Home › Forum › Ask A Member › Petcock fuel filter screen › Re: Petcock fuel filter screen
My experience with tractors and such is that an inline filter isn’t an adequate substitute for some sort of screen or standpipe in the tank, because a bit of leaf, or whatever, can float over the opening and shut things down. Can be a hard-to-track-down cause of fuel starvation. Guess how I know this. "Course, marine tanks seldom tap the fuel off the bottom, but the principle applies, IMHO. Fairly coarse screen in the tank, some sort of inline filter or sediment bowl to catch the water and fine stuff. This is what airplanes use, at least in my limited experience. I was just looking at (throwing out) an old plastic outboard tank. The inlet screen was fine mesh, across the diameter of the pickup tube, not extended at all. POS design for sure.
When making a screen, no need for a round end cover unless you care what it looks like. Just make it 1/4 longer, pinch it flat, fold it over…helps hold everything together.