What type of fuel filter setups should I be looking at ?

[allsierra123]

Just curious what set up I should be looking at on my vanagon conversion from gas to diesel?

[dillenger1]

you can use a diesel filter mount from a mk2 and run that or mk1s have a adapter plate and screw on filter(very cool)

[allsierra123]

ANy idea what size the fuel lines are. I have seen some nice racor water seperator units that have built in heaters. But it looked as if they were for larger fuel lines.

[jtanguay]

you can always step down on sizes... i'd use the racor! very good filters.  i wouldn't spend more than $50 though...  as vw filters are only $10 or so.

[jimfoo]

I seem to remember Giles sells some nice filters. Check out the thread in  the vendor section.

[dillenger1]

you can buy a proper oil filter relocation filter housing and run an oil filter with a low mic count.Ive seen the housings on ebay for 30 dollars.I run one of those along with the stock filter.oil filters are cheap!fuel filters not so cheap.I think you wanna be down to 5 microns or less,i dont know.

[janb]

I've used Racors on several VW's and they were great.

You can find the A1 spin-on assemblies for ~$5 at Junk yards, and filters are pretty cheap ($7)  A2 filters are ~ $20.

[allsierra123]

I will probably end up using the racor. They look like a great product.

[Ziptar]

From a post I made a while back...

For a cheap, easy, and effective diesel fuel filter get a Perma-Cool Fuel Filter and Water Separator Kit from Summit for $40. and some 5/16" x 1/2" NPT hose barbs. You can bolt the filter head to the firewall / inner fender. Best part is when it comes time to change out the filter, the head is threaded the same as Caterpillar Filter Number 1R-0750, One of CATs 2 micron "Advanced Efficiency" Fuel Filters.

Cat dealers generally get $12-$16 for them so cheap easy replacements and nice clean fuel to boot. CAT uses those filters on everything up to D9s and D10s, It never had a problem keeping up with my little Ol' TDI even when it was sucking VegOil.  :wink:

[jtanguay]

i'm very interested in that setup  but wouldn't the filter have more resistance, and need a lift pump?

[Gearhead]

Well, I don't see it next to the OE filter, but I'd guess it has more surface area looking at the size of things.  That may offset the fact that it has finer filtration.  The only way to know for sure is put a vac. gauge on the injection pump inlet and compare new OE filter readings to new CAT filter readings.  

I like the idea of a low pressure lift pump, even though I know the timing is affected.  I don't think it would be much if you had a 3psi lift pump, though.

[burn_your_money]

Does the CAT filter have a drain on the bottom of it?

[allsierra123]

The nice thing about the racor is it has a priming pump. And a drain on the bottom.

[Ziptar]

For a little VW the Cat Filter wouldn't be more restrictive, the applications that CAT uses them are as the only filter or as a secondary filter are huge, think D9 and D10, in other words, giant thirsty engines like the 3208 / 3408. The CAT filters are popular with the Duramaxx guys also, so a 1.6L or 1.9L VW with a VE is no match.

That being said, there is a second Part# 1R-0749, that also fits the PermaCool Heads and is massive, I doubt you'd be able to find the space to fit one in the engine compartment of a VW. I used to use one as the final filter on my VegOil Tank. I built my setup to filter in steps as I filled the car, I had a 100 micron stainless steel screen on intake pipe, 30 micron filter, then a 10 micron GoldenRod, and finally the 2 micron CAT 1R-0749, it is giant. The whole setup flowed well enough to use with the rotary pump to do Vegoil fill ups in 8 minutes or so with ambient (75F) Vegoil.

My 03 TDI didn't have a lift pump, it never had issue flowing enough fuel through the CAT filter even with 100% Vegoil on a Cold (for Florida, 50F) morning.



There is a PermaCool filter sitting on top of the tank, you can get an idea of the size in relation to the 1R-0750 filter.

There is a PDF from CAT that has allot of details about the HE filters and their construction, here.

They are also designed so that very cold gelled fuel still flows. As for the bottom drain, I read a second hand "unofficial" post on the GM Diesel forums a couple of years ago that according to a CAT "expert" certain filters have no drains by design. The reason was because in some applications, these filters are the secondary and a higher micron primary filter has a drain and it was expected most water would end up there and also that based on the design of the filter and the change interval, it was expected that not allot of water would collect if the filter was the primary.

If you want a drain, Caterpillar Primary Filter/Water Separator Part # 175-2949 is for you, it also fits the PermaCool heads, however, it only filters to 10 microns.



If you want to go nuts, you could do as CAT does in some applications and have two filters, a 175-2949 as a primary and a 1R-0750 as a secondary.

I posted a detailed thread to the GM-Diesel Forum a while back, when I had the 79 Chevy with the Olds 5.7L Diesel 350 in it. I even made up a cross reference for other brands. Lots of info.

[arb]

You absolutely want a water seperator drain at the bottom of any single filter setup you use. I use the stock VW filter on my Caravan diesel conversion. You have to watch what they are selling you, the Murry's Auto filter (Fram) does not have the water drain.

Autozone p/n FF760 @ $7.79 does have one.
https://www.autozone.com/R,1778967/vehicleId,1211202/initialAction,partProductDetail/store,2165/partType,00540/shopping/partProductDetail.htm

It appears to be of good quality. I do have a low pressure electronic lift pump that free flows when off. I used it to prime the filter and lines when I first installed it. It has a separate switch so I can select it when needed. Howfully it will only be when I change filters.

I was going to use a Ford Escort Diesel filter assemby because it has a hand primer pump, but neither Murry's nor Autozone could get that filter.