Fuel Filters on the BX series

85Hokie

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BX-25D ,PTB. Under Armor, '90&'92-B7100HST's, '06 BX1850 FEL
Jul 13, 2013
10,501
2,280
113
Bedford - VA
Gonna be a long post, so be forewarned!:eek:

There have been a many a forum written on the fun replacing those wonderful BX series fuel filters! (Inject sarcasm:p)

I had some time on my hand, so I said wtf, time to change those @#$%@%@ filters! I had seen Paul do it in a video, and several others have posted on how it can be done.......

I was a bit bored, I finished placing on my LED lights back on the canopy and got all those freakin wires cleaned up, so time was a plenty!:eek:

I placed the BX25D in the center of the shed, so I could get around the machine (typically up against one wall), I place some good ol 4x4 pieces under the outriggers and started to raise her. That went well, I then placed some steel ramps under the ol girl for the "just is case scenario".

First off the is the under-armor shield, I dont even drop the MMM linkage, simple push up a bit, pull the locking pin back and bullya, she's off! So far so good.

SO to get to the #@$#@@#% filter that get clogged the most, YOU now have to remove the factory metal plate that acts like a low budget fan guard. This is the guard they added in 2013 to slow down the fan breakage problem!
This is held in place with 4 nut/bolts. 13mm on both, O forget a ratchet here, aint know way in hell you get a ratchet in there! So up from under the machine the 2nd time.........13mm box end, check, 13mm ratcheting wrench, check......back under.....

well, the sumbeach who put these on did a grand job, they must be turned to about 6 grunts and a half!! Get back up and get another box end to use as a cheater bar, crawl back under, I had to place about 70 lbs of pressure, had to get a toe hold on the frame, to break each one of these bolts/nuts!!! As the first one falls to the floor, the @##@#$%^%$ nut rolls UP under a place that I cannot find.....so up I get....where the #$### did that mo&*%$@## nut go???? Found it up under the ramps, had to look real hard to see it too. Looking at the bolts, I see they have those little slits in them, like a locking mechanism, no wonder they were tough to get off!:eek:

Aw.....there's the filter I am looking for! Ok, next thing, cut those damn zip ties hold all those cables and hoses in place, up again to get the wire cutters!
Cut those free, time to pull the filter clamp off, up again to get that socket, guessed right and off it comes, now the fuel pump.......mmmmm....uses TWO different #$#$%$#% bolts like a 13 and a 10 mm!!! Two more up and downs! OK - that is off and all that crap is free.

Now the big light bulb hits........yesterday was the day I DECIDED to top of the fuel tank.....well hell, what to do? Not a problem! I grab the 5 gallon empty yellow tank, pop the spout off and slide it under with me......crap, I need a regular ol pair of pliers to pull the hose clamps off, you know the kind that you pinch? Now ready to empty! Get everything in close proximity and pop the clamp off, and try to get hose off of the pump (it is a lot easier to grab than the filter and has a longer hose!) Hose comes off, little spill of diesel - empties into fuel can......mmmmm....this is somewhat a slow trickle!.....get up and crack the fuel cap - get back under, fuel is flowing fairly well. Watching the outside of the plastic can, I can tell how fast it will take to fill up. Well, it is gonna be a few if not 10 minutes - time to find a ice cold adult beverage........everything is going good, right? NOT so fast my friend - thats a five gallon fuel yeller tank and I am filled to the top??? 6 gals over 5 gals leaves a hellva mess!!! Ok - no problem - I'll get the other semi empty 5 gallon tank. Get that and get back under- well now, I had not got any diesel on me or the floor at all.....up to this point.

AS I slide my arm in place to slide the one semi full tank out of the way, the slight movement make the hose come out. So, diesel on the wood floor, and diesel up my arm! great - get the hose into the second container, get back up to get some kitty litter for the spill and place it all around both containers that now have diesel all over them!

