I have an old glass sediment bowl in-line fuel filter that I've been thinking about installing ahead of the carburetor in wake of my RTV in the float bowl saga, hoping to stop any more that might try to migrate. The issue I'm having is there's no room to mount it in the straight leg ahead of the carb with the bowl down. It hits the air filter housing if I try to place it next to the carb and won't clear the horn if I try to place it further forward. It will fit if I put the bowl on top instead of the bottom. Other than dumping gas on the engine each time I remove the bowl, is there a downside to mounting it upside down? I may just mount a modern glass in-line filter and save the hassle.
VCCA Member 43216 Save a life, adopt a senior shelter pet. 1938 HB Business Coupe 1953 210 Sedan
I would use the inline filter. With the glass bowl upside down I think if there is sediment it will be stirred up whenever there is gas flow. In the normal position the sediment settles in the bottom of the bowl and I think pretty much stays settled.
On the original style fuel pumps for 216's, the glass bowl IS upside down, right? 🙂
The pump bowl was of course designed to work that way, but I would think yours would still filter properly.
Probably the main downside would be that water would no longer settle out in the bowl and be visible... but you don't have that feature right now anyway. 🙂
PS As well, any material filtered out would lay directly on the screen and stay there. That would mean you would need to watch the bowl and maybe service it more often. But you are only looking to trap "big stuff" right? So that still shouldn't be a big problem.
Actually the particles fell to the bottom as the incoimg gas pushed them away keeping the top of the super fine screen clean. With every tune up the bowl was removed and the area on top of the pump cleaned-up.....usually with compressed air . The bowl gasket was cork and in the ;later years changed to neopenen We stocked hundreds of them in the parts department.
I was referring to the way a glass bowl fuel filter designed to hang down would work if turned upside down. Then the particles would lay on the screen... correct?
Attached is a screen shot of the filter I installed on my 41 prior to the cab. I also have a glass inline one prior to the pump. I had the one prior to the pump since we replaced the tank. We added the one prior to the carb when we replaced the carb. We had to make the line just a bit longer. Having two filters has caused no issues for us. I have never seen sediment in the on by the carb. The modern inline type I do see a few black bits of junk but nothing major. One advantage to having a glass filter in both spots is that I can see if fuel is getting to the engine when trouble shooting it. Also both allow me to see the condition of the filter.
I have found that having an old car is a constant project that is never done. I think that is a good thing. Keeps me learning new things. Having two from different eras is just a form of higher education.
