So I emptied my tank of any gas and it's been sitting in my living rooms a few weeks. I picked it up today and it rattled with dirt and debris. I'm planning on cleaning it but I also wanted to get a fuel filter. I used the search but didn't really come up with any specific info. First off I don't know much about them, except that I guess they filter your fuel and they go on the petcock -> carb hose. I heard someone say the gs500 hoses are 5/16". Is this right? If I goto autozone and ask for one will they give me the right one? Thanks. Pics are welcome also. :)
I grabbed two of the $3 paper lawn-mower ones from Wal-Mart because they were cheap and readily available. I've added one of these:
(http://www.bikebandit.com/partsbandit/assets/product_images/04ClearviewGFFSM.gif)
http://tinyurl.com/h6xsy
to my ever-growing cart at bikebandit and will swap it out when it comes. I'm pretty sure Autozone carries this same style.
-M
Use Purolator fuel filter part # F29160 It's actually a car fuel filter that really flows well, no problems whatosover and a good retrofit. cost maybe 5 bucks at any auto parts store.
so do you just cut the fuel line between the petcock and the carb, slide the filter on with a couple of hose clamps either side?
After spending an hour unhooking my tank last night - install the filters far enough away from the tank petcock that you can still easily unhook the fuel lines from the tank, and don't install them right next to each other, because without the flex of the adjacent fuel line they are a Buddha Loves You to take apart. :thumb:
So i guess this will keep junk from out of the carbs but still allow fuel flow. And i guess it even lets you see if it has a clog in it. :icon_mrgreen:
Why are you guys putting two fuel filters on? The screen filter in the tank (assuming it's still intact) will get any particles big enough to clog the lines (or the carbs really). Why not just put one filter on between the frame-mounted petcock and the carburetor?
Quote from: Egaeus on April 02, 2006, 08:31:59 AM
Why are you guys putting two fuel filters on? The screen filter in the tank (assuming it's still intact) will get any particles big enough to clog the lines (or the carbs really). Why not just put one filter on between the frame-mounted petcock and the carburetor?
Where is this screen filter? I didn't notice any screen when I drained my tank. :dunno_white:
Quote from: tussey on April 02, 2006, 08:40:53 AM
Where is this screen filter? I didn't notice any screen when I drained my tank. :dunno_white:
It is inside the tank, attached to the tank petcock. It's tall and sticks up inside the tank. It's hard to see with the tank on the bike unless the lighting is just right.
[3
Who's putting two filters on?
Did I miss something?
Quote from: galahs on April 02, 2006, 09:13:27 AM
Who's putting two filters on?
Did I miss something?
Mandres and Grainbelt both put them on their tank petcock lines apparently. I was just wondering about their reasoning.
Quote from: Egaeus on April 02, 2006, 09:19:01 AM
Quote from: galahs on April 02, 2006, 09:13:27 AM
Who's putting two filters on?
Did I miss something?
Mandres and Grainbelt both put them on their tank petcock lines apparently. I was just wondering about their reasoning.
See the 'bike not running rant' thread on page 2. Previous owner did it, and less than 1/2 an inch from the tank petcock, right inside the frame rails. Was a serious pain in the ass to disconnect the tank. I'm going to buy some new fuel lines and re-run the tank to petcock section sans filter. I think part of the problem is that the previous owner patched in some smaller diameter line, I still haven't gotten one section off the tank. :2guns:
If I get motivated enough to reuse one of the filters, I'll do it between the petcock and the carbs, out of the way.
Quote from: Grainbelt on April 02, 2006, 09:31:54 AM
See the 'bike not running rant' thread on page 2. Previous owner did it, and less than 1/2 an inch from the tank petcock, right inside the frame rails.
Oh, yeah, I did read that. So now it's just Mandres. So how about it Mike? :)
Quote from: bv_714 on April 01, 2006, 10:47:13 PM
Use Purolator fuel filter part # F29160 It's actually a car fuel filter that really flows well, no problems whatosover and a good retrofit. cost maybe 5 bucks at any auto parts store.
Just went to Autozone and they were able to cross-reference the part # you gave me. Thanks. It cost $2.50. Here is a pic. My only question is how do you know when it's clogged? When engine chokes from fuel starvation? Or do you regularly clean/replace it?
(http://homepage.mac.com/the_macman/gstwin/fuelfilter.jpg)
Good question Egaeus. When I first got the bike I took out the tank petcock to clean and found it was totally caked with crap. In the process of trying to clean it the screen parts basically disintegrated. I took an X-acto knife and cut out all of the screen material, leaving just the platic/rubber shell and the divider between the regular and reserve side. That's why I use a filter on each line; I don't have a filter in the tank anymore :cheers:
-M
I think I remember that now. I can't keep track of who has what problem anymore... :)
Quote from: tussey on April 02, 2006, 11:02:13 AM
[Just went to Autozone and they were able to cross-reference the part # you gave me. Thanks. It cost $2.50. Here is a pic. My only question is how do you know when it's clogged? When engine chokes from fuel starvation? Or do you regularly clean/replace it?
(http://homepage.mac.com/the_macman/gstwin/fuelfilter.jpg)
I hate to break it to you, but that filter doesn't work. It restricts flow way too much. That's the exact filter I used in the thread http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=24572.0
It's currently doing nothing in the back of my truck because I haven't tossed it yet.
