Community Forums

mackwrench · 10-18-2021, 03:29 PM

Filling fuel filters with ATF, engine oil or the like on a DPF exhaust equiped engine is a problem. The filter is not able to process that amount of "ash" at once and after a few "filter fills" will plug...

Technology that was great, is now obsolete. USLD type fuel is the only thing any engine mfg would recommend IF they were to recommend anything.

Ray,IN · 10-19-2021, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mackwrench

Filling fuel filters with ATF, engine oil or the like on a DPF exhaust equiped engine is a problem. The filter is not able to process that amount of "ash" at once and after a few "filter fills" will plug...

Technology that was great, is now obsolete. USLD type fuel is the only thing any engine mfg would recommend IF they were to recommend anything.

I agree. Next someone will post saying they always pre-fill with alcohol -the drinking kind.

I have never pre-filled a fuel filter, and have never had my DP diesel engine fail to start. Cummins says to use the lift pump, I do.

LargeMarge · 10-21-2021, 01:36 AM

re -- dry filter install
.
'Yes', by cycling the ignition, the fuel-pump may fill the filter.
.
But... what happens to a pint/quart of filter air... in the injection-pump?
In the injectors?
Do those components use fuel as lubrication?
.
On our 1996 Cummins 505ci, we use a lever on the fuel-pump to pump fuel into the filter.
With the filter a half-turn from 'tight', the filter is full of fuel just before fuel leaks out.
.
Tighten, start, check for leaks.

CountryB · 10-21-2021, 04:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mackwrench

Filling fuel filters with ATF, engine oil or the like on a DPF exhaust equiped engine is a problem. The filter is not able to process that amount of "ash" at once and after a few "filter fills" will plug...

Technology that was great, is now obsolete. USLD type fuel is the only thing any engine mfg would recommend IF they were to recommend anything.

Yes. That is totally correct

Ray,IN · 10-22-2021, 08:35 PM

You may also use Power Service Diesel Kleen to pre-fill your filters. An added benefit is it will clean everything downstream from the filter.

nehog · 10-23-2021, 06:23 AM

So often the answer is to follow the manufacturer's instructions!

On Fleetguard filters, is the procedure for a filter change. This includes telling you to pre-fill the filter with the correct fluid.

Just follow instructions!

BTW to fill fuel filters with *diesel* I use this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Makes that refill easy to do. (Ah, the blessings of having a close connection to a chem/bio lab at the university... you learn all kinds of ways to move fluids from point A to point B!)

Always fill filters from the outside holes, never the inside center hole. Outside holes are the filter's inlet!

Ray,IN · 10-23-2021, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nehog

So often the answer is to follow the manufacturer's instructions!

On Fleetguard filters, is the procedure for a filter change. This includes telling you to pre-fill the filter with the correct fluid.

Just follow instructions!

BTW to fill fuel filters with *diesel* I use this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Makes that refill easy to do. (Ah, the blessings of having a close connection to a chem/bio lab at the university... you learn all kinds of ways to move fluids from point A to point B!)

Always fill filters from the outside holes, never the inside center hole. Outside holes are the filter's inlet!

Your engine owners manual trumps the filter mfgr. website.

96 Wideglide · 10-23-2021, 06:58 PM

I always pre-fill.

Just use what ever works for you to ensure ALL of the fuel goes into the small outer hole(s), and not the center outlet hole.

nehog · 10-24-2021, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

Your engine owners manual trumps the filter mfgr. website.

Just to break the (sad?) news to you, Fleetguard is Cummin's factory filter branch! So yes, what Fleetguard says is what Cummins says. And again, follow instructions!

David 70 · 10-24-2021, 11:49 AM

Although this is about a 1 in a zillion chance, using red atf will dye your fuel red, and it takes very little, so getting a fuel check will show you are using off road fuel. Just saying but I'm sure I will get beat up on this.

DobeBus · 10-24-2021, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David 70

Although this is about a 1 in a zillion chance, using red atf will dye your fuel red, and it takes very little, so getting a fuel check will show you are using off road fuel. Just saying but I'm sure I will get beat up on this.

I have used atf in my commercial trucks for years. The DOT, if they check, can tell if it’s off road fuel or fuel with atf added

David 70 · 10-24-2021, 03:21 PM

DobeBus; I didn't realize they could but when I think about it I can see where they could. I haven't driven in years so never had to mess with dyed or not. Although back when I drove the 71 series Detroits

there were all kinds of "remedies" to make them go faster and atf was one.

wolfe10 · 10-24-2021, 03:31 PM

With today's sophisticated emission equipment, let's be careful about recommending what worked just fine two decades ago.

Not suggesting some of the suggestions are wrong, but I would SURE run those "I slammed the injection system with 2 quarts of XX/YY" by the engine manufacturer.

bigb56 · 10-24-2021, 03:43 PM

I used ATF in my older more primitive diesels but would not try it in a newer SCR equipped system. Only a small amount of ATF will make it to the injectors anyway as most of the fuel simply returns to the tank along with any air, so most of that ATF will end up diluting out in the tank.
At any rate my Bluetec primes electrically after installation by just cycling the key a couple times. On my TDI VW recommends purging by operating the fuel pump through a scan tool which I do with OBDeleven and my smartphone. It wouldn't surprise me if the newer more complex diesels in RVs would require that as well.
Diesels are just too complex and expensive today to follow Bubba's recommendations from the 70's, and it doesn't take much of a particle contamination to mess with expensive pumps and injectors.