Topic: For those of you who run inline fuel filters

[heffay]

i'd venture to guess that at least half of our members have never seen the other end of the petcock, where the sun don't shine.  ha... that sounds funny.     nor will they probably ever see it if they're just not that interested in fixing, investigating or just plain doing anything other than riding.
anyway... if you don't know your intake filter condition...

well, just listen to two tired.... it won't help!

[Jakoba]

I think it's a personal thing. I have a 31 year old bike and 31 years of crap possible floating in the bowls of my gas tank, so I use an in line filter. For me is a little insurance cause those carbs frighten the shyt out of me.

If it's routed correctly than there is no issue. I road 7000km last year no issue.

Man this forum is as good as a circus sometimes...talk about dysfunctional family.


My .02

Jako

[billybobobrain]

All kidding aside, I ran an inline filter on my 30+ year old honda cb and the filter is the only thing that left me stranded. I was to restrictive.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I guess you have to choose the right one to make sure your flow isn't restricted. 

I put one in after little bits of tank re-liner were clogging up my carbs.

[Spanner 1]

Despite TT's protestations, no Honda engineer would have factored-in RUST in their tanks, right?

[mattcb350f]

The engineers at nasa spent billions on the shuttles, used the latest technology and the highest of safety protocol yet seven astronauts were blown to pieces in seconds.........

And an O-Ring failure was the culprit..

buy a new screen for the petcock and a wee piece of new hose and be done with it. If you show your bike off, Purists will see the filter and think you got lazy.

 Matt.

[Laminar]

It is a gravity feed fuel system.  Gravity pulls down the fuel tubing not up the fuel tubing.  When the tube going up is the same length as the tube going down, gravity flow is negated.

I submit that one good filter is all you need.  The in-tank type is self clearing with the movement of the fuel in the tank. 
Further, if two filters were better or needed for added insurance, then isn't more insurance better?  If so, why stop at just two filters?  Why not five or six?  Just think how clean the fuel with be with ten filters in series with the tank feed?

It's all about the law of diminishing returns. Of course you could run eight filters and have super-clean gas. But if your carbs get clogged up with only one filter, but they don't get clogged up with two, then that seems like a reasonable (albeit hopefully temporary) fix.

[Laminar]

buy a new screen for the petcock and a wee piece of new hose and be done with it. If you show your bike off, Purists will see the filter and think you got lazy.

 Matt.

Purists can suck it. I got a whole new petcock and fuel lines on my CB200 and there was all kinds of fine silt in the bottom of my float bowls that would eventually cause it to run like crap. I added an inline filter and it's been perfect ever since.

[BobbyR]

For me it is belt and suspenders. I have a good fuel line rrouting and have had no issues. I change the filter every year.

[Gordon]

If you show your bike off, Purists will see the filter and think you got lazy.

And I'm supposed to care? 

[masonryman]

when TT, err the purist bends over where they can see the in line fitter, kick them in the exhaust

Mark

[Frankenkit]

Dammit! Now I see why TT wasn't all over my new data on the hot-start issue on my bike! Someone started him on this!!!

My $.005 (inflation) I run one for now to a) make sure fuel is flowing right (you can see it  bubble through, right?) b) to 'make sure' nothing comes out of the new tank that shouldn't be.  If you're prone to kinks (no self-flagellation, no hail soichiros) either order the spring that comes from Honda and goes around your fuel line to prevent kinkage, or buy one from Home Depot.  Just needs to fit around the hose and make sure it doesn't kink off. Works fine for me.

[coyotecowboy]

If you live someplace dry, with high winds daily and a fine soil type, a second filter might save you a long walk (cell phones don't work in alot of the places I ride)  And I don't want to screw up my riding time because someone thinks two filters aren't necessary.

Some of you guys know I have a dune buggy.  Now this is an extreme case because it's offroad in VERY fine sand with it getting slung everywhere.  My fuel system consists of an alum. tank with a sediment bowl (think old farm machinery) into an electric fuel pump which has a built-in filter, then to a pressure regulator, into a cleanable inline filter, then to my pressure guage, and finally into the last filter which is in my carb body (DRLA 36 Dellorto)

I will usually find sand in the sediment bowl after a couple hours running, and occasionally have an idle jet get plugged from sand.  This was after I replaced EVERYTHING except the gas tank which I REALLY washed out and steamed, and went completely through the carb.  It just gets in there. 

Same goes for the bike, that dirt and sand doesn't give a #$%* if Honda engineers thought one filter was enough.  You have to remember these bikes were built to a cost.

[Hush]

Wonder weather old Honda designers are laughing at us or turning in their graves?

