Inline fuel filters ..Friend or Foe?

I see that everybody seems to have there own $.02 on whether or not to use one... I have 6 farmalls 2 with one and 4 without. I have never installed one one a tractor when there was not one, having said that if the tractor has one I don"t get rid of it eather. It is very simple to see if you getting fuel to these old carbs, open the fuel drain and see if it will run a pencil size stream for a few min, if it does and you are not getting enough gas into the engine you have got a restriction somewhere IN the CARB, not the float, or the screens or inline filter (if one is used). I had a M that i bought and It had sat for a while and it would only run with the choke on. I messed with it for days,Rebuilt carb, carb cleaner, ATF in the gas. Messed with the mixing jets. when i put on a diffrent carb it ran fine. Turns out there was white powerdey crud in one of the worm holes and i blew it out with an air hose and somthing hit me in the face...put that carb back on and she ran perfect! the muffler rain cap dint even bounce after that and power up the yin yan. I din"t think the carb was bad as i had cleened and cleened that thing and had it off more times than i can count. But now i will never make that mistake again. (thus tractor had a inline filter on it the clear one and i even replaced it but it was only when i fixed the blockage inside the carb when it ran properly) sometimes you have to learn on your own. success is preceeded by failure. Its been 1 year now and the tractor runs great! have a good day, John

I've never used them,but I wonder if it's more an issue of heat causing vapor lock if you use one on a utility type tractor? There was somebody on the Tractor Talk forum a year ago with a Ford 600 series I believe. Said the tractor would quit after 15 minutes,was driving him crazy,had been happening for a long time. He didn't mention that it even had one of those filters,so I asked. He said it did,I told him to take it off and try it. I worked. He was so grateful I thought he was gonna look me up and give me a reward. The same thing happened on the Oliver forum just last week with a Super 55. Again,no mention of it in his post. I asked,he took it off and like magic,problem solved. I've seen rowcrops with them on,obviously had been there for years from the look of 'em,didn't seem to be a problem.

Most are trouble because most are made for fuel systems with a fuel pump not gravity flow. As of last count I have been payed 20 cases of beer to remove them from tractors because they would not run as they should have but after they where removed they ran just fine. Yep I charge a case of beer to fix the in line fuel filter problem
Hobby farm

Some things you do not want tp bring up in polie company: 1. religion 2. politics 3. 12 volt conversions 4. hand cranking tractors 5. 12 volt conversions 6. battery ignition vs magneto and finally 7. inline filters.

Amen

You left out out NFE vs. WFE! Always a lively discussion.

If using an in-line filter on a gravity-flow system, install it with the inlet pointing straight up and the outlet pointing down. Hopefully, the line from the filter to the tank will also slope upwards towards the tank.

If done this way, trapped air can get out by rising and bubbling up through the fuel in the tank, and the whole innards of the filter will be wetted by fuel and able to pass fuel.

I have several old machines set up this way with NO problems.

Mount the filter so the inlet/outlet are horizontal, and you are almost guaranteed problems with an airlock/poor or no flow.

I just figured common sense that you would mount them so the outlet is down. I like the Fram see thru ones they work fine for me find that the screen in the sedimint bulb dont get the real fine stuff.

I'm a fan of inline filters. A gravity filter that works and will flow enough fuel for a top fuel motorcycle can be had but is totally unnecessary for a old tractor. Any off the shelf filter at a motorcycle shop designed for the older carburated motorcycles will work in this application. I use the glass and metal style with replaceable innards. It comes in a number of line diameters. I'm not a fan of the solid plastic cone type filter. They are pretty restrictive due to a fine micron rating. These old tractors don't need the dust filtered out like a new engine does. 15-20 microns is more than enough filtration compared to a brass screen. My Harley running at six grand will use more fuel than my M at 1200rpm that's for sure! My gas tank only holds five gallons of fuel at about three inches or so above the carb inlet. Compare the head pressure there to the pressure of 25 gallons of fuel at about eight inches plus above the fuel inlet in a M or H. The main problem with inline filters is most of them at auto parts stores are designed for lawn tractors with very low flow. Go to a independent motorcycle shop not a dealer and get a filter for a carbed motorcycle if you really want one that works . ...Randy

The best argument I have heard against inline filters was brought up by Tractor Vet sometimes back. He said if you got a small fire under gas tank from debris or whatever ( I have seen this happen a few times) that fire would burn the rubber hoses letting fuel turn small fire into total burn out.

Just curious, does everyone always keep 25 gal in their gas tank? If not and when the gas level starts getting low and perhaps the cap is not properly vented or wrong cap or crud in cap vent, even a system without moving parts can cause problems.
Bob S.

Randy,
I feel like I should be on Family Feud; GOOD ANSWER !! As with anything the proper tool for the job always works. A filter that flows enough for a 17 CI lawn mower won't supply fuel to a 260 CI tractor. The filters for an old tractor need not be nearly as fine as those for new fuel injected engines, generally if dirt can get thru the screen in the sediment bowl and the one before the needle it shouldn't harm these old carbs.

I agree. I have a small, clear, plastic filter on a 12.5 HP Briggs. It works fine for that application on a 1/4" line. I am sure if a filter was properly sized it would work on a 4 or 6 cyl tractor. As it becomes contaminated with moisture and debris it will flow less and eventaually starve the carb. Solution: Change it.

Charles

I added an inline on my Farmall M. Dug too much trash, dead bugs, etc out of the little screen at the inlet of the carb, even with the sediment bowl and screen in place. A lot of crud and rust in the gas tank, I am sure.

My tractor will run for quite a while and then starve out for fuel. If I am paying attention and can grab the choke, it will get enough fuel (increased vacuum on the fuel line??) to keep running for a while.

I am thinking of looking for an electric fuel pump to push the gas to the carb. Any ideas on that? I figure I will likely need a pressure regulator, and very likely no more than a fraction of a lb of pressure to keep the carb full. If anyone has any experience with this, please let me know.