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View Full Version : I have a DAVCO 382 Fuel Filter Question?


RussWhite
06-15-2012, 09:46 PM
Hi,

I have a Davco FuelPro 382 as my fuel filter on my luxury Newell Coach. It has a clear canister that contains the fuel and allows you to see the fuel filter. When a new fuel filter is installed, the fuel level starts near the bottom and there is a line near the top that suggests when the fuel rises to that level, it is time to change the filter.

We started our trip west on June 3rd and now ( June 15th ) have logged about 2900 miles. After about 560 miles I observed the fuel at the top of the canister and changed the filter. Then by another 1300 miles I noticed it was near the top again. I changed it again. That was yesterday and today we logged about 430 miles and it is not quite to the top, but 85% of that way I'd say. There have been no issues with power or how it drives. I am in a park that does not allow one to do any maintenance so I will not change it again right now.

I have fueled strictly at Flying J's and moved a lot of fuel through the coach in a short time.

It was suggested by another owner, I might drain some fuel from the bottom of the tank, but I have not had an opportunity to do that yet, but I think I could purchase a pan and some containers and do that if the petcock is willing to be opened.

Just posting here to see if the group has any advice for me or anyone has had a similar condition. I have more fuel filters on order and it is really no big deal to change one.

Thanks,
Russ

Chester B. Stone, Jr.
06-15-2012, 10:28 PM
Russ, what did the filters look like when you removed them? If they were black, you may have alge if the fuel has sat for a long time without bioside treatment. If you cut one of them open and the filter is clear and clean, then it seems to me you have no problem. If black, like coffee grounds, you will need to have the fuel polished by someone who has such a system. This is often a problem with marine diesel when the boat is stored in a hot climate without treatment. Hope this helps.

RussWhite
06-15-2012, 10:58 PM
Hi Chester,

Thanks for the reply. They looked perfectly fine from the outside. Not at all dark in color. I disposed of them, but will take your advice and disect the next one. Keep the ideas coming....

Russ

lbrachfe
06-16-2012, 02:17 PM
I was told by a tech at Newell just 2 weeks ago that on the Davco 382 you only need to open the canister to bleed the water out when the dash light comes on first or noticable driving differences. Changing the filter whenever you do drain it and the process includes refilling with fuel half way up the sight glass (plastic housing) through the top spring clip. The procedures for doing all this are printed on the canister side under the Detroit Deisel logo. Mine is 3/4 and that's why I asked when at Newell if it needed to be drained and the filter changed and was told no until the dash light comes on or I feel a difference in performance and the sight glass is full. I can see my filter is pretty clean through all the holes in it.

encantotom
06-16-2012, 02:35 PM
ok, as one who just works on his coach and doesnt drive it.....(yet)

what light on the dash are you talking about? im lost here...

tom

RussWhite
06-16-2012, 03:32 PM
I found the following while reading the pdf for the Davco filter.

"When the fuel level reaches the top of the filter,
the filter element is now completely covered by
fuel.
At this point, all of the media’s surface area is
utilized. Restriction is increasing and the fi lter element
should be changed at the next scheduled maintenance
interval."

I was under the mistaken impression that when it reached the top the filter should be changed immediately. I can live with the next scheduled maintenance interval, or of course, with any noticable change in engine performance.
Russ

RussWhite
06-16-2012, 03:41 PM
Tom,

My coach is older than yours, but I don't think I have the dash light Larry is talking about. On my filter there is only one wire going to it. I think that wire, and especially considering its #14 or so gauge, is for the fluid heaters. I assume these heaters heat the fuel when called upon during low temperature conditions. It looks like I have two heaters in the filter.

The manual does show an option for a water detection switch to be mounted in the bottom of the housing that can be wired to a warning light. The probes on the switch stick up a way into the fuel/water and would give a warning when the water rose to that level. I check all the lights on my dash and I do not have any light with a label that seems appropriate for that function.

I suspect Larry has the sensor and dash light.

