Is there a 'How To' for an inline fuel filter?

[hacc81]

Hey guys,

Spring is coming soon :2tup: and I'll be able to use the bike everyday!! :rawk:So I'd like to install an inline fuel filter to my bike, but I don't seem to find a How To for this procedure. I know that probably is a very easy installation, but I'd like to see at least a photo(s) of the installation process before I intent to do it myself... Being a new rider and just starting to learn how to maintain a bike (and also being fuel involved) I don't want to mess it up and potentially create a problem instead of an improvement...

I already searched "inline fuel filter" and there are a lot of comments and reasons to do it, but I didn't find a How To...
Has any of you done this How To :??: Or anyone that has done this installation, could you please take a picture of the filter fully installed in order to have a better idea of the proper position?
One last thing, how much length of fuel hose should I cut to install the filter? Should I cut the proportional length of the filter (about 1.5 inches) or maybe less (1 inch perhaps)?

Thanks a lot guys, :2tup:
hacc81

[blaine]

I don't have a picture,but it is pretty straight forward.You need to cut out the same length of hose as the length of the main body of the filter.(about 1 1/4)Just make sure the filter is pointed in the proper direction.The filter has a direction arrow on it.
:) :cool:

[jonathan180iq]

http://www.payneseal.com/images/fuelfilter.jpg

Very simple. This image should give you an idea.

[hacc81]

Hey guys, thanks both for your info.
Jonathan180iq, thanks a lot for the photo... This really will help me! :2tup:

This forum is a really good source of information for newbies like me to learn about your bike and how to start fixing it and improving it... I really appreciate it :cool:
PS: When I finish the filter installation I'll post some pictures too.

[hacc81]

Very simple. This image should give you an idea.
Hey jonathan180iq, just one last question. Which is the size of the fuel filter? 1/4" or 5/16"? Neither?
Thanks again. :whistle:

[blaine]

It should be 5/16".The 1/4" would be too small. :cool: :)

[alanmcorcoran]

Good picture. I may actually do this mod. Looks like you need a scissors and a screwdriver. Anybody have any "cons" against it? (Has anyone done it and wish they hadn't?)

Where do you buy the filter? Online (Bike Bandit?) Any particular brands recommended?

Will the gas leak out when I cut the tube? If so, just drain it into a bottle or something and then pour it back in when I'm done?

Sorry to be so dense, but putting on the windshield, changing the oil and charging the battery are about as far afield as I've ventured.

[bonehead]

Any auto parts store for the filter. Yes , you will loose gas if the supply line is not pinched off or if you don't first drain the tank. I can't see any drawback to installing a filter. We call that style of fuel filter a "pancake" filter. Just need to get the i.d. of the hose so you get the one to fit.

[alanmcorcoran]

Thanks bone. If I do it I'll post a photo of my handiwork. I've got to redo my bags - nephew re-installed them too low after he put on the sissy/rack. That's my next project, then I'll get the filter. I have a variety of clamps from woodworking toolset that might work to pinch off the tube temporarily.

[bonehead]

Thanks bone. If I do it I'll post a photo of my handiwork. I've got to redo my bags - nephew re-installed them too low after he put on the sissy/rack. That's my next project, then I'll get the filter. I have a variety of clamps from woodworking toolset that might work to pinch off the tube temporarily.
While you're at the parts store, there is a small brake line clamp the has a round clamp on it and as you screw it tight it restricts the flow. Small, inexpensive, and handy to have on hand. :2tup:

[blaine]

You should go to a bike shop and get the proper filter for two reasons.The filters at the auto store are going to be too big to fit in the small area.Also the filters at the auto stores are designed for vehicles with fuel pumps, and have denser filtering material that will restrict the flow of fuel in a gravity feed system.(been there,done that). :2tup: :cool:

[Water Warrior 2]

There should not be any fuel loss from the tank when you remove the gas line from the petcock. The only gas to flow will be in the line itself. When the engine is off there is no vacuum to open the petcock for fuel flow. Just make sure the petcock is not in the prime position. Remove the gas line from the other end too and take it down to the local auto parts store. They will have a variety of filters to choose from. A longer skinnier one may fit better. Anything for a riding lawn more, snowmobile or bike will be adequate. You can also get the little clamps for the fuel line. The little wire clamps that are already on the fuel line are good enough to do the job so a couple more for the filter will be perfect.

