How much should I trust FASS filtration?

Delta.Speed

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Mar 26, 2022
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Hey all.

So I'm running a FASS 165 in my truck, 02 LB7, and I happen to have come accross roughly 160 gallons of suspected water contaminated diesel fuel from the floods in South Florida a few weeks back.

Would you trust the FASS filtration and run the fuel to save $600 bucks, or nah, the filtration offers some protection, but I'd still be running a risk?

What are your thoughts?



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2004LB7

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I'd prefilter it and use a water separator on it before even thinking about putting it in an LB7. You can also let it settle and draw off the top before filtering to reduce the contamination going into your tank. I'd also make sure to drain the water separator often. I'd also use some 2cycle in it for the added lubrication Incase any water makes it's way in

The FASS filters are supposed to be pretty good but can get overloaded and let water pass. Make sure to replace the fass filters right after using it too
 

Delta.Speed

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Mar 26, 2022
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I'd prefilter it and use a water separator on it before even thinking about putting it in an LB7. You can also let it settle and draw off the top before filtering to reduce the contamination going into your tank. I'd also make sure to drain the water separator often. I'd also use some 2cycle in it for the added lubrication Incase any water makes it's way in

The FASS filters are supposed to be pretty good but can get overloaded and let water pass. Make sure to replace the fass filters right after using it too
Is there a filter setup that will fit the fass system that is better than the FASS filters?

Also how would you prefilter it?

The only thing that comes to mind is putting it in the tank and running the Fass pump with the output side going into a clean container and then changing the filters before running the filtered fuel again after putting it in the tank with the two stroke oil.

Do you think that would cut it?

The filters in the truck now are fairly new and have maybe 500 miles on it, but I wouldn't mind ditching them for a different filter setup of better quality.

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JoshH

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I would never recommend running fuel you suspect has been contaminated with anything. It's not worth the risk when you're talking about a fuel system that would cost a few thousand to replace if your filtration doesn't catch enough of the water. If money is so tight you really need to save $600 on fuel, how will you afford to fix it if the gamble doesn't pay off?
 

2004LB7

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As Josh said. If you don't have the means or knowledge of polishing the fuel then consider the cost of your injectors and high pressure fuel pump cost and weight wether it worth the risk fpr the cost savings.

I for one would do it because I have the equipment. But if you don't then you may spend more on the equipment then you'll save on the fuel. Unless you happen to have 1000 gallons or more you may want to pass on it
 

TheBac

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Moved to General Fuel System section.

Extra filtration is never really a bad thing.
 

Bdsankey

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I would never recommend running fuel you suspect has been contaminated with anything. It's not worth the risk when you're talking about a fuel system that would cost a few thousand to replace if your filtration doesn't catch enough of the water. If money is so tight you really need to save $600 on fuel, how will you afford to fix it if the gamble doesn't pay off?
Absolutely agree with this!

Saving $600 seems great now but what happens when some water gets by? FASS's videos are pretty neat showing it stops fuel flow but do you really want to take a $3000-$4000 gamble?
 

Delta.Speed

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Thank you all for the info, this is why I came and asked before I did anything stupid.

I would've only gone through with it if confidence in the filtration came back high from those of you who know more than me.

But it sounds like even with the added filtration a bad load of fuel can still wreck the fuel system on these, so naturally that's a hard pass for me.

The info does take some confidence away tho, I thought with the triple filter setup I was pretty much good to fuel up worry free. But what I gather here is that you guys would still be concerned about picking up water from a station even with a filtration setup. If the fuel I came up on was in someone else's tank, it coulda been in mine.

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Bdsankey

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Thank you all for the info, this is why I came and asked before I did anything stupid.

I would've only gone through with it if confidence in the filtration came back high from those of you who know more than me.

But it sounds like even with the added filtration a bad load of fuel can still wreck the fuel system on these, so naturally that's a hard pass for me.

The info does take some confidence away tho, I thought with the triple filter setup I was pretty much good to fuel up worry free. But what I gather here is that you guys would still be concerned about picking up water from a station even with a filtration setup. If the fuel I came up on was in someone else's tank, it coulda been in mine.

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Water can easily find it's way through a filter should it tear or have an imperfection. It's always best to get fuel from known reputable stations that don't have fuel sitting around for ages.
 

LBZ

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I’d risk it if it was filtered good and going into a 12v Cummins. In a common rail? Not a chance though.
 

DAVe3283

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I run an AirDog, which might not capture water as well as the FASS. Ran the Suburban out of fuel right after we built it (hadn't calibrated the fuel gauge correctly for the swap) and a tow truck dumped in 2 gallons of, it turns out, water contaminated diesel.

The AirDog water separator filled up about halfway with water then started passing it through. The factory filter caught the rest.

Like everyone has said, if you have reason to suspect the fuel, walk away. The FASS might be better, but it's still a risk and these fuel systems are expensive.

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kidturbo

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After producing and blending biodiesel for a decade, I'll say you can certainly dry it and run it safely. However without the right setup, it's easier said than done. Filtering it is easy, drying it, or making sure it's dry is a bit tougher.

Best option, unless you have a hydraulic fluid moisture test kit handy, is to assume it's wet. So if you can heat it to about 170F and the water will fall out quickly. You can spay it through the air for about 24hours will dry it quickly also. Or just put it in some black drums our it in the sun, and let it set for a few weeks. Then only use the fuel off the top 3/4 of the drums.

I once took 600 gallons of water / diesel mix recovered from a tanker spill, sucked out of a creek by an EPA team, and we ran that shit in everything on the farm a few months later... Called it Creek Diesel..

Edit: Clear enough to read the newspaper through it in a mason jar, is dry fuel.
 
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Dozerboy

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Being in the excavation industry we have tons of issues with water in our fuel. The best filters I have found are Filrite with water block. I run them on all of our tanks for fueling equipment. It's pretty surprising to be pumping diesel and all of a sudden the fuel the stops flowing. You dump the filter out and it's full of water.
These don't do you any good for removing a lot of water really since a small amount of water will plug the filter. For a pump and filters it going to be around $400 though.
 
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Delta.Speed

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Being in the excavation industry we have tons of issues with water in our fuel. The best filters I have found are Filrite with water block. I run them on all of our tanks for fueling equipment. It's pretty surprising to be pumping diesel and all of a sudden the fuel the stops flowing. You dump the filter out and it's full of water.
These don't do you any good for removing water really since a small amount of water will plug the filter. For a pump and filters it going to be around $400 though.
Do you know if they make a filter to fit FASS fuel systems?

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Dozerboy

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Do you know if they make a filter to fit FASS fuel systems?

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Probably not Filrite since they are a fuel pump company that just sells filters for their pumps. The filters have a hydrosorb media that is in other filters. I'm not sure on the quality of other filters, but you might one of those that fit.
 
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08lmm72mm

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Being in the excavation industry we have tons of issues with water in our fuel. The best filters I have found are Filrite with water block. I run them on all of our tanks for fueling equipment. It's pretty surprising to be pumping diesel and all of a sudden the fuel the stops flowing. You dump the filter out and it's full of water.
These don't do you any good for removing a lot of water really since a small amount of water will plug the filter. For a pump and filters it going to be around $400 though.
I use the same Filrite water block filter. Fuel goes in my slip tank, through filrite water block, through fass 150 filters then through the oem filter in the engine bay.

In the winter when it's -30 to -40 I have found ice in the filrite housing so I know the filrite is doing its job.
 
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