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About Filtration
Most 4WD's have fuel filters which are specifically designed by the manufacturer so that only one type of element can be used. These filters are supplied to your vehicles manufacturer by the vehicles fuel injection system manufacturer. Naturally, these are more expensive than volume-produced fuel filter elements. Therefore 4WD owners are faced with high-cost replacement filter elements for their vehicles. As a solution to this problem Berrima Diesel has produced a range of adaptors to suit most popular 4WD diesels. These specially designed adaptors allow owners to use a widely available, Lucas/CAV designed filter element, while preserving the standard filter head with its primer plunger. These filters are OE/OEM type as Delphi/Lucas is a fuel injection system manufacturer.
BAD FUEL
An example of bad fuel due to poor filtration:
Poor fuel is an ever increasing problem in this country. If you're doing a lot of travelling and buying fuel from lots of different suppliers you never know what you'll get.
A number of problems are common due to poor fuel quality such as:
- Blocked or damaged injectors
- Damaged or leaking fuel pumps
- Poor filtration and engine damage.
CAV/Delphi filter adaptor system: For OLDER Non Common Rail Diesels:
The Berrima Diesel adaptor ring is simply screwed into place on the standard filter head and then the Lucas/CAV element is simply pushed on. A threaded rod on the adaptor is used to retain a glass bowl at the base of the filter, allowing the owner to check for the presence of water or other fuel contamination. As we say, "You can't see through the original steel filter!" The bowl can be drained by simply turning a wing nut at the bottom of the bowl. The advantages of the Lucas/CAV filter element compared with original or other after-market filters include a much lower price (around $8 instead of up to $90) and availability virtually anywhere in Australia. Although originally a Lucas/CAV design, the element can also be replaced with similar units such as those produced by Fleetguard, Bosch or Framm.
PRE-FILTER SYSTEMS: FOR COMMON RAIL DIESELS:
- A Pre-filter should be there to do exactly what its name says. Filter the fuel ‘pre’ the main filter. Why? If the fuel is in a poor state (contaminated with gunk/algae and other matter) it will have some of that removed so that the MAIN filter is left to worry about filtering the remaining stuff.
- Our Pre-filter kits come with a 30 micron rated filter element. Why? To answer this we must first understand what the main filter is doing. Common Rail Diesels run 2 micron fuel filters. The 30 micron Pre-filter is 15 times more coarse than that. In other words the main Original filter is designed to catch the mosquitos while a Pre-filter will catch the rocks and rabbits and anything larger.
- Will the Pre-filter restrict the fuel flow? No, the only time this might happen is if and when the filter becomes blocked. Most modern Diesel filter systems come with flow restriction indicators that would alert you if the fuel flow was restricted. On average we would expect the Pre-filter to be changed every 30,000-40,000km.
- We recommend the main filter be still changed every 10,000km.
- Why is fuel flow so important. Looking under a current common rail Landcruiser, for example, you will find a fuel cooler on the return fuel line. This is installed to help cool the fuel returning back to the tank after it has been through enormous pressure during its travels through the common rail fuel system. Some fuel return rates can exceed 8 litres returned for every 1 litre used to run the engine.
- By installing a Pre-filter system you assure the Original filter system, with its alert systems for water contamination and fuel restriction, operates unhindered.
- Water in Fuel and Algae:- Diesel and water separate very easily. If you have ever heard of ‘algae’ growing in Diesel fuel its actually growing in the water. When you have algae you have a large problem of a growing mass of blobs that can cover sensors and make them inoperable. Installing a water sensor alone will not guarantee protection from water contamination. Pre-filtering the fuel removes all these large messy bits and pieces so that ‘treated/filtered’ fuel is allowed to flow on to the main filter where its sensors and alarms can operate more successfully.
- Good filtration starts before you stop to fill up. Buy fuel from a known brand station, try and stick with one brand as much as possible, keep you receipts.
- NO FILTER will stop what we call ‘Adulterated Diesel’. That is Diesel mixed with a clean concoction of other liquids that burn like kerosene, paint thinners etc. In other words a filter cannot separate ‘Coca Cola from Sprite’. Be wary of unbranded fuel stations.
- We have seen a growing availability of additional Diesel filter systems and some of them are installed just plain wrong. We have seen quite a few similar looking systems to ours come through the workshop with the Pre-filter installed ‘after’ the main filter. Worse still the filter element being used has varied from a 5 to a 2 micron filter element. In particular, installing a larger micron element after the Original 2 micron is useless. Pre-filters are just that and should be installed before the Original main filter and with a Pre-filter sized filter element.
- Our 30 Micron Pre-filter kits come with all the necessary items to install it:- fitting instructions, ‘heavy duty’ stainless steel fitting bracket, hoses, fuel line fittings, the filter system, a glass bowl for fuel inspection and a spare 30 micron filter.
- These are installed BEFORE the main filter on ALL applications.
- Our system can be retrofitted with an additional water alert system. This system come with the necessary installation info and uses a buzzer to alert you to water.
