Upgraded Fuel Filter

donaldusmc2003 · July 27, 2014

Anyone upgraded the fuel filter yet? Would this void the warranty on the fuel system?

https://www.injectorsdirect.com/product/duramax-cat-fuel-filter-adapter/

Silverado4x4 · July 27, 2014

Why would you want to put an adapter on to go with a 2 micron fuel filter when you can buy a replacement 2 micron filter,

DaveH71 · July 27, 2014

Stock A/c Delco fuel filters are 2 micron now and have been since about 2005ish. It's a duel media filter, one 10 micron and the other 2 micron.

donaldusmc2003 · July 28, 2014

I was just looking at options. What i read online was the stock micron filters were 10 thus causing problems with the injectors. Thats good news that the ac delco ones are better quality now.

DaveH71 · July 28, 2014

Stock A/C delco are made Racor and are a very efficient option. It's hard to get anything better unless you're looking into an air dog, Fass, etc.

newdude · July 28, 2014

I was just looking at options. What i read online was the stock micron filters were 10 thus causing problems with the injectors. Thats good news that the ac delco ones are better quality now.

The ACDelco filter was updated in 2009 or so and replace the old design filter. All trucks since 2009 have had the new one as factory equipment.

DaveH71 · July 29, 2014

Yup it was updated in 2009, my mistake. Here is a quick summary of the TSB http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/76-speciality-forums/64-maintenance-fluids/297591-new-updated-fuel-filter-released.html

Here is the GM part number = GM #12633243

Cowpie · February 22, 2015

I knew it even before I clicked on the link that it would have something to do with a Cat filter. Cat doesn't even make their own filters, the majority are made by Donaldson. Not sure what this fascination is with going with that 2 micron Cat filter. The Jeep Liberty diesel crowd did this same thing with some undesirable results.

The diesel engine OEM's have set up their fuels pumps and rail systems for a particular micron rated filter. You start screwing with that and you are inviting problems. Decreasing the micron rating from OEM spec also puts more work on the fuel pump to get fuel thru there. It may not, but it can cause excessive pump wear. Go price a new fuel injector/rail pump sometime. After well over 4 million miles of dealing with diesels and their problems, I am FIRMLY in the camp that one should stick with filters that meet the OEM spec for their engine. One can always use a different brand, but that filter should cross reference to the OEM filter. Diesels and their injection systems are very finicky things. In my last 3 heavy diesels, 1 taken to 1.4 million miles, the next to 986,000 miles, and my current one now with 368,000 miles, I only had to replace 1 injector, total, in all that time and using 10 micron filters meeting OEM specs. That one injector was at over 1 million miles on the first of these engines.

And only those that have no experience with diesel laced with biodiesel, which is more common that one might think, and going with something like a 2 micron filter, and that weather gets cool. Nothing like having to change fuel filters all the time. Even Cat will recommend going to a 10 micron filter in winter months. But so many folks know so much more than the people who actually build the engines. But feel free to experiment.

JaronM3 · March 7, 2015

You always add a lift pump with a 10 micron filter and water separator. Check out FASS or AirDog pumps.

Cowpie · March 8, 2015

Correct. The most prudent way to play the other than OEM filter game is to install a lift pump along with a filter or go with something like Air Dog or FASS which does the lift pump thing internally. One of those systems will do far more than any Cat filter mod will do.

audioworks04 · December 9, 2016

Most do the CAT filter "upgrade" because the flow rate and micron rating is the same as or better than factory and the filters cost 1/3 as much as an oem or equivalent.

Cowpie · December 10, 2016

But, the filter specifications of the OEM are taking into consideration the pump and system of the vehicle. You start messing with that without also compensating for the changes can lead to problems down the road. I have no problem with tighter micron rating, but a lift pump should be used to provide a positive pressure on the supply side so the pump is not having to work harder to get fuel thru the filter. The stock fuel pump already has a tough enough job to do.

I have not been convinced that there is a need for such a low micron filter. Many commercial diesels go well over 1 million miles without fuel system problems using 7-10 micron filters. And with the move to have more biodiesel in the pump diesel blends, using a 2 micron could be a problem, especially in cold weather. And per the EPA and the FTC, pumps are not required to have stickers on them if the biodiesel blend is less than 5%. So don't get the idea that because a pump doesn't say bio blend on it that your diesel is not spiked.

As for cost, just find and alternative make filter that matches the OEM version at a lower cost. All the major filter manufacturers make stock spec filters. Get your filters from commercial truck supply locations or online. Yes, they cater to the Dmax crowd, as the majority of HD pickups are used commercially. And you are willing to risk a several thousand dollar fuel pump and system just to save a few bucks on a filter? Ok. Your call.