Fuel Filters: Change In The Fall Or Spring

[Ducati]

I actually love to work on my boat almost as much as sailing...go figure.

This fall before we put the boat to bed for the winter, I top up the fuel tanks with diesel + some conditioner.

Should I change the fuel filters x 2 now or in the spring?

 

[AXEL]

I change the oil and oil filter in the fall and the fuel filters in the spring. My reasoning is that the motor should rest over the winter with clean, fresh oil and filter. I do not want my new clean fuel filters sitting idle all winter. If there is any funk in them I would prefer it sit there idle over the winter and start the new season off cllean. Plus I like to fire up the engine (on the hard) in the spring before commissioning. At this time I will change the fuel filters

 

[RichH]

Change them in the spring.
Such filters are made from 'resinated' technical paper.
The paper is made primarily from cellulose which absorbs water (in the areas were the 'resination is imperfect') which in turn eventually digests/weakens the paper.

 

[monkeybars]

don't leave dirty filters in all winter,any filtered algee will just multiply and groww all winter.get it outta there,filter media will not melt or degrade in anyway for at least 10-20 years water or no water.

 

[wetass]

I actually love to work on my boat almost as much as sailing...go figure.

Im with you here on this one - Taking the boat out, or just working on it gives me about the same satisfaction.

On past boats, I would change the oil and filter in both the fall and spring. But, I would put on a smaller filter in the fall since I wouldn't use the boat as much and even though there is a anti-bleed-back valve in those filters, over a couple weeks they seem to drain. The large filters like Baldwin B2, Fram PH8A, etc, can take a while to fill and that always worried me.

However over the last couple years I have gotten lazy and decided to switch to just using a mid-sized filter like the Baldwin B233 and only change the filter in the fall (Actually its about that time again...). The oil I still change Fall and Spring.

 

[kloudie1]

I use the engine year 'round so the oil and filter gets changed when it gets changed.. The fuel filters get changed in the fall since the contamination happens less aggressively in cooler temperatures of the winter here.. OK so it cools off from 95 to 85.. ;~)

 

[Big Windy]

I change both oil/filter and fuel filters in the fall. That way she sits all winter with everything clean.

 

[kenn]

I change the oil and oil filter in the fall and the fuel filters in the spring. My reasoning is that the motor should rest over the winter with clean, fresh oil and filter.

The boat mechanic I briefly apprenticed with a few years ago followed this process too. To me it makes sense because you want all debris, impurities etc out of the engine oil ASAP, and to circulate the new oil because that is sitting IN the engine (and protecting it) all winter, and you want fresh fuel filters in the spring right before you are going to use the engine regularly.