Was it karma? or "Why Glass Fuel Filters Suck"

[FFredo]

Well guys (and gals) I have about 5 friends coming over in a few minutes to help me push the truck up into the "repair facility" AKA top of my driveway. I already pulled the ruined front glass and all of the carpeting out I figured that's about 100 lbs. Work has been slow due to this heat, over 100* yesterday.
OrrieG, I like that filter you are using I'm going to use the same one since there is a NAPA close to the house.

[_Ogre]

just read this thread, wow, that sucks big time
have to buy (and mount) a fire extinguisher in truk

[hsdropout]

Wow FFredo............really sorry for you about that. You had already put quite a bit of time into that truck.
Pretty much an eye opener...........anything can go wrong at any time.
Glad no one got seriously hurt.

[FFredo]

Big thanks to the guys. "damn the heat, lets get this rig moved".

I'm a bit nervous what this will cost me in cold beers though.
Notice the black flames I had painted on the hood. I prefer them over the real ones that were there early this week. Tomorrow should see the removal of the doors, seats, steering, pedals, dash cluster, and hood.
I've decided to tear it down to it's bones and start fresh. We'll see how that plan goes.



The obligatory "BUTT" shot.

[FFredo]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

OH MAN! Fredo, I feel SO bad for you. (Not to mention this reminds me to FINALLY bolt in that Halon fire extinguisher I have for my truck!)

I bet you feel good (if that's possible) that you got the gas tank out of the cab before this happened, huh?

Well, as other have already said at least you're ok....well, except for the fists full of hair you probably pulled outta your head when this was happening!

So, will a cab remove/replace now be in order to replace the mounts and to clean up/paint behind the dash?

Dan right on all counts. I'm going to get it done right this time and I just got home from buy 2 fire extinguishers. One for each car.

[gmc 2500 4x4]

thanx for this post ffredo, i had one on my '68 442 olds years ago cause it looked cool. all stock and in the carb where it belongs now!! hope ya getter back into shape soon....paul

[Wheelie]

Sorry to hear that!! Thats why I keep a fire extinguisher in mine cause this scares the **** out of me.

[motornut]

wow sorry to see that
i had a 79 mini burn up
I had just filled the tank wasn't even out of the pump area
started it heard a pop and saw smoke,popped the hood
lucky it was a mini i pushed it out
a few tries with fire extinguishers and the fire dept used some yellow powder like stuff
bout 4000,damage insurance paid ,never found out what happened
got a plastic type in the 78

[Mike Bradbury]

Ugh that is a bummer, I hard lined all my fuel lines and I found a nice cleanable filter at the big three swap last year.



Reading this story makes me want to reroute the line a bit higher away from the intake manifold.



.

[oldcouple]

I took the entire fuel line out of an Astro/Safari van, it uses a metal canister filter that installs inline about half way from the tank, fit up inside the frame rail nice and tight.

[MrBeast]

Man that is hard luck, and that is not the first thread like this I have seen on this site alone. I really hope that you can get your truck back together. It is too much of a classic to see it go to the grave.

[mrtankone]

i have a glass filter on my truck that is going to be replaced before i start my truck again . im sorry for your truck catching on fire. is there a in cab fire extinguisher that anybody recomends.

[kelsfine69]

Originally Posted by OrrieG

Here is what I am using. It has a replaceable filter inside. Got it at NAPA.

Just a FYI..I have one of these now and its about 8 years old. It started leaking out the seal and I though oh no biggie. Took it apart and the square o-ring was all disintegrated like it was contaminated with a foreign fuel?? So I bought a new o-ring with filter(cannot find just the o-ring) and checked the surfaces for burrs, dirt, etc...For the life of me I cannot get it to stop leaking..I have had it apart like 8 times and it still leaks...Truing to find something better.

[B_Hix]

First of all man I'm REALLY sorry for what happend to you. I know it's no consolation, but about 3 months after I bought my 49 (before I started the body work thank God) I started it to let it warm up in the driveway as it was winter.

I went in the house to grab my stuff to leave for work and heard a thundering crash. Ran outside and my truck was missing. It caught reverse as it warmed up, launched off my driveway, down a 40 degree hill, hit a tree stump, spun hard to the left, through the neighbors back yard and lodged high cerntered on their retaining wall, about 1-foot more and it would have dropped 5 feet off the wall.

Destroyed both metal running boards, drivers side front and rear fender and most of the front suspension after going over the stump. Lots of other dents and scratches but comparably minor.

If it is any consolation, this only re-doubled my determination to save the truck. Again, really sorry for what happend!

ALL - for what it is worth, I have used those clear Spectre filters on numerous vehicles for over 20 years - they are fine if you make sure they don't touch anything - any vibration on that glass and it will eventually shatter. Had a guy in town lose a 50K 55 chevy car - same problem. Just make sure they are suspended in open space and you're fine - if they touch anything there will be trouble.

