How To Change A Fuel Filter

[Mustang]

I would be leary of a plastic filter that is under pressure and being submerged the fuel can eat at it from both sides . I've had ethanol blended fuel actually melt the little nylon / plastic fuel filters you can put inline on carbed bikes , add 44psi and who knows !

[Stretch]

Okay, but the plastic used in modern automotive filters must be formulated to withstand ethanol, since it's nearly impossible now to find gas without it.

[Mustang]

It will probably be fine , but when the metal ones are readily available why take the chance ?

[Stretch]

True dat.  I've never regretted overbuilding anything.

[Advwannabe]

Cheers again for posting up Stretch. Sneaky having the thing in the tank, two expensive genuine gaskets to complete one simple job if you do it the Triumph way.....

[Tom Herold]

It's a metal filter..... I've been using them for years.

[Stretch]

two expensive genuine gaskets to complete one simple job if you do it the Triumph way.....

Yeah, but a 24,000 mile interval doesn't come too often.

[Robbie]

the filter popped off the rubber pipe on my Sprint ST, the bike just stopped dead.

I knew I had juice, pushing a stick into the connector and juice flowed, pump worled on start up, checked cut out switches as best I could at the side of the road, ripped the tank off, checked sparks all OK.

trailered the bike back home and called my dealer for any advice.

all i said was " it just stopped de..." and he sail "fuel filter has colapsed" so it may not be such a rare thing

[Stretch]

Better clamps may be in order then.  Thanks for the tip.

[pineygroveshop]

This will be my first & second fuel filter change as I plan on doing it to my brother's Tiger at the same time.
My question is whether the tank has to be empty?  I ask this because a reply in this thread said that the outside of the filter is bathed in gas.  If not empty and you remove the access plate, wouldn't gas be coming out?

Cheers,
Stephen

[Stretch]

Yes, siphon as much fuel out of the tank as possible.  It will also be much easier to remove the tank from the bike without the extra tonnage.

Once the tank is off the bike, lay the tank on its right side (access plate up), and remove the plate.  Once the plate is off, you can hold the tank over a bucket etc and empty out the remaining fuel.

[pineygroveshop]

Thanks Stretch.

[ridin gaijin]

A drama-free operation. It took about 20 minutes, though the tank was already off.

The Purolator F20011 cost $3.99 + tax at Advance Auto Parts, though the guy had to look for it in back.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the tank interior clean, the mesh filter looking about as good as I suppose it ever did, and all gaskets & hoses still intact and usable. For a bike nearing 40k that got a lot of its fillups in dusty New Mexico, I'm happy. All should be well assuming the filter works.

[FrostedFlake]

Just a heads up, the Advance Auto Parts I went to today said the Purolator F20011 is now in a plastic, not metal housing.  They confirmed that it was metal in the past, but had recently changed.  I had them dig around to see if any metal ones were left over, but no luck.  Your mileage may vary, but if you find a store that has some, might want to stock up.

[EvilBetty]

Yeah the one folks have been installing is plastic.  I was a little nervous about that so I went with the BMW filter.