Perkins Fuel Filter - A Better Way

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I have never been very happy with the design of the original CAV engine fuel filter on the Perkins 4-108 engine on Mahalo. The original filter setup has 4 separate seals that must be air tight to work. I can't even fathom what the engineer (and I use that word very loosely) was thinking. Combining ths poor design with the tight engine space made changing this filter a horrible task. I knew I couldn't be alone in thinking there must be a better way. This same filter design was used on other engines including industrial engines and tractors. I was able to find an adapter that allows the use of a spin on filter. The adapter is available from several sources and is called the DP1000. Shop around, I paid $38 with one filter a few months ago. Look for places that sell Tisco tractor parts. One web site markets them to boaters at a significantly higher price.

Here is a picture of the original filter hiding at the back of the engine:


Note that I write the engine hours with a Sharpie on all my filters.

Here is a picture of the DP1000 Kit with the screw on filter:


This is a picture of the parts. Note that it comes with two bolts on the Perkins the smaller one is used:


On my engine to install the adapter I needed to remove the return fuel banjo from the top of the filter housing so that I could install the long bolt. I used two new metal gaskets for the banjo when I reinstalled this. These gaskets do not come with the adapter. This bolt holds on the adapter and normally will not need to be removed for regular filter changes. Other than that installing the adapter was easier than the typical filter change.

The adapter installed, no filter yet:


With the filter installed:


One real nice thing about this new setup is that it is possible to fill the filter with fuel before you install it. I was very careful to fill it to the very top and I was able to start and run the engine without bleeding. That was never possible with the original setup. The adapter allows for a variety of different filters to be used. Some are available with a drain plug. With a coffee can I hope to be able to change filters in the future without ending up with a bunch of fuel in the bilge which was next to impossible with the original filter design. This modification is completely reversible if for some reason a future owner wants to go back to the original filter setup.

[Skylark]

Just one question. Does that make it difficult to get at and open coolant drain plug?

[bottomscraper]

Just one question. Does that make it difficult to get at and open coolant drain plug?

No should not be a problem. On my engine the coolant drain is just a hex head pipe plug not like the petcock shown in the manual.