FuelFilter Pull-apart RYCO results..

[Shakour]

Hi all..
so today i changed the fuel filter on my Nav D40 2007 and replaced it with a NISSAN filter to compare my usual choice of RYCO.
I must say it had done 10k. I have cut the old filter open to investigate inside and by the looks of it... it has filtered ALOTof debri.
The filtering side of the paper looks black as opposed to the inner side, which is fairly white in comparison. Not to mention the amount of sand like deposits as shown on th tip of the screw driver.
I will in the future when its time for new filter... open up the Nissan to see the difference between the two ($132 from Nissan) not to bad i thought... BUT !! I inquired about lower ball joints... Guess what the steeler said.. we dont sell ball joints on their own and you have to purchase the lower control arms as a set Left side for $650 Right side for $750 + $1400+ !!! WTF !! i said, i only need the ball joints... sorry
he replied i nkow it sounds crazy.... REALLY????

i hope this info is of some use to anyone...
questions to all this are...
is it normal for filter been this black .??
any suggestions for where to purchase lower ball joints (greaseble)
Navara d40 2007 auto YD25

CHEERS ALL...

 

[Old.Tony]

Excellent stuff, this is interesting.

I've always had my filter replaced by mechanic, and while I'm getting an oil change in another thousand km, I'm 6000km from a fuel filter change (oil at 5000km intervals now). Out of curiosity I might ask him for the filter next time so I can see if it's not just something with your car (hope not!).

Sand in the fuel either means you've been near sand or the fuel tank at one of the servos you've filled up from has some sand in the bottom. Whether that's because someone has accidentally dropped sand in the tank or the tank has a crack in it and is letting sand in, who knows.

 

[jonney]

this filter element does look very black for its age [ 10k ] have a look at new deisel fuel in a glass, no where near black. i looked at a genuine fuel filter element that had done about the same k,s and the color was just a light brown .

 

[Stelianos]

just out of curiosity what kind of diesel do you guys get in Australia? and what colour or price? up here its supposed to be around 55 cetane, colour is green and cost is just under a euro per litre atm. (1.00 EUR = 1.48052 AUD)

 

[happy john]

Our diesel is donkey piss, add to that the poor storage by any remote sevo that allows dirt and sand into it's tanks and you can see why the filters are so gunked up.

 

[tweak'e]

Our diesel is donkey piss, add to that the poor storage by any remote sevo that allows dirt and sand into it's tanks and you can see why the filters are so gunked up.

sounds about right.

NZ is not to bad but thats only due to a small company importing its own better quality diesel (which everyone started buying as you got far better mileage for the same price) and the greenies making it illegal to have a smoky diesel.
so the major oil co's had to start supplying real diesel instead of donkey piss.

 

[happy john]

Not related to the thread but on the farm in the 80's if we were to burn an animal using diesel as an accelerant it would ignite with a match thrown at it. The fuel we have now almost snuffs out a match held to it.

 

[tweak'e]

Not related to the thread but on the farm in the 80's if we were to burn an animal using diesel as an accelerant it would ignite with a match thrown at it. The fuel we have now almost snuffs out a match held to it.

it probably had petrol in it !

 

[happy john]

You would think so but no taken direct from my tank, perhaps I was too enthusiastic in my discription on how it used to ignite. But still it was much more volitile than today's fuel.

 

[bods]

just out of curiosity what kind of diesel do you guys get in Australia? and what colour or price? up here its supposed to be around 55 cetane, colour is green and cost is just under a euro per litre atm. (1.00 EUR=1.48052 AUD)

Depends on the fuel station. Most diesel here is a yellowy/green colour. I filled up yesterday and paid $1.089 / litre. It does vary though, depending on the day and how much the servo feels like ripping you off. This is in perth on the west coast, but prices are similar to the east coast...
I should add, in perth we have a bp fuel refinery, but I'm not sure what other fuel is imported and sold. We have caltex, shell and a few other brand independent service stations. Bp and caltex offer "premium diesel" which is supposed to have additives in to keep fuel systems clean and anti foam so the fuel doesn't aerate as easily. Most of the independent ones only have "normal" diesel or "bio-diesel," which is supposedly supposed to be limited at 20% bio-diesel. How you would prove it, I couldn't say, but I normally try and only use caltex in mine, it also makes it easier to point the finger over dirty fuel if pretty much using the same brand or service station. I have a stanadyne pre diesel filter on mine too, which has a chemically treated filter to separate water. It is only 30 micron, but has the glass bowl on the bottom so you can see if there is any water in there.

