how obvious/visible is water in the diesel fuel filter?

ratropia · Jan 3, 2008

I pasted the same message on the NH forum. Sorry for the double post, I should have posted here first.
TC-30. 45 hours. How obvious/visible is water in the diesel fuel filter bowl? I am at 45 hours and am starting the 50 hour maintenance program . So I did the fuel filter first. I did not notice any water in the bowl. What should I have been looking for? Is it obvious? Or only if there is quite a bit?
Thanks.
BTW I use 5 gallon cans. I think I may find a better way. At least a pre tank filter.
Rick T.

Diamondpilot · Jan 3, 2008

Water will settle to the bottom because it is heavier. You will see it, looks like a blob of clear jello in diesel fuel.

Chris

RalphVa · Jan 3, 2008

I've NEVER had water in diesel fuel in either of my Benzs (55k miles on first and 183k miles on current one) nor in the fuel bowl on the tractor the 3 times I've changed it. Should show up as a noticeable blob in bottom of the bowl. The fuel may appear a tad cloudier than normal. I've seen it (water in fuel) while working in petroleum industry, just not in my cars or tractor yet.

Ralph

chh · Jan 3, 2008

It's as the others described it, usually if there is any at all it isn't much. It mostly will come from condensation in the tank. The only time I ever got a large amount of water was by using a 55 gallon barrel as a portable tank with a rotary hand pump. The design of the pump let rain water run down the side if the tube and into the fuel. It sat in the back of the truck during a week of rainy weather and acquired enough water to fill the filter, lines, and injection pump and kill the tractor. Cleaning out that mess taught me to be more careful.
Just look in the bottom of your filter bowl before you start your tractor ocasionally. The bubble of water will be distinct and settled in the bottom of the bowl.

Bird · Jan 4, 2008

I closed the duplicate thread in the other forum, but don't really know how this thread got closed, too.

So anyway, I'll re-open it.

dmccarty · Jan 5, 2008

Thanks Bird.

Rick,

On my JD 4700 the clear fuel bowl has a red ring that normally sits at the bottom of the bowl. If there is water in the bowl said ring floats.

Maybe your fuel bowl has a ring and you don't see it since you don't have water?

If no ring maybe you can put one in?

It sure makes it easy to check the fuel for water.

Later,
Dan

dirtworksequip · Jan 5, 2008

Any amount of water...........no matter how small will seperate out and be visible in the sediment bowl.

Sincerely, Dirt

MrJimi · Jan 5, 2008

This is NOT a good example but it is real close to diesel with water

diesel/water ?

Don't mix them
Jim

Kaliburz · Jan 6, 2008

If you have ever had a vinegret salad dressing? Similar look when it sits. You see the oil, yellowish (road diesel yellow), clear on bottom (water). IF off road, red on top.

joes_427_vette · Jan 7, 2008

My experience has been the filter " freezes " and will not allow fuel to pass through. There is no indication of ice or water in the filter base. My 55 is stored in an unheated section of a building and will run fine for about fifteen minutes outside be fore shutting down.
This last time I took the filter out ( it looked normal ) but I couldn't get fuel to flow through it. I took a hair drier and heated it up and dried it out. Upon replacing the same filter I noted it worked fine. At eleven dollars a throw the cheaply constructed element isn't my first choice. I will be researching a better system that is more dependable. Working in this tight area isn't a real picnic either. I have added drier, conditioner, as well as kept the tank full of current fuel which doesn't seem to make a big difference. A water seperator may be what is called for.