We had our new filter, just...
We had our new filter, just in case. Our filter top had a provision where the only tool needed was a socket drive to loosen the top and gain access to the filter.
So biodiesel had proven that it could make just as much power as regular diesel on the dyno, but had it done anything to our engine? Since we actually had been running some biodiesel in our tank for a couple of weeks now, we decided to check to see if the fuel filter was showing any signs of particles or getting clogged up-another fear attached to running biodiesel. The rumor is that biodiesel cleans out your tank and any deposits may go straight into your filter and clog it up. Luckily, the fuel filter was easy to check on our Ford, so we took it out and found...nothing. To make sure it wasn't getting all gummed up, we pried the filter apart too, but the filter still showed no signs of deposits or particles. It's possible that we didn't run biodiesel long enough to clog the filter (or our fuel system doesn't have any deposits in it), so if you are worried about that, we would suggest carrying a spare filter or putting in an additional inline fuel filter. Also, if you are running in very cold weather (below freezing), use a mix of regular and bio just to be safe. As for us, bringing biodiesel into our lives seemed to have no ill effects. Our truck ran fine, made good power, and showed that biodiesel may be just as good or better than its petroleum-based counterpart.
 New gaskets come with the...  New gaskets come with the fuel filter-use them! Also take a quick glance at the directions, our first inclination led us to have the gaskets installed upside-down. |  To make sure we weren't missing...  To make sure we weren't missing anything, we pried the stock filter apart and checked for signs of blockage. The verdict was still negative. |  Stock versus new: The color...  Stock versus new: The color change is from the fuel, but at this point we didn't see anything to indicate that the old filter was having any issues. |
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