The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Fuel Filter?

I notice that most 216's I see have an in-line fuel filter just before the carb. But these engines (for the most part) do not have the glass bowl fuel pump.

Question: We are putting the glass bowl type fuel pump on our engine. It has a screen inside which I assume filters the fuel. Is it necessary to install an inline fuel filter as well? Or does the glass bowl type pump sufficiently filter the fuel?

Thanks in advance

The glass bowl fuel pump was standard.

The glass bowl filter at the carburetor was an accessory.

Is that glass fuel filter "necessary"? No

I always liked the glass fuel filter because I could see if there was water in the gas.

Great! Exactly the kind of response I was looking for…straight to the point and no bull. One more question: I do not have a fuel filter under the tank…do your answers still hold true knowing that?

Many people like a fuel filter down below - one reason is that it is less messy there, instead of changing the filter over top of the engine? I just put a large drip-catching cloth under the filter, no matter where it is located.

Most filters are not very restricting to the flow, but some people have argued that it should be on the output side of the fuel pump (supposedly there is more output pressure than input suction - who knows?).

Understandable.

Let me ask this: Is the glass bowl type fuel pump alone (without any other filter) good enough for this engine? I'm curious if the screen thats in the glass bowl type fuel pump filters the fuel well enough.

Reason i ask is cause out of the 3 restoring this truck…I'm alone in thinking the in-line filter needs installed. Not to check for water, but to check for sediment, because we are using original tank. Although thoroughly cleaned, we are using original tank.

Thanks again

What ya think?

Many of these trucks operated for decades and hundreds of thousands of miles with no filtration (except at the fuel pump).
With that in mind the in-line filter helps to keep the fuel cleaner, provides visual confirmation, they look great, and they are an inexpensive option.
My $.02

my thoughts are that with the alcohol now in most gas there is not much chance of seeing water settle in it unless the gas is so loaded with water that the alcohol cannot absorb anymore. by then it is pretty poor fuel. and though the original bowl type filters have metal screens at the top of them they probably let a lot of fine stuff pass through.( and sometime those have been removed or damaged)- likely a little would only settle out in the carb bowl but eventually could start causing problems I guess.my 61 has a filter housing mounted under the cab and I have no idea if it was original equipment but I did buy a new filter cartridge to put in it. probably as any filter becomes stopped up in the suction side of the fuel pump it would make vapor lock more likely especially in hot weather since the newer gas formulas seem to be pretty prone to that.fuel injection systems seems to handle it fine because they have an in tank pump that runs in the fuel and stay cool with no problem picking up and recirculate all the time to help eliminate problems.that lets the gasoline manufacturers blend some pretty light crappy blends without complaints. what a long winded reply huh? Raymond

Just a light breeze Raymond, now you want long winded....
Unless you've got a new tank and new lines you have a 99% chance
that you'll be getting parts of the tank in your fuel system.
All of the original tanks that I've seem had some of that four
letter word, 'rust' in them and most had a bunch. The screen
beneath the glass bowl only takes out the bigger stuff a lot of
the smaller crud still gets thru and can cause problems at the
carburetor.

I feel that both the screen and accessory fuel filter are needed
to avoid problems. It bothered me that I was having to clean
the screen often, which was after the valves in the fuel pump
so I opted for an additional inline filter at the tank outlet.
Nothing gets thru to the pump now and I just change the inline
filter when I do a grease job.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/141360697

With an inline filter before the pump I'd still use the
accessory filter at the carb, which would assure that nothing
was getting to the carburetor. Besides, it looks like an
authentic dealer added accessory.
As far as vapor lock, I've never encountered it and
I've been driving my stock '50, 216 since '05 pretty
regularly without problems.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Ok thanks a bunch guys. I've been consistently trying to convince the others to put an in-line filter in. And since I'm the youngest...my advice/opinion kinda gets sidelined sometimes. But, on the other hand...if the carb or pump gets plugged up...at least I'll have something to take off the truck and clean or rebuild. I'll always look for stuff to do on the truck

Oh that won't be a problem with these old Stovebolts, there's always something to do in them.

DG

Here is my 4.8 cent (obama needs the extra for Obamacant) I would rather change out the filter under my truck than rebuild my Carb. Don't get me wrong I have nothing against rebuilding a carb. I would rather be driving my truck. Just for the record I have 3 full filters on my truck. One at the tank, one on the fuel pump and on at the carb.

Political statements are inappropriate here.

Since we are on the topic of the fuel system. I was curious if anyone has used this product:

http://www.classicparts.com/1947-87-Gas-Tank-Sealer/productinfo/23%2D698/#.UpN_5qVUhGE]

Sometime in the 1950's, Carter came out with an accessory for their glass bowl fuel filter; it was called a "Magnatrap". This was a small magnet that fit inside the fuel filter. Of course, the magnet would trap any rust particles coming through. When the magnet's color changed from grey to rust, it was time to clean.

This was a very useful device as at the time a lot of the old time filling stations had very rusty tanks.

Jon.

Lots of people. Some with good results, some with bad. If you
can get the tank super clean inside, slosh it and make sure it
has a good long time to cure then it renders an other wise
scrap tank into a usable one. The bad side is if you don't get
it super clean the liner can come loose and plug your line.

Personal opinion, if a tank is sprouting pin holes then that
indicates to me the it's getting to thin to be safe. I'd opt
for a new tank, they taint all that expensive and you can have
your FLAPS order one and have it in a few days.

Denny G

Speaking of filters.
I have a Carter Carburetor filter (small glass bowl)#2146397, that I'm looking for the filter element, gasket and I think there is a spring use to hold the filter up. I think this is a ceramic element. Can anyone help with where to find , part numbers? I have a part number 2159S, I think this is the whole filter. Another number is GF30-77.

awk

on my 52 the original owner over the years had replaced the fuel pump with one that did have have the fuel screen on it so he added an inline glass bowl fuel filter at the inlet to the carburetor. since the carburetor inlet and the horn was in direct alignment he had to bend the horn bracket down at a sharp angle in order to have enough room to fit the fuel filter. when i replaced my fuel tank with a new one it eliminated the rust problems associated with it so i replaced the fuel pump with the correct pump with filter screen, removed the inline filter and moved the horn back to its proper alignment. looks much better.

"Political statements are inappropriate here."

Tim..have a Happy Thanksgiving and lighten up a little. Enjoy others.