How to use a Baja filter-funnel ?

[SvenG]

Since we're in Baja we went and picked up a Baja filter/funnel.

Once we'd tried it it was a bit of a shock to see that the last 1/2" of fuel in the funnel can't be drained into the tank. That's half a cup of diesel (assuming no water) trapped in the funnel with no obvious way of getting it out.

Any tricks for getting around this design flaw ?

Thanks,



-Sven

[GordMay]

That's contaminated/residual fuel, of which you dispose - the entire reason to use the Baja Filter Funnel.

"... In addition to water and sediment, a small amount of residual fuel remains in this filter's sump after use all of which must be disposed of properly ..."

[Dos Gatos]

Working as designed. The volume in the funnel that you can't access is the space that would otherwise be occupied by any carp.

It can't magically disappear.

( for kicks you could pour some water into the funnel to see if the fuel floats up into the screen )

I carried a baja filter and used it once. After seeing the same results you did I never bothered with it again.

Bought gas for the dinghy at busy Pemex stations and never had a problem.

[SvenG]

No, that's all diesel, no water. 1/2 a cup of clean diesel left over.

There is no filter screen below the 1/2" lip.

The design flaw is bad enough to make us too discard it and just rely on the Racor separator.



-Sven

[SvenG]

Originally Posted by Dos Gatos

( for kicks you could pour some water into the funnel to see if the fuel floats up into the screen )

I found that as advice in one of the reviews at the WM site.



-Sven

[Jim Cate]

Sven, what we have done for years is to keep a 4 litre jug and pour off the remnant diesel into the jug. After a number of uses, there is enough collected to then pour through the filter. It is also handy sometimes to have a bit of diesel at hand for washing winch parts, etc.

Incidentally, I think that the raised lip is meant to provide a place for junk to settle if you have badly contaminated fuel. Otherwise the sediment would tend to clog the screen and reduce the already slow flow rate.

Cheers,

Jim

[Kettlewell]

One thing that usually helps is to purchase fuel from wherever the fishing boats are buying it, if possible. They use a lot and can't afford to be fooling around with fuel problems. I have used a filter all over the US, in the Bahamas, and down to Colombia, and I have yet to get a really bad load of fuel, but I do avoid purchasing from any place that isn't busy.

[SvenG]

Thanks.

An extra can for the leftovers could make sense, we'd just have to figure out where to store it.

When possible we do buy from the busiest fuel docks when there is a choice.

So far we've only picked up fuel in Turtle Bay, Cabo San Lucas and La Paz, but the Racor has not shown a drop of water yet.



-Sven

[jeremiason]

SvenG

We spent about 17 months in Pacific Mexico from Puerto Penasco to Puerto Madera (Chiapas) and never found contaminted fuel.

Several times we would use the Baja Filter for the first couple of gallons and when we found no residue or water we poured directly into the tanks.

In Central America we did use the Baja Filter and more than once found water and/or residue.

The answer to your orginal question is simple... Diesel Fuel Floats on Water. So the Baja Filter retains a certin amount of fuel to ensure the water does not go into your diesel tank. It is not a design flaw.

[Kettlewell]

Sometimes if I'm feeling lucky I just run one funnel full of fuel and see if it is catching any crud and then if it looks good I just go direct into the tank for the rest. Chances are it will either all be good or all bad.

[model 10]

How do you clean the last couple of filter elements in a Baja Filter anyway? Compressed air would be nice. They are so fine, anything you touch them with makes them even more dirty. Turns out for us anyway, it's just a another smelly object in a locker that you may need someday, maybe.

[nhschneider]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

One thing that usually helps is to purchase fuel from wherever the fishing boats are buying it, if possible. They use a lot and can't afford to be fooling around with fuel problems. I have used a filter all over the US, in the Bahamas, and down to Colombia, and I have yet to get a really bad load of fuel, but I do avoid purchasing from any place that isn't busy.

My brother and I were bringing his boat back to the US from Mexico and filled three brand new fuel jugs at the fuel dock in Cabo San Lucas, a very busy port for fishing boats, charter boats, mega- yachts, cruisers, etc and when we went to transfer the fuel from the jugs into the tanks, we were dismayed to find a lot of water and dirt in the fuel.

Whereas I would typically agree with your advice, dirty fuel can be acquired from the busiest of fuel docks.

Fair winds and calm seas.

[John A]

I had access plates installed on my fuel tanks when I had my fuel/tanks cleaned prior to leaving the SF Bay.
I always refueled my boat via the Baha filter and Jerry cans, and by the time I'd reached Panama there where chunks of crap in the bottom of the Jerry cans! Before each sailing season one of the duties was to dismantle the filter and clean each filter.

I always carried spare Racor filters and if I failed to keep a close eye on the amount of crap that the Racor would trap, I'd need to make an emergency Racor filter replacement while underway. Before each sailing season I'd completely dismantle the Racor unit and clean it. And it needed it!

One time in Trinidad I had all of the fuel removed from the tanks and replaced with new fuel, after I'd had the tanks steam cleaned.

Clean fuel??? Always??? Really??? That's not what I found!

[SvenG]

Originally Posted by jeremiason

The answer to your orginal question is simple... Diesel Fuel Floats on Water. So the Baja Filter retains a certin amount of fuel to ensure the water does not go into your diesel tank. It is not a design flaw.

That argument doesn't hold water ... so to speak.

The water is in suspension in the fuel as it enters the funnel. The Baja filter elements are hydrophobic and that is what separates the water from the diesel, not settling out due to density differences. Aside: Suspended, not dissolved, as I'm sure water is immiscible in diesel.

In the Racor in-line filters on the other hand it is slow laminar flow that allows the water to settle out in the bottom of the bowl, as you suggest.

So the lip is a design flaw unless it serves some other purpose which hasn't been mentioned here.

Still obviously appreciate your answer.



-Sven

[captain58sailin]

I always run the fuel through the baja filter, it is one step that I can do to eliminate contamination before it gets into my tank. The residue goes into a 5 gallon bucket with a lid, and gets used as cleaning solution later.