Maybe this will help someone

BrandonLLY

Member
Apr 23, 2014
116
8
18
So a couple weeks ago I get into my truck fire it up, warm it, go to pull away, and stall! Truck turns off and will now crank but wont fire. No engine codes, nothing. Due to the amount of great info here, I jump on the forum and start searching. First thing I read was check prime in fuel. So I got down to my truck, open the bleeder screw press the bulb a couple times and diesel is spilling out right away, and it seems to be without air. Tighten the bleeder back up and try to start, nothing! I was a little skeptical of the bleeder screw when tightening down because it wouldnt bottom out and seemed to be seemed to be slipping in the threads a little. Tried depressing the primer bulb with the screw back in and no air or fuel was coming out and the primer bulb was getting stiff fast. Went out on a limb and bought a bleeder screw being skeptical about its integrity. Primed the system a couple more times put the new one it, first crank of the key, fired up! Those screws are garbage at best. I would hate to be stranded on a trip due to a stupid plastic piece like that so I will be buying an extra one. There was no work done on the truck for months, so how the screw went bad with the truck just sitting there is mind blowing to me. So if you guys ever think that screw might still be good and have symptoms like mine just replace that POS and see if it helps you out. I think it was less than $3 at the stealership.

Peace!


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JoshH

Daggum farm truck
Staff member
Vendor/Sponsor
Feb 14, 2007
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You should just buy a metal one from one of several people who sell them. Then you won't have to worry about it anymore. There are a few vendors on the site that I'm sure would be happy to help you with that.
 

BrandonLLY

Member
Apr 23, 2014
116
8
18
You should just buy a metal one from one of several people who sell them. Then you won't have to worry about it anymore. There are a few vendors on the site that I'm sure would be happy to help you with that.



I was actually going to ask that in my post if there was such a thing. I thought the screws were possibly plastic to prevent stripping the filter head. But if they make them aftermarket Im sure it will be ok.
 

six5creed

Member
Jan 6, 2016
1,046
58
48
N.C.
I have a stainless one in mine that I cut the grove in and looks like the plastic one. I would say their made out of plastic to save money. It's a M10 X 1.5 thread. I love being a machinist.
 

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cstephens93

New member
Oct 13, 2014
677
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31
Tallahassee, FL
I hate the fuel filter head and all bleeder screws

I replaced my full filter head assembly after it was leaking for some reason and also used a metal bleeder screw. No leaks after that. Changed my fuel filter last month and not its leaking again but from the bleeder screw.

Kennedy Diesel sells a good bleeder screw
 

DAVe3283

Heavy & Slow
Sep 3, 2009
3,729
297
83
Boise, ID, USA
I just ditch the stock filter head entirely after putting a lift pump on. I have been stranded by the stupid filter head more times than all my other shenanigans put together, including toasting out 2 transmissions, breaking pitman arms, etc.

IMO the stock filter head is a liability. When my family gets a truck, it gets a lift pump for a month or two (flush debris out of the line from the pump to the filter head), then the filter head gets deleted. Never have any problems after that!
 

JoshH

Daggum farm truck
Staff member
Vendor/Sponsor
Feb 14, 2007
13,735
804
113
Texas!!!
I personally don't care for deleting the fuel filter. Call me paranoid, but I feel better about having something there. If you don't want to use the factory filter head, Nictane makes a nice filter head that completely replaces the factory filter head and allows you to install the common Cat/Donaldson filters. It bolts right to the factory bracket on the valve cover, has 1/2" npt ports for fittings of your choice, and it has a bleed screw on top. It's actually cheaper than the filter adapter too.
 

DefiantArms

Limp Mode Cowboy
Jan 28, 2016
897
1
18
St. Augustine, FL
I have a stainless one in mine that I cut the grove in and looks like the plastic one. I would say their made out of plastic to save money. It's a M10 X 1.5 thread. I love being a machinist.

I've been trying to figure the pitch out for a good while now. Being a machinist is awesome but I don't have anything to tell me what it needs to be :( I remember seeing specs on the cat adapter a long time ago but can't find them for the life of me. And my trucks about 8k miles away so I can't measure lol
 

Chevy1925

don't know sh!t about IFS
Staff member
Oct 21, 2009
21,743
5,911
113
Phoenix Az
i deleted my filter head but im going to do what josh suggested. i also want to rerun my fuel lines to get rid of the lame loop i have from the deleted filter head. run a nice split to both cp3's and ditch the 3/8" cp3 intake fittings
 

cstephens93

New member
Oct 13, 2014
677
0
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31
Tallahassee, FL
I have never really understood the process of going to the nicktane filter adapter or why people do it when they have a lift pump.

Maybe im just dumb, but I have a kennedy lift pump and feel like I will just mess up something deleting the filter head or going to the adapter
 

Dozerboy

Well-known member
Jun 23, 2009
4,917
496
83
TX of course
I agree with Josh. There are 100s of thousands on Dmaxs on the road with a stock fuel systems. They must not be to bad. We had several in our fleet and not one hilter head has left me on the side of the road. They have caused me issues and had to be rebuilt, but never stranded. Mine leaked for a year before I fixed it. Just because it left a small puddle of diesel in my father in laws driveway while it was sitting there in high idle.