[blaine]

There should not be any fuel loss from the tank when you remove the gas line from the petcock. The only gas to flow will be in the line itself. When the engine is off there is no vacuum to open the petcock for fuel flow. Just make sure the petcock is not in the prime position. Remove the gas line from the other end too and take it down to the local auto parts store. They will have a variety of filters to choose from. A longer skinnier one may fit better. Anything for a riding lawn more, snowmobile or bike will be adequate. You can also get the little clamps for the fuel line. The little wire clamps that are already on the fuel line are good enough to do the job so a couple more for the filter will be perfect.

:plus1: :plus1: :tup:

[Slagugglan]

I've found this and it's extremely cheap... do you think it's ok to buy?

http://cgi.ebay.it/Blue-ALUMINUM-FUEL-FILTER-XR50-CRF50-XR-CRF-50-70-BIKE-/320711673693?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item4aabe7c75d#shId

[blaine]

I've found this and it's extremely cheap... do you think it's ok to buy?

http://cgi.ebay.it/Blue-ALUMINUM-FUEL-FILTER-XR50-CRF50-XR-CRF-50-70-BIKE-/320711673693?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item4aabe7c75d#shId
They look o.k.I like the clear ones better,as you can see at a glance if you are getting fuel,or if the filter is dirty.
:)

[jonathan180iq]

No need to use Ebay. You can get small inline fuel filters at just about any place that sells things to do with motors.
-Small engine repair shops
-Home improvement stores
-Wal-Mart
-Advance Auto Parts

...Just about anywhere.

[Gz Rider]

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[blaine]

All the small filters are meant for gravity feed systems.You get in trouble if you try to use a automotive type filter that is meant to be used with a fuel pump.
:cool: :)

[jonathan180iq]

No need to use Ebay. You can get small inline fuel filters at just about any place that sells things to do with motors.
-Small engine repair shops
-Home improvement stores
-Wal-Mart
-Advance Auto Parts

...Just about anywhere.

Not all fuel filters have the same flow rate. How do you know which is correct for this bike?

It's a single cylinder, 250cc, gravity fed engine. I highly doubt that the flow rate of a fuel filter will be a problem.
If you walk into a bike shop, do you ask them about flow rates when they hand you the universal filter they have hanging on the wall? Of course not. We just kind of assume that because it's made for a motorcycle that it's better.

If it's good enough for a 15Hp Briggs, it's good enough for the GZ ;)

(That being said, I do have a "motorcycle specific" fuel filter on my bike but I also have one on the Murray riding mower because they were on sale and they are clear so I can keep a better eye on it.) But for small engines like this, a fuel filter is a fuel filter.

[Gz Rider]

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[alantf]

Call me overcautious.

"You're overcautious" :crackup (I assume that was an order) :crackup (Hope you understand English humour :) )

[jonathan180iq]

No, because I wouldn't buy a universal oil filter. I buy the suzuki oil filter so that I know it's right. That's my MO as when I used to mess with things like this, they sometimes blew up in my face.

I would like to put a fuel filter on this but without some kind a data showing what I'm doing is correct, I won't. Call me overcautious.

Mr. Overcautious,
I assume you mean fuel filter and not oil filter.

But as far as data goes regarding the gas flow rate of the GZ250 carb/engine, here's a little bit:

-100% of the people who use a fuel filter on their bike did not ask about flow rates of the filter. There have been 0% posts about a fuel filter not flowing enough gas to the engine, unless the master mechanic failed to notice the arrow dictating flow direction and installed the thing in reverse.

