Fuel Filter Q

[erkishhorde]

So, since I've been under the tank a lot recently I've been getting really annoyed with how the stock fuel filter forces you to route the lines under the tank. I was just at Autozone getting new breather hose lines and was browsing around the fuel filters and I got to thinking. A fuel filter is a fuel filter, yes? Does it really matter if the replacement isn't exactly the same as the original? As long as the thing is about the same size and all the hose outlets are the correct size it doesn't really matter, right?

I asked this of the Autozone guy and he said I was pretty much right. An FI vehicle might care since the fuel system is under greater pressure but on the carbies it doesn't really matter. Can I trust him or is he spouting crap to agree with me because he wants me to buy stuff?

[ducpainter]

I see absolutely no reason why you couldn't use any filter that suits you.

[dlearl476]

I see absolutely no reason why you couldn't use any filter that suits you.

+1

As you surmised, you just don't want to use a plastic filter on a high-pressure FI system.  (Many times they have threaded fittings anyway)

I like these:

[erkishhorde]

So... clear fuel lines are your friend. Except that the only ones I found have such thin walls that I either have really really jam on a hose clamp to get it to close small enough since I can't find clamps smaller than 1/4 to 5/8" or use electrical tape to thicken out the hose. 

Ignoring that, though...
I am finding that not all fuel filters are equal. I had tried using this fuel filter instead of the stocker because I liked how it positioned the hoses.
Turns out that after a while fuel stopped flowing through it.  Kinda like there was vapor lock inside the filter or because there was back pressure on the lines after it that was preventing fuel flow.  I also noticed that half of my fuel hose from between the tank and the filter was cooked and hard. Namely the half directly before the filter. Odd since that's the part farthest from the head.

Anywho, tried a different filter. This time I tried a Purolator.
Still no good. Ran into fuel shortages again.

The fuel pump is the Mikuni one that CA-cycleworks carries.

Which would seem more reasonable:
1.  The fuel pump is not strong enough.
2.  The fuel filter is too restrictive.

The next thing I was going to try was just not putting a fuel filter on and running the bike a little bit like that just to see if it works. I'm wondering if I should try a mesh-type filter like this one which should be less restrictive or if I should be looking for a vacuum leak.

[64duc]

You have some problem other than the fuel filter. Any filter you put on will work as long as you don't mount it higher than the pump is capable of pushing fuel. Bypass the filter and try it that way.

[erkishhorde]

That's what I was thinking. I ran without the fuel filter today and it ran just fine until the bike got hot. I was doing a riding skills class and the bike got really hot with all the low speed/ stopped exercises and died out on me with symptoms similar to fuel starvation. Meh, think I have a lot more work to do.