Lastly - after the hot wire from my MSD to battery POS shorted out from prolonged rubbing and caught my under carpet insulation on fire I ALWAYS - ALWAYS have a fire extinguisher in my vehicle. When this happened I didn't and I had to rip off the positive battery cable (battery is behind the seat), rip the seat up (pulled metal screws out in a adrenaline panic) and put the burning insulation out with my bare hands (2nd degree burns) I learned my lesson. ALWAYS HAVE A EXTINGUISHER!

[Pyrotechnic]

I had one too and it was OK for awhile, but one day I went to clean it and as I was tightening it all back up, the glass cracked.

The best filter for rubber line and hose clamps is this one:



That's the filter you want to be running. It's a Wix 33033. All metal can for 3/8 line.

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...&keyword=33033

http://napaonline.com/Catalog/Catalo...033_0320228303

http://www.fleetfilter.com/filter/33033.html

Even the plastic Fram G3 and it''s clones, that look like this



..don't seem all that safe to me. Don't get me wrong, I've known plenty of people that have run them and I myself have run a few of them too and never had an issue, but one day I was watching my motor run and noticed the plastic housing was PULSATING with the fuel pump. That was enough for me to go look for a metal can filter. Though I'm sure these plastic ones are plenty durable, it just makes more sense to run the metal can filter that has a 60 PSI burst pressure, especially if it's under the hood next to a hot motor.

[BruthaMan]

Glad you are OK, Fred. It could have been a lot worse. Sounds like you have a great local FD.

Friend of mine's truck burned to the ground a few years ago. I posted some pics in this thread. There was nothing left to salvage.

Have a similar glass filter in my '72, was there when I bought it. Will be picking up the filter Pyrotechnic recommended, today. Not going to take anything for granted, love my truck too much!

[VWNate1]

Actually ;

If you take the time to source up the right O-Rings they're fine , they just don't filter much do to the screen used inside them .

I have plenty of these as I remove them from all vehicles that pass through my hands but the fire wasn't caused by the filter per se , it was por installation or failure to service it on a regular basis .

I now use the WIX/NAPA clear plastic ones because there's so much bad fuel out there , I keep a spare in the glovebox and chang it wherever I am when it truns bron or has crud in it , much easier than cleaning the carby .

[1978chevybigten]

today my brother paid the price for running the glass filter. everything under the dash is toast and all engine wiring is gone battery blew up window cracked. im just glad he made it out ok.!

[Mike Bradbury]

VDog brings up a good point. Although these filters are prone to abnormal failure I feel strongly that it is mostly due to where it installed.
When we go camping invariably an empty beer bottle or two gets put in the fire. We then like to see them crack by spitting on the hot glass (childish but boys out in the desert drinking beer what do you expect). It only takes one good hit with roughly 95* spit to bust that glass like a rock hit it. If the filter is plumbed anywhere near the top of the engine then there is a huge amount of heat coming off the intake manifold and heads. when you apply the gas and the fuel pump starts sucking cooler gas through the hot glass then it stand a good chance to break.

I personally do not use them anymore because they just do not filter that well for my original fuel tank that probably has a bunch of sediment in it. I really feel bad for you guys who have lost all or part of your ride because of your filter, but for you guys who are reading this and have chosen to keep these junk filters, move them to a cooler location, even if that means lifting them up off the top of the engine 6 inches. I am just pointing out the physics of expansion and contraction.

[VWNate1]

I wasn't going to say anything but you made an ergregious error there so I'll address it :

The proper and safest location is just in front of the carby , nowhere else .

These pictures clearly show the filter was not placed on top of the engine where it's safest , I doubt the filter caused this engine fire because if had , there wouldn't be any fuel hose left ~ notice the vacuum hoses all burned up but the primary fuel hose didn't .

Poor maintanance cuses most underhood fires , the guilty just don't want to accept thier blame .

[Highsider]

I have been creeped out since this story first posted. :-)
I use the NAPA metal style filter as Pyro posted, with worm-gear hose clamps.
They get checked for snugness every time I mess around under the hood.

[mknittle]

The safest place for a glass fuel filter is in the box it came in!

[Billett]

I run a plastic one up and away from the engine a bit, but this was just how the p.o. already had it. I haven't had problems yet, but I'm about to start an audio install for the truck and now I'm definitely going to.find a place for.an extinguisher as well.




Posted via Mobile Device

[NEWFISHER]

Hey Billit, move that thing up front and away from the red hot exhaust manifold. If those clamps start to leak fuel, it will drop straight down on the exhaust manifold!

[Billett]

I don't know about them getting red hot haha, but I was going to keep it about the same place front to back and just slide it over a bit so it drips on the frame instead. I'd like to move it altogether, into the frame rail, but I don't have to the time to do that just yet.