Question about fuel filter

You must have been the one doing the maintenance on my YJ, Bill. :-) I crawled under it last weekend to change the filter(the last item on my preventitive maintenance list that I hadn't gotten to)only to discover it still had the factory, crimp-on clamps installed...with

165,000 miles on it. I expect the pump with go any time now. :-(

I next crawled under my wife's new(to her)YJ and noticed that the clamps have already been replaced, so that filter's been changed at least once in the 170k it's got on the clock.

I usually change 'em every 30k or so...that's about the interval that GM reccommends, and it's cheap insurance...I don't think I paid more than $11 for the WIX I put on there.

-- Old Crow '82 Shovelhead FLT 92" 'Pearl' '95 Jeep YJ Rio Grande ASE Certified Master Auto Tech + L1 TOMKAT, BS#133, SENS, MAMBM, DOF#51

Whenever the fuel pump dies. The filter is part of the pump inside the gas tank.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Dallas K>

I'm having some performance issues with my jeep (120k) and I'm just wondering if a dirty fuel filter could be the culprit.

Dallas Kincaid did pass the time by typing:

With that much milage it's far more likely to be the O2 sensor or a plugged cat. Although reduced fuel flow could be the cause.

Check your plugs for excess carbon. If they all show lots of carbon it's your O2 sensor sending a false reading. If just a few are ugly it could be leaky injectors. For that you need to do a pressure leak-down test on the rail.

Inside the frame rail, on the drivers side above the front half of the spring. There's a shield you have to remove to get to it.

-- Old Crow '82 Shovelhead FLT 92" 'Pearl' '95 Jeep YJ Rio Grande ASE Certified Master Auto Tech + L1 TOMKAT, BS#133, SENS, MAMBM, DOF#51

When I worked a general auto repair shop here, we would get tourists in all the time who's vehicles worked fine until they started climbing into the mountains. Some gas stations leak a lot of dirt and water in the tanks, and you can't tell which ones they are. I change my fuel filters every 2 years, when I do the annual coolant and transmission fluid, diff and t-case oils, repack wheel bearings, brake fluid,etc. ( or more often, depending on how much mud/water I have been thru) I always change the fuel filter first in any mileage/power problem that doesn't seem to be ignition related, like a thermostat on any heat problem. They are both cheap and if it doesn't fix it, should be the first step in further diagnosis anyway. I always use a short piece of fuel line and blow the filter backwards into a clean cup, to see how much crud is in there, and get an idea of how clogged it was. It is important to find out if it was clogged, or you are guessing at whether it will make a difference or was the problem. Someone sells a special cutter for opening filters to inspect them, a pipe cutter works fine. On my Jeepster, I seem get a lot of water and crud in the tank, so I installed a large Racor diesel fuel/water separator filter unit, and drain water out of it monthly. Many "factory recommended service intervals" are a bad joke. Some makers never recommend changes in trans fluid, brake fluid, etc. Mercedes used to last nearly forever because of extensive routine maintenance. They even put grease fittings on door hinges. It can't hurt to do REAL maintenance on your vehicle.

-- Paul Calman, Hathaway Pines, California

Paul Calman did pass the time by typing:

Wile back I found a mod that used an industrial? gasoline filter to help keep dirt out of the system.

This is sorta the idea.

BLARG! can't find it. :/ The filter was about as round as a soda can but shorter. Looked a lot like an oil filter.