I would attempt to try and manually figure out the flow rate of the Gz carb, but I don't have the fluid capacity of the float bowl on hand and I can't seem to find it online. Even at 100% capacity though, the vacuum of the engine is what draws fuel from the tank, down the line, and into the carb. Unless the filtering media was a block of wood, the vacuum created will suck as much gas as needed, metered by the float. And since the filtering media is not a block of wood, but little more than a porous fiber material, I see no possible way that it could be seen as a restriction.

Another tidbit, 100% of the bikes sold at my local Honda dealership have the exact same fuel filter installed... a universal one. And I highly doubt the flow rate of those bikes are the same.

http://cgi.stanford.edu/~sanjayd/gs500/uploads/Upgrades/filter.jpg

I also had this very same fuel filter installed on my GZ and it worked without a problem. (There's some more data.) :neener:
If you were to walk into any motorcycle dealership in the world and ask for an inline fuel filter, they will probably hand you what I have pictured above and could care less about what bike you have because it doesn't matter.

Remember, unlike cars, we are not dealing with a pressurized fuel system. Fuel flow is simply a drain from the bottom of the tank + engine vacuum to suck it faster when needed. :cool:

Conclusion: Don't over-think it, man. Without a fuel filter, the only think keeping gunk and debris out of your carb is a lousy mesh screen sticking up from the petcock into the tank. It's good enough to keep out leaves and frogs, but the tiny stuff that causes carb blockages gets past that screen. A fuel filter is $3 maintenance that lasts anywhere from 5,000 - 10,000 miles. Flow rates don't matter.

[blaine]

I have used that same filter on every bike and small engine that i owned.I have never had a fuel flow problem with any of them.
:)

[Gz Rider]

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[Gz Rider]

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[5th_bike]

I would attempt to try and manually figure out the flow rate of the Gz carb, but I don't have the fluid capacity of the float bowl on hand and I can't seem to find it online.

Imagine you drive 70 miles per hour on a bike that uses one gallon for 70 miles... could it be that the flow rate is then... one gallon per hour?

One gallon being 231 cubic inches, the fluid velocity in the hose, assuming it is ¼" diameter, is the flow rate divided by the area of the hose:
231/(?·¼·¼/4) = almost 4706 inches per hour, which is about 6.5 feet per minute, or a breathtaking 1.31 inches per second, or 0.074 mph.

When you drive slower, the flow rate becomes less than one gallon per hour.

Thus, here is the rule of thumb: In 5th gear, the velocity of the fuel in the hose is about one thousand times slower than the bike. :2tup:

[blaine]

I prefer not to over think.It flows plenty. :poke2: :roll:

[Gz Rider]

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[Gz Rider]

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[Water Warrior 2]

I prefer not to over think.It flows plenty. :poke2: :roll:

I question everything. Well, not everything but at least more than average. :)
I'm still questioning my decision to get married to my 1st wife. If the good die young she is immortal.

[Blitzburgh7sb]

I find the best filter is the tube paper ones, auto stores carry them. Remember you need to filter better than the one already in the tank. If not then what is the purpose? That means that many of the "cleanable" ones, mesh, etc are no better than stock.

[mrlmd1]

And the plastic see-through ones are better than the metal cans, so you can see what's going on inside of them. They won't melt unless right up against a hot engine block so they are very safe.

[fairweatherrider]

http://www.payneseal.com/images/fuelfilter.jpg

Very simple. This image should give you an idea.
hey Jonathan. Nice install job on the fuel filter. Is it a 5/16 ID or 1/4. I just ordered a 5/16, same type as yours. It didn't come in yet but I bought a piece of 5/16 hose for a spare 'just in case'

[jonathan180iq]

Thanks.
That filter is actually installed on a Ninja 250 but the concept is the same for all bikes.
You know, a picture is worth 1000 words.

http://oels.byu.edu/student/idioms/proverbs/images/pic_thousand_words.jpg