Fuel filter complete vs Fuel element for L3901

[Hman0217]

Hello folks

First post here. Back in March, I became the proud owner of a new Kubota L3901 tractor and I'm intent on being meticulous with maintenance and upkeep on this beauty. I'm fairly novice with engine maintenance but keen to learn.

Having said that, about two weeks ago, I did do a bonehead move and forget the fuel cap off overnight. As luck would have it, we got a light drizzle the following morning. I'm guessing maybe 0.05" of rain. She's purring like a kitten but, still, I'm inclined to err on the side of caution and bleed the water separator and replace the fuel filter.

But here's my question:

Messicks sells just the filter element for a few bucks, although the maintenance manual calls for replacing the full housing, which is $32. I suppose Kubota would void my warranty if I didn't change the housing at the 400 hour intervals... But do I need to change the housing for this early preventative measure? Can I get away with just the filter? I'll avoid the overkill to save a few bucks. What does replacing the full housing really do, besides appease the warranty gods?

Thx

 

[BruceP]

It would not hurt to use a fuel additive which is intended to help remove moisture from the system.

 

[lugbolt]

no fuel treatment "removes" water. It's still there.

 

[Hman0217]

It would not hurt to use a fuel additive which is intended to help remove moisture from the system.

Well I DID add seafoam... but that simply absorbs the water from what I understand. But really, my question is about entire filter with housing vs just the filter element.

 

[BigG]

Just replace the filters. If the housing becomes damaged then of course change it. But there’s no need to change it even at the 400 hours.

 

[BruceP]

no fuel treatment "removes" water. It's still there.

Inaccurate statement.

Obviously, liquid water in the tank needs to be removed before using an additive to 'mop up' any residual moisture.

• There are fuel-additives which will suspend moisture in the fuel and allow it to pass thru the system and 'burn off' with the fuel.
• There are other additives which cause the moisture to fall out of suspension as a liquid and get caught in the filters.

I will not get into the controversy of which type of additive works the best.

 

[Pawnee]

I must not be understanding something.
My manual(L2501) says to clean the fuel filter element every 100 hours and replace it every 400. Not worth cleaning IMO, I would just replace it.
The filter bowl should not have to be replaced unless it gets damaged.

Here is a video from a guy who got a lot of water in his fuel, I think your mistake is nothing in comparison and you shouldn't worry about it.
If there is water, the separator will get it and you can see it and dump it out.

At the end of the video he WAY overtightens the bowl, Mike tries not to say too much!

 

[Hman0217]

I must not be understanding something.
My manual(L2501) says to clean the fuel filter element every 100 hours and replace it every 400. Not worth cleaning IMO, I would just replace it.
The filter bowl should not have to be replaced unless it gets damaged.

Here is a video from a guy who got a lot of water in his fuel, I think your mistake is nothing in comparison and you shouldn't worry about it.
If there is water, the separator will get it and you can see it and dump it out.

At the end of the video he WAY overtightens the bowl, Mike tries not to say too much!

So here's my separator (attached pic). The water line is just a hair below the DRAIN line. Is it reasonably safe, then, to just drain and bleed and not worry about the fuel filter? Can one reasonably assume the water is all in this separator and NOT in the fuel line? I'd be thrilled to not replace the fuel filter if that's overkill (yes, my scenario is far less severe than the fellow in the video)

 

[ruger1980]

Just drain and or clean your separator regularly. Water should be stopped by the filter.

You do not need to add treatment as these are mostly created to separate you from your money.

 

[GeoHorn]

One problem with water in diesel is that it endangers the fuel injectors as it is pressurized so highly it turns to steam and erodes the injector. Additives which either suspend or absorb water do not prevent the steam from being produced at the point of the injector so the damage still occurs.

 

[ruger1980]

One problem with water in diesel is that it endangers the fuel injectors as it is pressurized so highly it turns to steam and erodes the injector. Additives which either suspend or absorb water do not prevent the steam from being produced at the point of the injector so the damage still occurs.

I've never heard of steam being an issue, it is the fact that water will not pass through the holes in the nozzle. This usually causes the tip of the nozzle to be swelled or the tip split or blown off.