Quote from: Egaeus on April 02, 2006, 12:07:25 PM
Quote from: tussey on April 02, 2006, 11:02:13 AM
[Just went to Autozone and they were able to cross-reference the part # you gave me. Thanks. It cost $2.50. Here is a pic. My only question is how do you know when it's clogged? When engine chokes from fuel starvation? Or do you regularly clean/replace it?
(http://homepage.mac.com/the_macman/gstwin/fuelfilter.jpg)
I hate to break it to you, but that filter doesn't work. It restricts flow way too much. That's the exact filter I used in the thread http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=24572.0
It's currently doing nothing in the back of my truck because I haven't tossed it yet.
Wow thanks for letting me know. Did you ever replace it with another fuel filter?
Yes, I did. It was a deutch filter. I don't have the number, but it was translucent plastic, and you could see the filter material which was a mesh instead of cellulose. The nipples were in an L shape intead of the I shape of that filter. That made it easier to attach to the carburetor since I didn't have to bend the tubing and possibly kink it.
Quote from: Egaeus on April 02, 2006, 12:26:58 PM
Yes, I did. It was a deutch filter. I don't have the number, but it was translucent plastic, and you could see the filter material which was a mesh instead of cellulose. The nipples were in an L shape intead of the I shape of that filter. That made it easier to attach to the carburetor since I didn't have to bend the tubing and possibly kink it.
Can I get some pics? That would make it easier for me to go pick up today. Thanks :thumb: :thumb:
It actually helped any starvation issues I was having due to better flow- prior I had one of the clear models that you could see. Unless your tank is gunky, the car filter should last a long time, like 5k miles or longer. Because it is a car filter, I found it has better flor properties, tradeoff is you don't have the clear window to see it's health.
Quote from: tussey on April 02, 2006, 01:26:59 PM
Quote from: Egaeus on April 02, 2006, 12:26:58 PM
Yes, I did. It was a deutch filter. I don't have the number, but it was translucent plastic, and you could see the filter material which was a mesh instead of cellulose. The nipples were in an L shape intead of the I shape of that filter. That made it easier to attach to the carburetor since I didn't have to bend the tubing and possibly kink it.
Can I get some pics? That would make it easier for me to go pick up today. Thanks :thumb: :thumb:
Sorry man, no camera. However, I did look and find my reciept. It is FF311. It's too late for tonight, but hopefully you can find it tomorrow.
Where you at in FL anyway?
Quote from: Egaeus on April 02, 2006, 08:14:55 PM
Sorry man, no camera. However, I did look and find my reciept. It is FF311. It's too late for tonight, but hopefully you can find it tomorrow.
Where you at in FL anyway?
Thanks for the info.
The in-tank screen! Here's a picture of it by Kerry:
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=17377.msg155556#msg155556
I had the glass chambered filter before, between the frame petcock and carb. Also tried a bigger translucent plastic version. I have since removed the additional filters as I suspected them contributed to the fuel starvation problem I was experiencing. The filters tended to trap large pocket of air especially after some semi-aggressive riding (for me, a few accelerations on the freeway would do it).
I now have no fuel filter (beside the OEM tank filter, of course), short fuel hoses, and zero fuel starvation problem. For me, I would rather clean out the carb more often (which is not much more often, once every year is more than adequate) than have the bike cough on the freeway at the wrong moment, or having to constantly worry about fuel starvation.
If I were to install fuel filters again, I would install them between the tank petcock and the frame petcock. This means I would need one each for the primary line and the reserve line. The advantage of this method is that it would most likely eliminate the air pocket (any air formed would float back into the tank), and would probably have better flow rate since it would have gravity in its favor. There is not much space in that area to work them in so I never bothered.
YMMV. HTH.
Cheers,
e.
Quote from: Egaeus on April 02, 2006, 12:26:58 PM
Sorry man, no camera. However, I did look and find my reciept. It is FF311. It's too late for tonight, but hopefully you can find it tomorrow.
Where you at in FL anyway?
So I picked it up today, will install next weekend. Did you notice any fuel starvation problems with yours installed? Also did you use clamps to keep the hoses on or is the nipple tight enought that it will keep the hose securely fastened?
This is what is looks like.
(http://homepage.mac.com/the_macman/gstwin/fuelfilter2.jpg)
I haven't noticed any fuel starvation issues with the 311. You need to use hose clamps. The fuel hoses will be too loose to stay on reliably. I used the ones left over from the other filter, but you probably don't have those anymore.
d4
The FF311 was specially chosen by me because I could see the filter material. It's not the dense cellulose of many fuel filters, but a screen-type filter. I put it on and it filled up great. No fllow problems that I've been able to discern.
Quote from: Egaeus on April 04, 2006, 02:37:51 PM
It's not the dense cellulose of many fuel filters, but a screen-type filter.
That's the thing though. The in-tank filter is also screen type, so unless the FF311 screen is finer, it might not be much of a benefit for all this hassle. The paper-element type filter is better I believe, but as Wrecent_Wrider mentioned, it might need a pump to create a reasonable flow rate. One can always select a bigger filter so there is more flow area, but then there is the problem of where to fit it on the GS.
Since the major problem with the GS fuel delivery is the rust from the gas tank building up in the carb, it might be a better idea to just kreem/por the tank instead.
Just my $0.02.
Cheers,
e.
I was looking thru Canadian Tire today, and I found an in-line fuel filter made for snowmobiles. It was clear and it had a screen type fuel filter. Looks like it would work good...
Cheap too... like $4 I think.