Fuel Filter info

Do any of you boffins know for sure what level of filtration the standard diesel fuel filter on a TD5 gives? Or any standard diesel filter for that matter?

Somebody told me it is down to 100 microns but I'm sure its much smaller than that in the order of 10 microns.

I need to know because I'm building my Mk3 used engine oil filter system and want to give the onboard filter very little to do. What do you bio guys use if you make your own?

My Mk1 system using an oil drum was OK but the drum bulged when under pressure as I'm using comp air instead of a pump to move the oil thru the filters. Also the filters got clogged (2 x 10 micron) after every 100 litres or so.

Mk2 used a large propane bottle to solve the bulging but I still had the same problem with the filters clogging so used a 100 micron primary filter then the two 10 micron filters but they still clog after about 200 litres or so.

Cheers

Typically a diesel fuel filter will be between 10 to 30 microns no more, I would imagine the TD5 will be 10.

I am in the process of sorting out filters and filter heads for a processing system I am building with Charles and we are looking to filter anything that burns in this system, as a result we will start with larea area filters to take out big stuff, bee's and things, then a slightly smaller mesh to take out smaller bits and so on till the oil makes it to the bottom of the barrel where it will then be pumped through a large washable filter of maybe 100, then perhaps 50, and then the final filter will be down at 10.

I am looking at getting some huge hyraulic plant filters for the sort of final phase of the process.

discomania said:

Typically a diesel fuel filter will be between 10 to 30 microns no more, I would imagine the TD5 will be 10.

I am in the process of sorting out filters and filter heads for a processing system I am building with Charles and we are looking to filter anything that burns in this system, as a result we will start with larea area filters to take out big stuff, bee's and things, then a slightly smaller mesh to take out smaller bits and so on till the oil makes it to the bottom of the barrel where it will then be pumped through a large washable filter of maybe 100, then perhaps 50, and then the final filter will be down at 10.

I am looking at getting some huge hyraulic plant filters for the sort of final phase of the process.

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Sounds like what I'm doing but on a larger scale.
Maybe we should get together and chuck some ideas around over a few beers.
I've got the coarse filter sorted which probably equates to about 200mic and I picked up some gucci 100mic washable stainless filters on ebay for £10 each. They can flow 200 litres/hour but have smalll surface area so need washing often.
The smaller filters are readily available but I'm having problems with clogging. If the stock filter is 10mic then it will clog as well after a tank or two. Maybe I need to look at a 50mic filtration stage before the final one?

Piccie of Mk3 under construction.

Cheers

I did a project last year in college on vegetable oil filtration, from what i can remember diesel is refined to 4 microns, whereas the fuel filter in the car is normally 5. (if my memory serves me correctly)

don't know about td5 but 5 microns is pretty standard i imagine, especially with newer high pressure injection engines.

Multi-stage filtration should be the key and no reason you cant get it down to 2 or 3 microns with the aid of a pump, but to achieve this the key ingredient is heat, this will lower the viscosity and it should greatly extend your filter life. type "Waste Vegetable oil filtering / dewatering v2.0" into youtube, this guy has a pretty good system, some might be useful for you!

Diesel coming from the refinary is super filtered however it picks up a lot of crud on the way.

Most LR filters are 10 microns I know this as I have the tech spec book for Mahle & Fram filters.

discomania said:

Diesel coming from the refinary is super filtered however it picks up a lot of crud on the way.

Most LR filters are 10 microns I know this as I have the tech spec book for Mahle & Fram filters.

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Nice one Disco. I'll try using a 50micron filter after the 100micron and then finally the two 10micron JCB engine filters. That should give my LR filter little or nothing to filter on the car.
So far been running on home brew for about 8 months now and I've had to change the onboard filter twice but apart from that no probs and it went through MOT as well.