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Chevy1925

don't know sh!t about IFS
Staff member
Oct 21, 2009
21,743
5,911
113
Phoenix Az
I have never really understood the process of going to the nicktane filter adapter or why people do it when they have a lift pump.

Maybe im just dumb, but I have a kennedy lift pump and feel like I will just mess up something deleting the filter head or going to the adapter

you dont delete the filter head when you run an adapter. the adapter just goes on the bottom of the filter head so you can run a better filter like a CAT. other wise if your lift pump comes with filters, some guys delete the stock filter head like me but the stock air dog filters are not the best they could be as far as filtration. i would be running a cat filter setup infront of my lift pump to catch any little pieces or if my lift pump comes apart.

btw, you are calling it an adapter. they make both the separate filter head assembly and the adapter for the stock filter head.
 

JoshH

Daggum farm truck
Staff member
Vendor/Sponsor
Feb 14, 2007
13,735
804
113
Texas!!!
The adapter is definitely easier to install, but if you don't like the factory filter head and want to get it gone, the new filter head is a nice option and not a bad price in my opinion.
 

DURAMXD

BOB SAGET!
Apr 24, 2012
348
0
16
Wichita, KS
I 100% agree with Josh. I leave the factory head in place, go to the Nicktane adapter on the head and then a FASS. I size my filters so they progressively step down to the CAT 2 micron on the factory head at the end. Good filtration and the filters last a long time.

I will be looking into the full replacement head though that Josh mentioned with the threaded ports. I hadn't noticed that on the Nicktane site before.
 

DAVe3283

Heavy & Slow
Sep 3, 2009
3,729
297
83
Boise, ID, USA
I've been running without the factory filter head since 2012, just using the AirDog 2 micron filter. According to [THREAD=32869]this thread[/THREAD], you can put the CAT 2 micron filter on the AirDog with some tweaks. I think I will try that next filter change.

It was also my understanding that the 2-micron filter was on the output side of the pump, so if the pump grenades, it should catch all the metal.

I would rather not have a filter in the stock location, mainly because it makes plumbing harder (I now have a line straight to the CP3, so much cleaner) and is not a convenient location. If I get paranoid enough, I will stick an additional in-line filter under the truck, but I feel pretty good with just the AirDog's filters.
 

cstephens93

New member
Oct 13, 2014
677
0
0
31
Tallahassee, FL
you dont delete the filter head when you run an adapter. the adapter just goes on the bottom of the filter head so you can run a better filter like a CAT. other wise if your lift pump comes with filters, some guys delete the stock filter head like me but the stock air dog filters are not the best they could be as far as filtration. i would be running a cat filter setup infront of my lift pump to catch any little pieces or if my lift pump comes apart.

btw, you are calling it an adapter. they make both the separate filter head assembly and the adapter for the stock filter head.

Yeah see that shows my ignorance. I just havent looked into it enough to really know what im talking about
 

Awenta

Active member
Sep 28, 2014
4,090
2
38
CT
I've been running without the factory filter head since 2012, just using the AirDog 2 micron filter. According to [THREAD=32869]this thread[/THREAD], you can put the CAT 2 micron filter on the AirDog with some tweaks. I think I will try that next filter change.

It was also my understanding that the 2-micron filter was on the output side of the pump, so if the pump grenades, it should catch all the metal.

I would rather not have a filter in the stock location, mainly because it makes plumbing harder (I now have a line straight to the CP3, so much cleaner) and is not a convenient location. If I get paranoid enough, I will stick an additional in-line filter under the truck, but I feel pretty good with just the AirDog's filters.
The second filter is after the pump. Have a picture of where you ran the hose to your cp3? I'm going to be doing that soon but I was trying to find a route that looks clean and stays away from the turbo as much as possible.

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BrandonLLY

Member
Apr 23, 2014
116
8
18
Im thinking of going with FASS. Its bank, but if it can possibly save me from buying a CP3 and its reliable, it sounds worth it.


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DAVe3283

Heavy & Slow
Sep 3, 2009
3,729
297
83
Boise, ID, USA
The second filter is after the pump. Have a picture of where you ran the hose to your cp3? I'm going to be doing that soon but I was trying to find a route that looks clean and stays away from the turbo as much as possible.

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CP3 Fuel Line 1.jpg
I put a 45° AN fitting onto the CP3, then ran a -8 line up and out of the valley into a 90° fitting, and that finally connects to the stock fuel hard line on the motor. The stock hard line was actually 1/2" already, so we just put an -8 AN flare on it.

I didn't like the "T" in the return line in the first photo (hard to tighten/work with), so we re-did the return line slightly:
CP3 Fuel Line 2.jpg
 

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