 

[MOOTS]

So here's my separator (attached pic). The water line is just a hair below the DRAIN line. Is it reasonably safe, then, to just drain and bleed and not worry about the fuel filter? Can one reasonably assume the water is all in this separator and NOT in the fuel line? I'd be thrilled to not replace the fuel filter if that's overkill (yes, my scenario is far less severe than the fellow in the video)

There’s no water in there. The red ring will float when water is present.

 

[sheepfarmer]

Hello folks

First post here. Back in March, I became the proud owner of a new Kubota L3901 tractor and I'm intent on being meticulous with maintenance and upkeep on this beauty. I'm fairly novice with engine maintenance but keen to learn.

Having said that, about two weeks ago, I did do a bonehead move and forget the fuel cap off overnight. As luck would have it, we got a light drizzle the following morning. I'm guessing maybe 0.05" of rain. She's purring like a kitten but, still, I'm inclined to err on the side of caution and bleed the water separator and replace the fuel filter.

But here's my question:

Messicks sells just the filter element for a few bucks, although the maintenance manual calls for replacing the full housing, which is $32. I suppose Kubota would void my warranty if I didn't change the housing at the 400 hour intervals... But do I need to change the housing for this early preventative measure? Can I get away with just the filter? I'll avoid the overkill to save a few bucks. What does replacing the full housing really do, besides appease the warranty gods?

Thx

There is no point in changing the housing of the water separator at this point unless it is cracked or something. The screen in the water separator is probably also fine.

The water is likely sitting in the bottom of the fuel tank, waiting to cause problems at some future point. For that model, I don't know a convenient method of draining the fuel tank from the bottom, but you could discuss with your dealer. The other two possible ways would be to install a water worm to get it out, or if the design of the fill tube lets you put a clean tube in, siphon all the fuel out, and replace with clean dry diesel. The cost of these items is much less than the cost of the high pressure pump etc.

Then change the fuel filter and clean the water separator. Follow directions in operators manual to remove air from lines. No this does NOT require cracking the injector lines

 

[sheepfarmer]

I must not be understanding something.
My manual(L2501) says to clean the fuel filter element every 100 hours and replace it every 400. Not worth cleaning IMO, I would just replace it.
The filter bowl should not have to be replaced unless it gets damaged.

Here is a video from a guy who got a lot of water in his fuel, I think your mistake is nothing in comparison and you shouldn't worry about it.
If there is water, the separator will get it and you can see it and dump it out.

At the end of the video he WAY overtightens the bowl, Mike tries not to say too much!

I think your L2501 just has a pleated fuel filter in a transparent bowl? If it is similar to B2650. The L3901 has a screen in a similar appearing bowl as well as a separate fuel filter, so the op is dealing with a slightly different situation.

 

[Fordtech86]

@Matt Ellerbee beat me to it. There is no water in it, or very minimal. When that red ring hits the line where is says drain, then you have a problem

 

[BigG]

Using 3 inch diameter for the opening of the gas tank .05 inches of rain would be 2/3 of a tablespoon of water for the event in question. The water separator will handle that with no problem.

This guy makes some nice videos :

 

[Hman0217]

One problem with water in diesel is that it endangers the fuel injectors as it is pressurized so highly it turns to steam and erodes the injector. Additives which either suspend or absorb water do not prevent the steam from being produced at the point of the injector so the damage still occurs.

Would it be safe to say that, in very small concentrations, the additive can be your friend, as this steam effect is negligible...whereas at higher concentrations, the additive turns into an enemy?

 

[Pawnee]

I think your L2501 just has a pleated fuel filter in a transparent bowl? If it is similar to B2650. The L3901 has a screen in a similar appearing bowl as well as a separate fuel filter, so the op is dealing with a slightly different situation.

Right you are.
That explains cleaning the filter (screen not paper).

 

[sheepfarmer]

Using 3 inch diameter for the opening of the gas tank .05 inches of rain would be 2/3 of a tablespoon of water for the event in question. The water separator will handle that with no problem.

This guy makes some nice videos :

What the water separator won't do is handle the algae that likes to grow at the interface between the pool or droplets of water and diesel. If you are comfortable leaving water in the fuel tank, and it would drive me nuts, the kind of additive that would be useful is an algicide.

 

[Nicfin36]

I don't know all that much, but like BigG said, the amount of water from such a light rain event would be minuscule, not that I would enjoy any water in my fuel tank. Wouldn't condensation be just about as bad as that? I personally wouldn't sweat it and would just keep an eye on the water separator, as you should anyway.