Fitting a fuel filter 1984 GTL

[Sprackers]

Hi there all

1984 GTL 1.1 Blue name: Christine

I stopped a fellow R4 driver and was amazed when he popped the bonnet to his R4 and there was a little filter in there

"Whats that?" I exclaimed, not being a mechanic.(ed..you dont say)

Well he explained and it looked pretty simple to fix. Wrong. After buying the little filter, I popped my engine bonnet and it didnt look the same as his.

And now I cant find him to take a closer look.

Has anyone got a photo of one fitted so I can see which pipe to snip and insert the filter?

All the best

Phil & Christine

 

[jjad]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

Have a look at the photos on this page. On top of the engine there is a bracket that holds the fuel filter.

Hope that helps.

 

[DavidN]

IF you got the original bracket on top of the valve cover, the Purflux EP20 is the right filter for you.

I have the original filter, but added a second one in front of the fuel pump.
It prevents the little filter screen inside the fuel pump from clogging.
I used a standard inline filter.

You hopefully can spot it on the picture attached ...

Cheers,

David

 

[Sprackers]

Fuel Filter

Fantastic chaps. Thats great and I cant wait to get stuck in. Lets face no-one likes drinking cloudy beer.

Phil

ps. Christine says thanks too.

 

[mojobaby]

Now that's what I call "a clean engine!" Is that a new water bottle reservoir, cos my one seems pretty grubby compared to yours

 

[Sprackers]

Filter Fitting

Hi Chaps,

On inspection of my engine bay, I did notice quite a difference. The fuel hose on mine is in fact not a hose at all but a m etal tube that winds its way around the cyclinder head, past spark plug Nº 1 and into the destination.

Im not going to cut the metal ans I think I might have to leave the thing alone. Let sleeping dogs lie.

Cheers

Sprackers

ps. wheres is the spell check?

 

[jjad]

Is there a rubber hose from the tank to the fuel pump? Perhaps you could install a fuel filter there. You might have a gauze fuel filter in your carburettor, but I think a proper filter would be better.

I'm not sure if there is a spell checker, but the web browser I use (Firefox) has one built in

 

[Sprackers]

Hi all,

Im going to take some pictures.

There is a little bit of rubber tubing at the beginning under the air filter that slips over the metal tube and right at the end of the metal tubing there is a bit of tubing.

At some point in the future when I feel brave I will attampt to take out the metal tubing completely and replace it with rubber and also install a fuel filter.

Pictures coming tommorow.

I do have one last question, why has mine got metal tubing and all the photos I see, they show that the fuel is being pumped via a rubber tubing?

Was metal original?

Cheers

Sprackers

 

[DavidN]

On my 1985 F6 van there is a metal tubing like you described.
(Winds it's way around the spark #1 and behind the generator.)
But it is just a short piece of metal tube which is protected by an outer (soft) rubber tube.
Between the feeding line coming from the tank (metal tube) and the fuel pump there's a rubber hose.
Between the fuel pump and the above mentioned metal tubing there's another rubber hose and from that tubing right to the (original) filter on top of the valve cover there's one as well.
Between the fuel filter and the carb it's rubber all the way.

I attached another 2 pictures maybe it helps ...
(Couldn't find a better one.)

And I second what jjad said - better to have an inline filter which is visible!

 

[alewis]

I can confirm some have a metal hose all the way over the top.

Logical conclusion is to cut the metal pipe to match your shorter one.

Although a filter might fit next to the carb as that bit is rubber - any thoughts ?

Regards,
Andrew

 

[iMacThere4iAm]

You don't have to buy a genuine Renault filter – personally I prefer the generic ones you can pick up for £1.50 at car shows, which are clear so you can easily see if the fuel is flowing properly.

 

[DavidN]

That is true!
I never was a fan of the Purflux filter because you never know if (or when) it's clogged.
But it is original and does look the best on top of the valve cover!

Since I mounted the 2nd filter in front of the fuel pump, the expensive Purflux stays incredible clean.

 

[Sprackers]

As you can see from the photos the metal seems to go all the way from the pump under the air filter to a round metal thing (is theat the fuel pump?) located almost under the head. (As I said appologies for not knowing all parts, but my learning curve is like the North face of the Eiger at the moment)

The inicial rubber tubing is so short and the final rubber connection is also only about 2 inches (6cm approx) that the filter I ahve probabaly wouldnt fit in the space.

It looks like I will defiantley have to remove the whole metal piping. Out of interest is the metal piping better than new rubber tubing?

I havent been able to insert the photos as I dont know the URL for the photos but I have downloaded as attachments.

I hope you can see.

Cheers

Sprackers
Sthn Spain, Hot, 39ºC today.

 

[iMacThere4iAm]

Hi Sprackers,
If you don't want to cut or remove the metal pipe, you could add a longer loop of flexible rubber tube to fit the filter. I think DavidN did something like this to fit the extra filter next to his fuel pump.

The thing under the air filter is called the carburettor, and the fuel pump is the round metal thing, as you guessed.

 

[alewis]

Be wary of fuel pipe some halfords fuel pipe I used cracked and started leaking after a year.

 

[Sprackers]

Cheers Imac

Yes I will take a look at both of those. I guess at the fuel pump wouold be best however it seems that in all the photos the gernerator is positioned a lot higher than mine so you can easily get at the Fuel Pump with both hands.

My generator sits right down low almost sitting on top oif the Fuel Pump, therein is my problem.

If it was sitting higher I would change the whold thin g tomorrow but I just cant get at the clip under the Fuel pump.

Cheers

Chaps

 

[Sprackers]

Fuel Filter

Well I decided not to cut the metal pipe and as suggeted add a longer extension to accomodate a fuel filter.

It was really easy actually and it all works. I took 20 minutes and Chrisitne started first time.

Sweet.

 

[iMacThere4iAm]

That fuel filter is very close to the exhaust manifold - the hottest part of the engine. I would strongly advise you to bend the loop around to somewhere else like above the rocker cover, and tie it down well to keep it safe.

 

[stormtheuns]

adding a plastic inline fuel filter

Hi Sprackers...

iMac is correct, the metal fuel tube on your car is exactly like on my Renault 5 TS, i also added an extra filter where you put yours and i constantly had problems where the car will cut out while im driving, unsteady iddling, start problems etc. coz of the heat from the exhaust, you will notice that after driving for even a short distance the fuel in the filter actually boils.....

worst case (what happend to me) = fuel in filter boils, filter cracks then explodes, fuel gushing out (i had a exposed electrical wire that i didnt know about) and 20 seconds later you are standing next to your car watching it burn

 

[Steve Hennessey]

Yes, this is a fire waiting to happen. Also use proper petrol pipe clips rather than worm drive ones.