After cussing a bit, I realize the ice cold can is empty.....I need another one bout now! Check - on the way back under, I bring a big ass LED light with me, the ones that have replaced those 4" halogen types. Looking back up towards the HST fan - I see a bunch of red stringy stuff hanging down. Wth is this? MMM... this is the start of a mouse nest or something, there is all kinds of stuff up against the fins of the fan, and there is enough dirt packed around those fins on the hst pump - I am surprised it didnt over heat!!!! Looking at all the fan blades, I am happy that all of those are intact. That mess will have to wait until I get this fuel situation corrected.

Back to the fuel filter - after draining about 6 gallons of fuel out, and making one more mess on the floor, I pull those tanks out and see if I can get the filter off the hose. Give a little twist.....nuttin happening. I cannot get under the tractor as well as I could at the start - damn kitty litter and diesel is in my way:eek: BUT you cannot get a good hold on the hose the the filter unless you have a little better access to the underside. Find a piece of cardboard and back in business. Even with pliers, the damn hose will not free itself from the plastic filter!!! I have to take the tips of the pliers and push back against the body to pry the hose away. Success! Filter does not look to awful bad either! ( I filter the hell out of my fuel)

I bought a while back a brass 90 ball valve to go here ....time to find that!!! Well, low and behold I found that! So I find a couple of little hose clamps - get the 1/4 nut driver and get back under.......place the clamp on, a little more diesel up the arm never hurts - and now the valve. Naturally went I go to tighten the clamps, they bind up and I have to find another to fix the foobar. Up and back again and that is clamped off.

Now to cut a small link of hose off the original line and place it to the new cutoff valve. No problem there. Slide the old clamps over the line and reconnect the new filter back to the valve body. Which way does this sumbeach go ???? BAck up looking at the old one......just as I thought, back under and place it back together.

Now to solve the problem I knew was gonna bite me in the ass - the filter clamp cannot go back to the same spot it was originally bolted to, if it does, the lines will bind and have a kink.....mmmm.... I still can place the fuel pump back to those original two different bolt hole however. SO I said wth, the pump will go back in its place and the filter will have to "float" free a bit!
The valve is tied down loosely to the cross bar that brake lever uses with a pair of zip ties. The filter is tied back to something else - looks not factory but as much as this is covered up - can't nuttin get to it once covered up!

get up again, and place about 4 gallons back in the tank, close the cap. Get back under and open the valve.....mmmmmm.....filter get about 1/4 full. That makes sense, air trapped in line. Get back up, turn key - the fuel pump does not make any noise.....mmmm.....I get the O SHYT moment, but once back under I realize the pump is unplugged. Plug it up, turn the key about 20+ seconds....the pump makes an ugly noise when dry! Hit the glow plugs and hit the engine to start, fires up....then stumbles a bit and then picks up and runs smoothly. Recheck the filter - full and no leaks!

Satisfied with that, and all the other crap tied off - time to place the factory shield back in place. Where gravity was once my friend - it is now a mother fletcher! The distance between the frame and the nut placement is about 1mm less than a fat finger and a thumb! After another 20 minutes of creativity holding a nut in place with tape on the end of the box end, those nuts are in place and tight. I only gave them a grunt and half!

Getting under armor from BXpanded back up was the easiest part! IF you havent bought a undercarriage protector - I highly recommend them.

Lower the machine and clean up my mess.

3 hours have passed more or less and only two beers later that infamous filter is changed out! Looking at the old filter, cutting it in half - there was only a small place that had anything on it. If this filter can last as long, Ill be in good shape!!!

Anywho - thought I would share my story of trials and tribulations of changing the filter!

Only thing left to change ....the front end oil.......that ought to be a piece of cake!:)
 

redfernclan

Member
Jul 18, 2014
155
4
18
Sweet home, Oregon
I have though about the BXpanded armor.........
I have their hoe dolly and it is sweet! Does the under armor protect the same fan that the factory guard does and could you leave the factory guard off? I have a little over 200 hrs on my BX and have changed the filter under there twice. Not fun. Thought about a shut off but most small valves seem to seep a little and I don't want the leaks. I use some of those fancy dancy hose crimpers with a wing nut. Not the best, but it works and keeps the diesel out of my arm pits. Thanks for the story!
 

