How often do you replace your fuel filters?

[Scott & Heather]

What's the typical schedule on fuel filter replacement? Based on mileage or age? Our coach had a fresh set installed a year ago and sat for a year and we just put almost 4000 miles on them. Should they be replaced after sitting for a year or after that many miles? Coach seems exceptionally slow again. I'm at a total of 39,000 lbs with my land cruiser attached and I'm wondering if that's just too much for my 6v92T? I can barely maintain 60mph on a long flat stretch and any slight hill (so slight I have no idea I'm on an uphill until the coach slows down) and the coach just loses speed. I know I've complained on here about a slow coach for years but it really just seems awful. I need to get my 102 with its ddec ii 8v92TA converted. In sick of this.


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[muldoonman]

Scott , I have mine replaced at every oil change and that's around 8500 miles. Have put over 30,000 miles using this method. Mine also runs a Racor filtering system before Detroit Filters. 

[eagle19952]

MAny will say i am nuts... I already know this...
I spent almost 40 years wrenching in the oil fields.
There were at times 100's of heavy duty mechanics.
They all loved caterpillar equipment
Almost all despised the 3 C's.
They were/referred  to them as the Cabbage Colored XXXXsuckers.
The 3 C's put a LOT of LA Gear sneakers on my kids.

There were many instances that the fuel filters were changed (on the 3C's) less than annually.
I have owned my bus since 2003
I have changed my fuel filters twice.
I have parked it for months. sometimes longer.
it still does 72-78 mph on flat interstates. more down hill. less, much less up hill
it is an 8v71N.

hope you find your problem, i suspect linkage.

[Seangie]

Scott -

I change mine with the oil. Cheap enough todo.  Its probably more often than needed but I dont have to think about when was the last time I touched them. 

Also - write the date on them with a sharpie.  That helps my failing memory.

-Sean

[luvrbus]

Install a gauge on the secondary filter it will tell you when the filters need changing that is the easy way when it reads below 60 lbs at fast idle it's time to change the filters.I always change mine once a year regardless   

[Scott & Heather]

Shanks, good idea on the sharpie. Will do. Cliff, that sounds peachy and like a solid way to indicate


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[TomC]

Also not discussed is the brand of filters. Detroit brand of filters are made by Donaldson. Some of the other brands won't hold up for a year and disintegrate. I just plainly like Donaldson, whether it be filters or mufflers. Good Luck, TomC

[goutoe]

Scott, I change my fuel filters every other oil change so probably every 10,000 miles they are always clean when I open them up, I also run a 6v92 TA mine runs up and down the hills as fast as you want to go pulling a toad behind I am very pleased with the power, Ive read your posts before about loss of power, have you checked out your turbo for problems? or maybe throttle linkage like someone posted earlier, good luck, that engine ought to run a lot better than that.>>>> John.

[luvrbus]

John, the AM General will be lowered geared than Scott's MCI that is a advantage for you over Scott and his bus I don't know what hp Scott is even set at it's probably around 300 hp

[goutoe]

Cliff, you are probably right the P.O of my bus said mine was 350 hp but not the original transit gears, All I know is I have all the power I need and the fuel mileage isn't bad around 6 mpg if I keep my foot out of it>>>> John.

[sledhead]

my  6v92 ta  hp was 277 before I had it rebuilt then after some groveling I had them incress  it to 350 - 370 hp . wow did it change on the hills but like every one I keep adding extra crap ( weight ) so I am loosing the hp because of that 

as for fuel filters I change the 2 trans. oil , 1 eng. oil  filters and the oil , 2 fuel filters each spring and have never had any problems

dave

[Jon]

I change mine every 5000 miles but if my bus sat for long periods in a warm and humid environment I would watch them very closely because a load of algae will plug them in a heartbeat.

[Oonrahnjay]

I change mine every 5000 miles but if my bus sat for long periods in a warm and humid environment I would watch them very closely because a load of algae will plug them in a heartbeat 

     Yeah, algae is a wild card.  You can change your filters on a schedule for years and never have a problem but get a tankful of fuel from a station with a leaking storage tank, and new filters can clog in a week.  It's a good thing most diesel pumps have replaceable filters but I don't trust them 100%.  Always carry extra fuel filters.

[Oonrahnjay]

    Speaking of algae, here is a good product (I'm sure that there are others out there but this is just an example).   Of course, the cause of filter plugging from algae is that the structures of the little plants are the problem.   You can kill the algae -- which is good to stop further damage -- but you still have the dead stuff in there to clog your filters, or do other damage if they get past the filters, etc.


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[buswarrior]

Scott, you really want to dig in and confirm that your engine is doing everything it is supposed to.

This is one of the things that sucks all the enjoyment out of using the coach.

Many coaches came with small HP settings, fuel economy was the goal. They were big pigs when loaded, it felt like they were fading away...

The big things, no leaks of pressurized air beyond the turbo, no leaks in exhaust powering the turbo, and is the throttle really going all the way open, both in linkage and in the governor?

For entertainment and insight cut open your current filters when you change them, and see what might be in there?

Keep at it, we're pulling for you!!!

happy coaching!
buswarrior