[eurban]

An inline filter can actually "hurt" if it isn't oriented properly and or if it causes you to run your fuel line improperly.  Fuel line should be downward sloping and the filter should be oriented up and down rather than sideways.  Our gravity fed systems seem simple enough but I have seen problems where fuel will flow ok on a full tank but as the level drops the bike will exhibit fuel starvation issues (even though the level is well above the reserve tube.)   I don't pretend to completely understand the flow dynamics but I have found that it isn't always obvious what will work well. I would guess that a number of well intentioned filter installers have created a problem rather than solving one!  Also slapping an extra filter on a rusty tank and calling the problem solved is a poor choice IMHO

[Joel]

Wonder weather old Honda designers are laughing at us or turning in their graves?

Can't they do both?

[dpender836]

I use the inline filters on my 750's, and change them at the start of each season, I haven't had any issues yet, and figured it was cheap insurance.

[BeSeeingYou]

How about the obvious. Clean out the tank.  I don't get it that some will run around with rusty, muddy crap in the tank and try and put a bandaide on it to fix it.  I pulled the tank from my XS650 this winter to repaint.  Pulled the petcocks, filters clean and as good as new, very minor rust in the tank.  This after 29 years.  Take care of your stuff and it will take care of you.

[Soos]

I have both a in-tank stock filter, and a inline filter.


I have found the "airbubble" gas blockage problem others have had, and (for me) found a fix.   NEVER mount your inline filter anything but LEVEL with the ground!


And those of you that say "they lower the flow rate".
I doubt it.
I not only have the in-tank filter, the inline filter, but I am also running a vacuum operated fuel shotoff valve(mounted remotely from tha tank on the top of the carb rack).
Now if that setup doesn't impede flow somehow... I'm just crazy?
But it's still enough fuel to ride at 75mph for HOURS at a time.
Even the few times I have tested top speed for brief periods, I still have had no problems.


Bike is a '79cb650 with 61mm pistons, and 32mm CV carbs.

Oh... BTW, the tank was near pristine when I bought it(replacement for the leaky bugger that came with the bike) and it even has a kreem coating on the inside.
The inline filter ***STILL*** catches stuff!(not much mind you but I HATE cleaning carbs)
The pump gas you get varies on it's cleanliness.
And Yes I do buy good gas, Shell has always been good gas.(IMO)
I even make sure to get my gas at one of the busiest stations near me whenever possible to ensure the gas is fresh, and hopefully clean.






So to sum it up through my eyes(and pocketbook) the 1.99 I spend on a inline fuel filter every year is WELL worth it.


l8r

[Duke McDukiedook]

Please show me with pics guys how you manage to route your fuel line properly and still fit an inline filter on it. I don't see how it can be done (or it is extremely difficult.)

Just have your tank lined and be done with it. Sounds to me like wearing two condoms in coitus.
 

[Soos]

I might have a slight routing advantage over the average setup as my remote vacuum operated fuel shutoff valve is on the opposite side of the motor as my fuel tap on the tank is....


But here is my pic.



l8r

[Laminar]

And those of you that say "they lower the flow rate".
I doubt it.

It does. It may only be by a small amount, but a filter by its very nature will impede flow.

[78CB750CAFE]

as far as proper routing and filter placement is concerned I have had good luck with placing the filter on an aprox. 1" piece of fuel line coming from the carb feed on the PD carbs, and using small hose clamps on all 3 lower connections. From the tank I use a spring clip on the hose to aid quicker removal, but the clamps on the lower parts came after I had a filter wiggle/vibrate/whatever out of the short hose while on the road, spraying my legs and recently painted motor with gas.
Cut/adjust your length of hose to the petcock to get the most direct vertical path to the filter/carb and you should be golden.
I change my filter every other oil change (maybe twice a year) and the last 3 have been progressively cleaner at the end of their use cycle.
My tank was Kreemed by the PO fairly well, I also rebuilt and cleaned the petcock when I acquired the bike, but it is still a 30+ year old tank. I will probably POR15 and clean the tank again as well as try to knock out my fist sized "clubman dent" the next time the bike is out of commission  for any period of time.
Run one if ya wanna, don't if you don't want to, simple as that. Just obey the general rules of gravity feed routing, and don't do it as a bandaid for a bigger problem like a bad petcock filter or rusty tank, IMHO.

[Soos]

Run one if ya wanna, don't if you don't want to, simple as that. Just obey the general rules of gravity feed routing, and don't do it as a bandaid for a bigger problem like a bad petcock filter or rusty tank, IMHO.

+1

[Gordon]

An in-line filter isn't a band-aid for a broken or missing petcock filter.  It's an inexpensive, easy to install, and viable alternative to replacing the stock filter.  Simple as that.  It does the exact same job, and does it just as well, and as long as it's installed properly (as anything on your bike should be) it will cause no problems. 

It's a matter of personal preference, just like running an electronic ignition instead of points, swapping 630 chain/sprockets for 530, or installing one of Ilbikes' frame kits so you can work on the engine without removing it from the bike.