BE SMART ABOUT THINKING DIRTY

Choosing the right fuel filters can go a long way toward stopping contamination problems in your diesel engines.

- STEVE D'ANTONIO

I've learned during my 35-year marine career that it's easy to break the ice with boat owners by bringing up one of two subjects: anchor selection or fuel filtration. Here, I'll discuss the latter.

Diesel engines require only a few elements to start and operate reliably: air, cooling water, compression and clean fuel.

Air is rarely a problem. Air filters, if they're present on marine diesels, rarely clog because there's little dust at sea. Cooling water can be problematic, strainers might clog, and impellers do fail but all of those are easily serviced. Compression can be controlled, to some degree, by ensuring that valve adjustments occur at scheduled intervals, to check piston-ring condition and wear.

Fuel cleanliness, on the other hand, is almost entirely within the boat owner's control, with proper filtration.

PRIMARY FILTERS

The primary fuel filter-the one that the fuel encounters first as it travels from the tank to the engine is the most critical line of defense against contamination.