Broken down, fuel filter problem

[AlBundy]

Hi everyone,

Currently sat waiting for the AA as have broken down, suspecting a fuel filter issue as have just had one replaced, and it was horrific. There is still a lot of gunk in the tank which clogged before, and symptoms are exactly the same.

Luckily in a pub car park, so paradise compared to a motorway hard shoulder.

Van is a 1986 LHD 1.6 diesel.

Question is can the new filter be cleaned out, how easy is this, and if we tried this myself, what should we avoid doing to not screw up the engine?

Asking mainly so that I can inform the AA when they get here.

Thanks in advance,
Al

[colinthefox]

It's not really possible to clean out the filter and reuse it. Trying to clean it would inevitably liberate muck to the clean side, which would then head for the injectors. You might get away with it, or might not.

I would say the only satisfactory solution would be to remove the tank, clean it out and fit a new filter. Not a job for a pub car park.

You would also need to know what the muck is, and how it is being generated in the tank, so you can stop it happening again.

[davidoft1]

pull the filter off, empty it and and tap in on the ground, they generally block at the top, blow down the fuel tank to see if the lines blocked, what makes you suspect the filter?

[AlBundy]

Exactly the same symptoms again.

We did the turn upside down and empty it, was some gunk but not too much to stop fuel getting through.

We cleaned out, put some clean diesel in the filter and put it back in, after turning it over several times to clear any air, or ran really well.

Thanks for advice.

Next stop for the van is replacing the fuel tank and lines etc. Hopefully that will sort it long term (as long as long term gets anyway!).

[Oldiebut goodie]

Check the fuel line inlet union on the top of the filter - once mine was bunged up with gunk yet the filter itself was clear. Symptoms are the same as a blocked filter but new filter does not solve the problem.

[davidoft1]

Check the fuel line inlet union on the top of the filter - once mine was bunged up with gunk yet the filter itself was clear. Symptoms are the same as a blocked filter but new filter does not solve the problem.

And the return one , it has a filter and a tiny hole that easily gets blocked leading to excess pump pressure and lack pressure in the fuel return system

[mioba]

Some filters have a drain valve for this very reason.

Anyhow assume you got home safetly.