296 filter kit ? instal maybe ?

[dugite]

The balance tube sounds like a good idea - thanks. It  could  make filling a little more convenient

[yerriyong]

An important note to remember is if you look at the flow path when the filter is out you will see that the dirty fuel go's into the top of the filter not the bowl where it should the reason for this is that the 296 is an old system filter (an agglomerator) which is designed to be installed on the pressure side of the lift pump (where the 169a is on the 4bd1) so installing on the suction side of the lift pump it is best to connect the inlet and outlet in the reverse of the arrows shown on the filter head. 

[David]

Yerriyong
regarding your comment

My 2 bob, Not too change sedimenter for filter, sedimenter performs an important job,

I understood most 296 filters have a sedimenter incorporated, mine was certainly sold as a filter/sedimenter and it removes any water, glycerol etc out of the biofuel.  I can't see how a sedimenter alone would improve on this, but I am no expert so would like to hear your view.

What does the standalone sedimenter do that a 296 filter/sedimenter doesn't do?

The only downside I was told about was that the lift pump is designed for flow through a single filter, and putting a second filter in may cause earlier failure, but that this can be overcome with an additional electric pump at the tank if it worries.
The upsides are no issues with the banjo bolt filter which is now clean at every service, easy to see when the sedimenter bowl needs to be emptied, additional filter before the injectors in unlikely event one fails, simple easy to replace filters (and in bulk Delphi filters are quite cheap on feebay)

I have had glass bowl filters for several years and they have never chipped, however I have fashioned a galvanised bash plate Ubolted to the chassis for the passenger side one that is more exposed.  I was told the only downside was they can get sandblasted and hard to see through, but I haven't seen this.  The glass means you can tell at a glance if the bowl needs to be drained.
Offroading for an emergency I carry a readily available spare glass, seals, and 296 filters, and  one of the old sedimenters but have never had to use them.  Every time I have bought a new filter it comes with the 2 seals one for between the filter and glass, and one for between the filter and the housing so have had no issue with seals. 

regards
David

[yerriyong]

Hello David, the 296 filter does not technically have a sedimenter, the system is an agglomerator, when it is mounted on the pressure side of the   lift pump the fuel is forced down through the filter and the water particles are supposed to conglomerate in the bottom of the bowl. If you reverse the connections the fuel will go through the bowl first then your bowl is a small sedimenter. The sedimenter on the chassis is only for catching heavier debry and water and will always work better than the filter bowl because it holds more fuel and has a cone baffle.
I have been using 296 filters as a primary filter for many years for outback travel and the last 20 years on all of my tractors and generators without any flow issues, they cant be used on common rail because of flow rates and biofuel would only be an issue if the viscosity was much heavier than diesel. There are lots of other good filters out there but for me traveling remote areas they are common and cheap, the glass bowl is a personal choice, I have chipped and broken them when the filter has been mounted in a tight location and it is one less spare I need to carry and for being able to see whats in your bowl I have found after ten thousand k's there hasn't been much to see in the bowl. I do think if you choose to have a see through bowl  the glass is a better option than the plastic which I have found to go brittle in a couple of years from the diesel. This is only my experience and I encourage you to research.  Thanks Dave.   

[David]

After some more reading I know a little bit more about the difference between sedimenters and agglomerators.  I read the sedimenters use the difference in specific gravity to separate water from fuel and that agglomerators remove fine particles of water from the fuel.  It seems if you have lots of water (or I guess anything with a different specific gravity to diesel) in your fuel a sedimenter is a good idea but otherwise an agglomerator only is fine.
Any way my agglomerator works fine so I will stick with it for now, thanks for your views Yerriyong.
regards
david

[yerriyong]

For those people that are fitting extra aux fuel tanks and plumbing them into the breather on existing tanks which was what I had done, I have found that main tanks were getting air locks and not filling to the top, which when you think about it makes sense if fuel is going in where air needs to escape, so what I have found on closer inspection is that on top of the tank forward of the fuel pick up there is a small square plate about the size of a match box with 2 screws fixing it, when you remove it, it is another tank access to plumb an aux fuel line by brazing a fitting in the plate, and since my issues have been solved. Dave.

[Notlongnow]

Ripper Dave, that is great information. I was just about to rip out the fuel filler neck to braze in a fitting to fill it from the aux tank - this is MUCH easier!

[yerriyong]

Paul while you are at the filler necks a good mod is to braze/ weld a elbow on each and have a 38mm bridge between the 2 tanks so you can fill from either side, the hose is 38mm fuel transfer same as fire suction hose but black from a store like clarke rubber. Dave

[Notlongnow]

Thanks Dave, good suggestion, but thanks to your info, I won't need to remove the filler neck which looks like a messy job. The vehicle is stripped down at the moment so can't be driven, and there is a lot of fuel in the tanks. A wiser man would have made sure both tanks were near empty before stripping down......

I have a 180 litre auxiliary tank which fills from the RHS. I will regard the left tank basically as an emergency tank and mostly just use the RHS tanks.

Cheers, Paul

[yerriyong]

What location did you end up using for your aux tank.

[Rob6x6]

Thanks blokes,
I have a 330 litre tank to plump in.  Looking at all possibilities.   Great Stuff.
Cheers Rob

[Notlongnow]

What location did you end up using for your aux tank.

Dave, it sits between the chassis rails. I removed the original body and will build the camper from scratch. You can see here the sub-chassis that will support the camper body. (If I have worked out how to insert a picture)

[yerriyong]

Looks great Paul, going on the geometry you be able to have the simplicity of gravity feed to your main tanks without the hassle of over filling with the top of your main tanks being higher than the aux tank. I see there is room behind that tank for a water tank potentially. I know it is a bit of a pain to remove the filler neck but if you did you could fill both that main and aux tanks from that one point.

[Notlongnow]

Thanks Dave, the picture is a bit deceptive - the top of the vehicle tank is actually about midway up the aux tank, so I wouldn't like to risk fuel seeping out the top of the vehicle tank where the fuel gauge, inlet and outlet etc enter the tank. I have an auxiliary fuel pump which thanks to your suggestion will feed into that little plate. I have added wiring that will automatically switch off the aux pump when the right tank is three-quarters full.

And yes, I have (had) two 90 litre water tanks behind the fuel tank. They are heading back to Brisbane to get faulty threads repaired.....

Last week I drove up to Queensland to collect the fibreglass sandwich panels, so hopefully can start the build soon. Everything takes longer than we think!

Cheers, Paul

[Ford Blitz]

In case there is interest I just installed the 296 filters into the existing water seperators. Just a couple of longer bolts required and the two filters. Works a treat.