The joys of DIY Fuel Filter changing.
So, last night the truck started laboring and losing power, acting like it did the time the FASS pump wasn't working and the fuel filter clogged up. We did buy a couple spares before we left because it was almost overdue to change it anyway, it was just a matter of where. So, we pull into a TA along the IL/WI border on I94 last night, and I set about to changing the filter. One odd note which I'll comment on further is that the FASS pump is supposed to fill up the new filter with fuel before I fully attach it. It didn't. Thinking maybe it was just an oddity I got it all the way on. The truck stalled out and took a little while to get going again because...you know, air in the fuel line now.
But it did eventually start and we got on our way. Only changing the filter didn't solve the problem. So I thought of all possible things it COULD be before bedtime. Only this morning it hit me. Hey guy, clean out the fuel/water separator. Like duh! It's probably clogged too, and would explain why fuel didn't rush into the filter, probably because it has to go through the separator first.
So, I find one spot to clean it out. I put it back on and...well the performance improved, but it still didn't have it's old performance. So I tried cleaning it again at another spot. Now it all seems to be okay, and the pump's fuse isn't blowing any more from the motor overloading. Still, I'd like to buy some isopropyl and clean it out one more time.
At the end of all this, I looked up commercial FASS dealers, and found one not too far, where we could actually get the truck with the trailer to. We pull in, and buy a couple extra fuel/water separators, just in case. I also learned that at least in their opinion the filter should be changed every 15K miles, as opposed to the 18-30K listed in FASS's literature. It may be too often, but I'll go with that. Best to err on the side of caution rather than risk damaging the brand new fuel injectors we just put in the engine. That would be a $4000+ mistake.
But it did eventually start and we got on our way. Only changing the filter didn't solve the problem. So I thought of all possible things it COULD be before bedtime. Only this morning it hit me. Hey guy, clean out the fuel/water separator. Like duh! It's probably clogged too, and would explain why fuel didn't rush into the filter, probably because it has to go through the separator first.
So, I find one spot to clean it out. I put it back on and...well the performance improved, but it still didn't have it's old performance. So I tried cleaning it again at another spot. Now it all seems to be okay, and the pump's fuse isn't blowing any more from the motor overloading. Still, I'd like to buy some isopropyl and clean it out one more time.
At the end of all this, I looked up commercial FASS dealers, and found one not too far, where we could actually get the truck with the trailer to. We pull in, and buy a couple extra fuel/water separators, just in case. I also learned that at least in their opinion the filter should be changed every 15K miles, as opposed to the 18-30K listed in FASS's literature. It may be too often, but I'll go with that. Best to err on the side of caution rather than risk damaging the brand new fuel injectors we just put in the engine. That would be a $4000+ mistake.