How often do you really need to change the fuel filter on average-- every other oil change? I probably don't do it as religiously as I should-- perhaps that's why I have a ticking sound now on the left side of the engine.

 

Every 10k miles or so should be ok.

 

The interval I use from my dodge manuals is 12,000 miles. I have never had to change one early although I did once trouble shooting a problem but it ended up not being the filter but a loose b-nut in the injector pump. I have heard of some guys leaving them in until they started to have flow problems and then change them. Got some high mileage out of them. With as clean as fuels are today I believe that the filters can go much longer than the 12,000 miles that dodge recommends. You would think that there would be a fuel flow indicator. When the flow rate drops to a predetermined point you would get an indication to tell you to change it, just like the air filters.

 

Depends on work conductions for me, BUT never more than once a year. That would be 25,000 miles in between change, never had any problems.
reg

 

my truck has one , when i floor it and it coughs and puffs smoke and nothing changes its time for a filter change. i just keep a spare in the truck whenever i need it cause it does depend on what kind of fuel you run into.

 

I change mine every other oil change

ticking on the left side of engine? Possibly its your lift pump going out, or it could be the overflow valve. If this is your new truck id suggest changing them both out, OFV's go for about 75K or so, and LP's, i replaced mine at 170K due to low fuel pressure (turned out to be my OFV)

With proper fuel additives tho (back to original question) id say you can even go 15K or so between changes...

Did you change out your prefilter as well? If not then here is an image of it.. Costs about 8 bucks from fleetguard, and it will help your mileage a bit...

Rick

Prefilter

Apologies for the dark picture, but to give you an idea, that is the positive battery terminal connected to the starter sort of blocking that silvery thing. A 17mm socket goes in there and you drop that portion, and u can access the prefilter on the truck

 

Miles are stupid measure of when to change the filter.
With a bad tank of fuel it might need to be changed in 10 miles. On the other end of the spectrum my friend went 82,000 miles with the stock filter that came with his new truck before it clogged.
I use a fuel pressure gauge to alert me to when it's time to change the filter, it usually goes between 30-40,000 miles.
A fuel pressure gauge pays for itself by eliminating just one needless change. Good investment.

 

infidel would you post a pic of your setup and a list of parts you used to set it up. As I am overseas there is not much available here. Thanks, Joe

 

Joseph, I have a writeup in the sticky at the top of the 12 valve forum with instructions.
Scroll down https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...d.php?t=121533

Needle valve installed on inlet banjo bolt