In every engine type, changing the fuel and air filters is a must. Filters that are in poor condition can severely hinder an engine’s ability to perform and cause major issues down the road. While there are similarities between gas engine filters and diesel engine filters, changing the filters on a diesel engine is a bit different.
Before you take a crack at it, here are a few tips to changing your diesel air and fuel filters.
Air Filters
Air filters are typically located in the same area in which you’d find them in a gas engine. Typically, the filter is located in the cold air collector box in a diesel engine. There is a major precaution that you should take when changing the air filter on a diesel engine and that is to ensure that the engine is off. Diesel engines have very powerful suction and if you were to drop anything in the intake, which leads directly to the engine, you can cause some serious damage. When you locate the filter, simply replace it with a correctly fitting new one.
Fuel Filters
Diesel fuel systems are inherently different than gas engines and so it’s important to know what you’re looking at before you get started. Fuel filters are essential to diesel engines and keep out four main impurities: water, scale, rust, and dirt. A diesel filtration system consists of two fuel filters, the primary and the secondary diesel fuel filters. The first filter is located between the tank and the engine, with the secondary filter closer to the engine. Most filters are easy to change and simply require you to unscrew the old one and screw the new one into place. Just be sure to moisten the new gasket with fuel first. One thing to note with diesel fuel systems, when you change the filters you need to bleed the air bubbles from the system. Air is the enemy of diesel engines and you can purchase diesel fuel air separation systems to help while the engine runs.
You can always refer to your owner’s manual to figure out exactly how to change your filters and bleed the system of air. If you choose to use a fuel air separation system, you may not hear any difference in a six-liter but it is definitely working. If you run into any trouble, contact your local diesel mechanic to provide assistance.
If you’re looking for fuel air separation systems or universal fuel pumps, check us out today.