain without breaking it, and if I could tell water from fuel.
Result: All that came out looked the same to me, so either I can't tell fuel from water, or I didn't have a water problem.
Given that I also use plenty of Powerservice, which is said to encase water and get it through the engine, am I neglecting important maintenance, or merely missing out on a way to save by changing the filter less often?
But trying to undo the bottom of the filter, it generally seems stuck, and I'm afraid I'd break something. (I've tried on a new filter, but they seem quite tight too, and the fear of breaking something there is greater, obviously.)
On the other hand, whenever I think that I perhaps ought to drain the filter in-between replacements, I end up putting off the removal effort (since that's what it is) until it's time to replace, or if I start doing it (always rather late in the interval), I end up just putting in a new one.
Once or twice, I drained already-replaced filters just to see if I can turn the drain without breaking it, and if I could tell water from fuel.
Result: All that came out looked the same to me, so either I can't tell fuel from water, or I didn't have a water problem.
Given that I also use plenty of Powerservice, which is said to encase water and get it through the engine, am I neglecting important maintenance, or merely missing out on a way to save by changing the filter less often?