D2Cat

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Lifetime Member

Equipment
L305DT, B7100HST, TG1860, TG1860D, L4240
Mar 27, 2014
13,211
4,628
113
40 miles south of Kansas City
85Hokie, I was sure at the end you would mention cancelling your fitness membership because of exercise received, and fees would pay for all parts!!:D

Remember boredom always leads to problems.

The whole chore might be a PITA, but gotta be a high level of satisfaction when it's all done. Good job.

Years ago I installed an aftermarket lift pump on my Dodge with 5.9. I put it right at the fuel tank so it pushes fuel not pulls it (as the original did). I also installed a ball valve so I could replace the pump or nearby filter easily. That valve does not leak. I wrapped it with a paper towel and tie strap to confirm no leaks.
 

85Hokie

Moderator
Staff member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
BX-25D ,PTB. Under Armor, '90&'92-B7100HST's, '06 BX1850 FEL
Jul 13, 2013
10,501
2,280
113
Bedford - VA
I have though about the BXpanded armor.........
I have their hoe dolly and it is sweet! Does the under armor protect the same fan that the factory guard does and could you leave the factory guard off? I have a little over 200 hrs on my BX and have changed the filter under there twice. Not fun. Thought about a shut off but most small valves seem to seep a little and I don't want the leaks. I use some of those fancy dancy hose crimpers with a wing nut. Not the best, but it works and keeps the diesel out of my arm pits. Thanks for the story!
On the item of the BX underarmor - you are probably right - It covers things that the mini factory shield doesnt even come close in doing. Not sure I even needed to place that back on. If I ever hooked the MMM back up - I would want the mini shield in place due to the BX one would have to come off.
It did kinda hold the filter from moving too. The filter is tied up butt the shield presses it into a good protective place.

I cannot imagine running that machine through any kind of woods without a shield. Every electrical and fuel line is tucked under the machine in such a way that a stick could play hell under there. :)
 

D2Cat

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Equipment
L305DT, B7100HST, TG1860, TG1860D, L4240
Mar 27, 2014
13,211
4,628
113
40 miles south of Kansas City
They call them compact tractors. So everything is as small as possible, and crowded. Relocating anything on them takes some ingenuity.

I put a canister filter on the hydraulic system on my B8200. It had a belly mower and really limited room underneath. When I was figuring out what, where, and how, I talked to a Kubota engineer and he said they don't put them on as a factory install is because of room.
 

85Hokie

Moderator
Staff member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
BX-25D ,PTB. Under Armor, '90&'92-B7100HST's, '06 BX1850 FEL
Jul 13, 2013
10,501
2,280
113
Bedford - VA
Personally, I would probably replumb the BX fuel filter system. And then go with something like this :) Would cut down on quite a bit of clogging and easier to change :)

https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&k...d=kwd-304802626245&ref=pd_sl_9md4arhjke_b_p20
That is a good idea. I had the filters sitting on the shelf for a long time. BUT next time, that will be the ticket. Unscrew a filter and go.

The problem with a remote large filter is IT needs to be tank side of the pump. There is zero room to do this under. Like Paul Short did, he brought the filter to the front, then turned it back to the pump - which is feasible but somewhat a PITA. Will keep that in mind in another 100 hours or so!
 

Daren Todd

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Equipment
Massey Ferguson 1825E, Kubota Z121S, Box blade, Rotary Cutter
May 18, 2014
9,351
5,053
113
Vilonia, Arkansas
That is a good idea. I had the filters sitting on the shelf for a long time. BUT next time, that will be the ticket. Unscrew a filter and go.

The problem with a remote large filter is IT needs to be tank side of the pump. There is zero room to do this under. Like Paul Short did, he brought the filter to the front, then turned it back to the pump - which is feasible but somewhat a PITA. Will keep that in mind in another 100 hours or so!
I've always hated putting an in-line filter on a diesel. There is such a small filtering area that they plug up quick. In my line of work it's a guaranteed service call in the near future. Every piece of equipment I've had that comes in with one spliced in gets removed.

