2nd fuel filter

Evening d40 buddies
Bit worried bout gettig bad fuel out the back of woop woop
Has anyone fitted a second fuel filter to help with this problem
Any info/ideas from all you knowagable gents out there
Mick

We haven't fitted a second filter but we've been near woop woop and the fuel isn't all that bad. We bought some fuel from Kings Creek Station and we were thinking "this could get nasty, being stuck on Luritja Rd 300km from anywhere". Bowsers are under the roof located at 24°24'18.95"S 131°49'3.55"E if you've got Google Earth or you can click here to get a Google Street View from the road.

Now that place was flogging diesel for 175.6cpl when the rest of the region was selling for about 166.9 and Port Augusta had it for 123.9cpl. I thought I'd see burnt chips and battered fish coming out of the pump but it was all as clean as a whistle.

If you suspect you may encounter really bad fuel, a second filter might be a good idea but once it starts blocking up your pump may struggle to deliver.

I've thought about adding a booster pump and maybe even an intermediate holding tank that holds about 1 litre of fuel. You bring fuel up to the holding tank through your new filter and then the original pump & filter takes from the holding tank. Excess fuel is returned to the main tank. Supply to the holding tank is restricted either by float valve or simply through pressure, with a back-flow that returns fuel to the main tank.

It's overkill, I think, and over-engineering the problem, but if we do have bad fuel in places this might alleviate the risks.

Certainly a second filter won't hurt, but I recommend carrying a spare or two.

I believe there was a thread a while back discussing two fuel filters on a D40, no idea of the title but I'm sure it discussed where to fit it and what to do to make sure the pump didn't struggle. Try an advanced search for something like "second fuel filter" it might bring up something.

Also some discussion here: Clear Bowl Fuel Filter - Nissan Frontier / Navara Forum

Use a Y piece, split into two fuel lines. Run two filters in parallel. Another Y-Piece to join them again and voila. Dual fuel filters with no flow restriction.

Dont forget putting two in a row wont increase the filtration. If the particles are small enough to get through the first one, they will be small enough to get through the identical second one

At least in parallel you can double the filter life, but in a case of bad fuel it will take alot longer to block them both up.

Isn't the idea of running two to increase filtration and not just doubling up what's there?

Personally doubling the filter life doesn't make sense to me especially not if both filters are the same. If one filter lasts 1 year and 2 filters last 2 years you're still effectively up for 1 a year, where is the benefit?

Although it may not happen in the real world surely the Y piece has the potential to spread dodgy fuel down both lines at once and possible take both filters out at the one time?

I would be more concerned with condensation in the underground tank in these remote places getting into the diesel. Not much water needed to stop a common rail diesel.

Northside 4x4 said:

Dont forget putting two in a row wont increase the filtration. If the particles are small enough to get through the first one, they will be small enough to get through the identical second one

Click to expand...

thats not quite true.
filters are not sieves, the do let through bigger particles than their rating. to achieve full cleaning multiable passes through the filter are required.
so the only way to stop particles of any set size is to use multiable filters in series.

also most people will use different sized filters. so the main one catches the bulk while the 2nd catches the finer.

the problem i see is that fuel only goes through one simple filter before going to IP and its generally at a high rate.
its a lot better to go through multiable filters and at a slow rate.

strange enough family had an old tractor that had a similar setup. fuel pumped through first fuel filter, after the filter it has a return to the tank as well as going to next filter and then to the IP.
now that setup has worked perfectly for 60+ years why not now?

mine has 2 from factory,i havent seen any others like it. long one on the left in corner behind fuse box and other on right in same position as others.the long one is over $150 been replaced with a after market one and use a ryco with a cruiser sediment switch/ drain on the other.

Depending on the build date of the D40 there is 3 different filters for the 09 D40's and the dearest is about $180 retail, maybe your dealer just couldn't figure out which one to install so he hedges his bets.