Fuel filter change how often?

[Robob]

I have been changing my Sierra fuel filter (#18-7846) that is about the size of an oil filter every 6 months to get rid of any water due to ethanol in the gas even though I do not use the boat very much and keep the gas tank full.

I have been buying non-ethanol gas for a while and most of the ethanol should be very diluted by ths time.
I am thinking about an annual change instead. It isn't expensive, just less maintenance to do. Is this often enough?

Thanks,

Bob on Tampa Bay

[John Jones]

I never changed a filter element more often than annually before ethanol and never had an issue.

This is with ethanol after 6 mo.



 


Looks like it must have gotten half full of water and sat for awhile.  Sometimes my old brain forgets about draining the bowl after a trip.

I just changed another filter this week and have been letting the gasoline dry out.  Maybe today I will cut it open and compare.

[Robob]

Ethanol is a politically driven cruel expensive con:-(

Bob on Tampa Bay

[John Jones]

Total con and should be a crime.

Okay, here is the latest filter.  The only difference is that all of my gas for the last year goes through a Mr. Funnel which a friend turned me on to and I'm pretty sure I drained the Racor bowl after each trip.

http://www.mrfunnel.com/Mr._Funnel/Home.html

This time the only rust is on the top perforated plate.


As you can see, there were almost zero contaminates.  Inside the circles is a smudge of dirt right at the bottom of the pleat.  I'm almost positive that is the rust off of the top plate.  I attribute the lack of contaminates to the Mr. Funnel.


I dumped the gas from the filter and the water separator bowl into a coffee filter.  I'm pretty sure the brown is super fine rust from the filter top plate.  Another damn sliver of red plastic which I assume got into my tank from a new gas can before I bought the Mr. Funnel.

[Robob]

Thanks for the tip. It's cheap insurance.

I just ordered one.

Bob on Tampa Bay

[gran398]

Did you guys get the largest Mr. Funnel?

[John Jones]

I would go large if filling from a gas pump.

Normally I fill my skiff from 5 gal. cans because I seldom ever need 10 gal. at one time.  Plus my skiff takes gas so slow that even at the pump I have to fill very slowly to prevent overflow.

[Robob]

I ordered the FC3. I fill up at my dock from 5 gallon cans so it should be fast enough.

[MTBfish]

Newbee question here...   Where is this filter located?  And would you know if a 02 215 Explorer has one?

Thansk, marc