Here's a quick picture showing the colour of the diesel in it

 

[happy john]

Looks like the donkey is a wee bit dehydrated Bods.

 

[Shakour]

I have been to Port Douglas and back to Brisbane about 6weeks ago. Did an oil change ( NULON Full Senthetic. $109 @ SuperCheap) every 4500 to 5000ks so... every second to third oil change I also do the oil filter. Estimated about 12 to 13 fill-ups roughly 900 to 1000L of gunky fuel by the evidence shown in this filter.
We all should be aware that filing up your tank in Truckie Stops is a no-no as they are constantly re-fulled and all deposits stirred, then you fill up...and you get part of that GUNK !
But if anyone has a filter due for change and would like to perform surgery on it and share the outcome and history... im sure would be muchly appreciated by all..
By the way... I used a hacksaw in one hand and filter on the other assisted by the handles on the Wheelie Bin as a vice/bench.
Cheers

 

[Shakour]

181807259767.. it was just puzzling me... the sand shown on the screwdriver tip... how would that get through all the filters in the bowsers... They're pretty large grains...

 

[happy john]

There is no way to know mate, I was stuck behind a fellow filling his tank for at least 5 minutes. I got out to check if he was ok and that he was. He was filling his tank with his wifes old stockings as a filter. I did not hang around for the outcome but he told me after every fill it was full of crap.

 

[tweak'e]

Depends on the fuel station. Most diesel here is a yellowy/green colour.

fuel in Greece may be green due to dye that is put in the fuel to mark it as different colors are meant for different things and taxed differently.

sand can get in easily. check whats around your fuel cap. you may be knocking it in when you refuel. thats why we have filters.

what i was referring to about petrol in diesel is that old diesel was often diluted with other cheaper fuels. eg kero or petrol. or mixed by pure ignorance (getting tanks mixed up) or tipping used oils, wrong two stroke mix etc in.
new fuel you can't do that due to its lower lube level.

 

[Old.Tony]

Australian diesel is only marginally better than donkey piss but it IS better (or you'd have donkeys combusting when they're busting - compression ignition, remember).

Typical cetane levels are around 49 (Shell, Mobil, BP) with Caltex reportedly at 51 and BP Ultimate Diesel at 55.

Our fuel is in need of improvement but this is Australia, and the big oil companies know that they can send the dregs from USA and Europe over here and we'll use it because they don't need to listen to our complaints, we represent such a tiny proportion of the world's population.

 

[Stelianos]

fuel in Greece may be green due to dye that is put in the fuel to mark it as different colors are meant for different things and taxed differently.

yea thats true its painted green so it can be taxed different from diesel used to heat your house in the winter which is red. also in the past decade a lot of diesesl with mechanical pumps would just fill up with the red diesel (which is also 2/3 cheaper than diesel intented for cars) but its also lesser quality since its intented for house usage.

overall i just think that fuel is just crap compared to what it was 10 or 20 years ago, we had an old chainsaw with petrol dated back to 2000 in the tank and it fired right up, but in 2016 if you leave petrol in your chainsaw for more than 6 months it will become orange and destroy the carburator.

 

[Old.Tony]

I've moved the off-topic posts in this thread to here. It was a lively enough discussion that it deserved its own place.

 

[highway man]

Fuel Filter with Glass bottom

Hello "Bods"
I used to have these on my Interstate Trucks, and they were brilliant, the replacement Glass bowl was a Screw top "CPU" Pickle Jar, and before the Nullabour Plains was Bitumised, I had a steady diet of "CPU Pickles" to keep up with the breakage I endured from flying rocks!

I am about to change my Filter in a week or two, and would like a Glass bottomed
unit to see the Water content, So may I ask where you got your treasure from and what sort of price, Should I plan a "Bank Robbery", or not, [I can give you my address in private if you like] - Drop in for a cuppa anytime you like!

Best Regards,
John {Highway Man.

 

[mike1303]

Have a look at a water watch system guys.
By responsive engineering.