Russ

lbrachfe
06-16-2012, 11:40 PM
Your right Russ. I have the WIF light and fuel heater options on mine and actually assumed every Newell had them. It's a red light that stays on when fuel is about 7/8 full in the site glass.

Tom, might I assume you wil be adding the options ? lol .. It's just a couple of wires and would really probably be a small project.

RussWhite
06-17-2012, 12:43 AM
Your right Russ. I have the WIF light and fuel heater options on mine and actually assumed every Newell had them. It's a red light that stays on when fuel is about 7/8 full in the site glass.
Tom, might I assume you wil be adding the options ? lol .. It's just a couple of wires and probably a small project for you compared to the stuff you take on.

Larry,

I am cursed with having to understand how things work. I can easily grasp how the sensor in the bottom of the filter detects water and can illuminate the WIF ( which I assume is Water In Fuel ) lamp, but there is nothing in the parts or optional parts for the Davco filter that looks to me like to could possibly detect when the level of fuel reaches the 7/8 full level. Can you provide any details on how that works?

Thanks, Russ

lbrachfe
06-17-2012, 01:02 AM
This is what I was told by a Newell tech that it will automatically illuminate when filter is corrupted to the top or a combo of dirt and excess water at the bottom will trigger the light earlier at (7/8) full. My light did illuminate before the sight glass was full last year, even though the PDF says it can fill to the top before a change and drain is needed. The tech might have been guesstimating based on experience. The light is handy, but I always check everything on a regular basis and would change out the filter before the fuel reaches the top myself anyway.

RussWhite
07-06-2012, 05:14 PM
It's now been a few weeks and a few thousand miles..... I have continued to change the filter when it got full or almost full. It seems to go farther between changes and the last change was 500 miles ago. When I checked it today I was confused. It was either totally full of fuel or the level was below the clear plastic viewing area. I finally removed the cap on the top and determined that there was no fuel visible in the viewing area. The coach starts and runs normally. I am sure I stopped the dropping level of the fuel about an inch into the viewing area when I changed the filter last.

So, is there any way I can bring the level up into the viewing area short of removing the cap and just adding some fule that way?
Should I be concerned, or does the level sometimes go below where you can see if shortly after a filter change?

Thanks,

tuga
07-06-2012, 06:18 PM
Russ,

If you look on the d/s in the bay that has your fuel tank there should be a black knob on the left. If you unscrew the black knob it will pop out (with some help from you) and you can pump diesel fuel from your tank directly into the Devco 382 filter. Be sure to loosen the top of the plastic housing to let the air out.

I use this little fuel pump to fill my filter assembly after each fuel filter change. Works great!

RussWhite
07-06-2012, 06:35 PM
Are you kidding me! I don't have to find a funnel, put on a hose, put the hose in the top of the cannister, and then holding all that stuff pour what I hope is clean fuel into the funnel? We did this at Steve Bare's and I don't think he knew this trick either. I will pull in the slide and see if I can made that work. I know the knob is there and it is supposed to be a priming pump, but I have never used it. I will see if I can get it to pop out. I will follow up if I can make this work.

RussWhite
07-06-2012, 10:16 PM
I had to call Tuga! He said it's kind of hard to explain, but he did a good job and when I went back and tried his method of tightening the knob, then turning it sligtly CCW while pullling and wiggling, all of a sudden the plunger popped out for the first time in the two years I have owned the coach. I put Cynthia watching the filter - cap removed - and started pushing and pulling. There was not much resistance and not much fuel movement either. We kept at it and although it never did pump much per stroke, we eventually got the filter filled about 3/4. I then put the cap back on, started the coach, and after one minute, cracked the cap and let the fuel level fall to about 1" over the bottom of the viewing area.

I would really like to understand how this filter actually works. Where does the air trapped in the top after you close the lid go? Does all the fuel always, under all conditions, pass through the filter? Even when you cannot see any fuel on the filter media? For now, I will just have to trust that all the fuel is filtered. I think that the fact the level did not rise during the last trip is encouraging and my fuel is getting very clean.

Thanks Tuga! I am thinking my pump may not work as well as yours, but using mine will probably help, Russ