Had a bunch of light towers that used an in-line filter. Bought a bunch of these filter bases, and bolted them to the inside of the cabinets :)

https://www.amazon.com/4911-Napa-Go...746280&sr=8-17&keywords=Wix+fuel+filter+bases
 

D2Cat

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Equipment
L305DT, B7100HST, TG1860, TG1860D, L4240
Mar 27, 2014
13,211
4,628
113
40 miles south of Kansas City
Daren, I just read your post: "I've always hated putting an in-line filter on a diesel. There is such a small filtering area that they plug up quick. In my line of work it's a guaranteed service call in the near future. Every piece of equipment I've had that comes in with one spliced in gets removed."

I've been messing with that V2203 and after having the engine running many times it was dealing me fits with no fuel. I kept thinking is was the lift pump.

I have the fuel filter assy. I took off the L3250 on it, plus one of those in line filters I had on it when I was initially pumping fuel out of a 5 gal can setting on the tires. I notice very little fuel in the small filter, even with an electric pump pushing fuel to the big filter.

Now, as soon as the rain quits, I'm removing that little filter. I'll bet it's done such a good job...it's not letting fuel in. Thanks for the idea.
 

Steve67

Active member

Equipment
B2601-fel, 60"mmm, 5' rear blade, balast box
Jan 20, 2017
335
117
43
St. Louis, mo.
Getting up and down that many times would have this old man laid up for a week! Lol- Great story and glad it turned out ok
 

lugbolt

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Equipment
ZG127S-54
Oct 15, 2015
4,942
1,671
113
Mid, South, USA
I do these often. It's not that bad, unless you only do it once ever 5 years. If you do it as often as I do, you get used to it. I know what wrenches I need ahead of time. Remove belly deck, while it's out, sharpen the blades and check gear box oil-oh and grease the fittings (if it has a belly deck). On the backhoe tractors, the bucket and outriggers work well to lift the tractor high enough to comfortably work underneath. Pinch off the fuel lines both before and after the filter. Remove clamps before loosening the filter holder. Remove the holder strap. Pull the lines off, replace filter, reinstall in the reverse. Takes 5 minutes and don't get much fuel on me if the lines are pinched. I have a set of those special fuel line pinching pliers. They're made out of plastic and they don't quite pinch completely closed but they go far enough to shut off fuel flow. Also they have a lock ring on 'em so just pinch it down, lock it, and work.

The skid pan is a bear but not impossible.

If changing the fuel filter is enough to make you cuss, you'll have a heart attack when you go to replace the HST cooling fan.
 

dalola

Member

Equipment
BX2380 w/FEL & Woods RM48 RFM, Yazoo/Kees Max2 ZTR
Jun 30, 2017
316
6
18
Ohio
Hey Hokie, my 50 hour service is coming up, wanna come help me change my fuel filter???? :D

Great story, entertaining to read!
 

85Hokie

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Equipment
BX-25D ,PTB. Under Armor, '90&'92-B7100HST's, '06 BX1850 FEL
Jul 13, 2013
10,501
2,280
113
Bedford - VA
Hey Hokie, my 50 hour service is coming up, wanna come help me change my fuel filter???? :D

Great story, entertaining to read!
Thanks!

Hell, I would consider it!;)

Whatcha got in the ridge?:eek::)
 

CountryBumkin

New member
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Equipment
BX2370 w/LA243, Bucket, Grapple, QA Pallet Forks, 60" MMM, rear blade & rake
Sep 27, 2015
568
4
0
Central FL
I got this filter relocation kit from E-bay (I see the price has gone up now) because it was just easier than sourcing everything myself. there ware no items left out of the kit (even wire ties included). http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kubota-BX-F...-BX25D-BX23S-FEL-L240-L243-L340-/232350835995

But you can get all the pieces individually. This kit uses a standard Kubota filter. I was a pain to get it installed, but at least I only need to go through the pain once. My next service will be easy.
 

cerlawson

New member

Equipment
rotiller, box scraper,etc.
Feb 24, 2011
1,067
4
0
PORTAGE, WI
I don't have my BX any more but I did the same thing as the country bumpkin and copied the work of the Canadian who put the method on U Tube. A search there likely will come up with the video also be aware that he wastes a lot of time with other stuff, but eventually tells a good story on how to do it.