In-tank fuel filters

[stinkwheel]

Fitting a pingel fuel tap to my big bullet. I had to use an adapter with it (they are American threaded).

Due to, frankly, inattention on my part I've torn the gauze filter that goes over the inlet as I fitted the adapter. These are apparently made of unobtanium. You can buy brass mesh to make your own but I can't find a ready supply of pre-made ones that are long enough. I'm not sure if my soldering is good enough to make a new one from scratch.

Now the question. Do I actually need a new one? The damage was right at the top of the filter, the gauze goes all the way up past the top of the reserve tube but the "pinched" part is damaged and there isn't enough mesh left to re-work it (and it looks like stainless mesh which would be a pig to solder).

I'm just thinking, there probably isn't all that much chance of bits of dirt and detritus getting in the top when it's on the main "on" setting. All the junk will be sitting in the bottom of the tank so the filter is probably only necessary when on reserve?

Just after thoughts really. I'd normally just remove the sock altogether and fit an inline filter. A few reasons not to. One of them is that this is a super-high flow tap which it would be a shame to restrict by fitting a filter, another is lack of space -it's a short run from tap to carb inlet-, the third is the tap itself is an expensive piece of kit, it feels like I should protect the tap too.

TL;DR Torn the gauze filter over the fuel tap. Would it be ok to just leave the top open rather than fabricating a new one? Or am I just being lazy and avoiding doing what is necessary?
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Robby]

In my experience, all the crap quickly sinks to the bottom of the tank and mixes with any water it finds down there to make brown sludges. I have never had enough crap get down to the carb from the ON setting of the fuel tap to notice/cause problems. Switching to reserve is when I see the filter go brown.

As for not running a filter, are you going to be putting enough fuel through this bike to stop water accumulating? A filter lets you see what is happening, and with ethanol in petrol I'm seeing a lot more water accumulate in my rarely-used bike. Enough to warrant draining ~20cc of water out of the reserve every couple of months. The bike lives in a garage, so it isn't rain.

[stinkwheel]

[Easy-X]

If you've got an inline filter between the tank and the carb then I suppose the tap could get clogged up I wouldn't worry too much.

BTW that looks like marine-grade stainless steel mesh rather than brass. Maybe make a little mesh "sock" to slip over the top?
____________________
Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[WD Forte]

Assume that's a pic of a new pingle tap and not sure of how much damage yours actually has, but I might consider putting a dab of JB weld over the tear in the sock as long as it didnt significantly obstruct flow
in order to allow only filtered fuel to the carb.
I've used JB weld on fuel contact parts in the past and never had it turn to snot or dissolve.
the faster setting JB kwik may do as well, AFAIK it has the same properties as JB weld but a lower working temp which isnt an issue here
____________________
bikers smell of wee

[MCN]

I wouldn't rely on s4it staying on the bottom of the tank if it's bouncing down the road.
Murphy's Law of Negative Returns comes to mind.

If you have anything left of an old screen is it a possibility to 'suture' a patch/graft from that to cover the open end of the new filter?

Un-Pick some wires from the old mesh as your cat gut.

I only use wot they sell at the pump which is all part efanol and has been for years.
The choice was removed by government.

I have not ever noticed any water in the tanks of any of two bikes I run (one at a time).

As far as I know, water dissolves in efanol which is in turn, becomes dissolved in the fuel. So any detriment would possibly only be as a drop in performance due to the lower energy of efanol. Water would further dilute that energy. (Plus possible corrosion and a harbour for bacteria.)
But water injection does remove/keep carbon deposits down in exhaust systems.

Water in fuel tanks most probably gets in via rainy day top ups or leaking filler caps.

I have NEVER got 'bad' fuel from a pump in the UK. Ever.

Where is the science when it is needed?
____________________
Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[stinkwheel]

[stinkwheel]

[Hong Kong Phooey]

As man who's probably sewn up hundreds of dog's scrotums, could you not stitch together the teabag with compatible thread?
____________________
'81 CG125, '97 FZS600 : '99 CBR600F4, '09 KTM RC8

[MCN]

[MCN]

[stinkwheel]

Stitching it would be very tricky indeed, it's extremely fine mesh and stainless is a total bastard of a material to work with at the best of times.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[MCN]

[GettinBetter]

Difficult to get a feel for it with no piccies, but how about substitute the damaged part with a solid bit of tube, will the remainder have enough open area to allow enough fuel through?

Or using your method of soldering, could you not dip the whole thing in solder bath and tap sharply whilst still molten to remove the surplus?

[weasley]

Araldite or liquid metal?
____________________
Yamaha XJ600 | Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat | KTM 990 SMT | BMW F900XR TE

[stinkwheel]

[stinkwheel]

Ok, new skill aquired.

Brass mesh is relatively easy to solder with the correct equipment. It is a total pain in the arse to hold in place while you do it. It is very easy to cock it up at the last minute if you start to rush.

I found a piece of pipe with an OD the same as the required ID. I cut the mesh to be roughly 1mm over-wide so there was a very slight overlap when it is wrapped tightly round the pipe. Having wrapped it tightly round the pipe, I held the mesh in place with a couple of pieces of tightly twisted wire.

Then it's a case of sliding about 3cm of the mesh off the end of the pipe (so it keeps its shape and has the edges together), painting an acid flux along the seam then running solder along the seam. I used 0.75mm resin cored lead-tin solder and I used a hot air pyro-pen (the type with a catalytic element in that you'd normally screw a soldering head to, but without the soldering head. NOT the type with an actual flame, this just immediately overheated and oxidised the mesh). It takes remarkably little heat to flow the solder.

Once that bit is soldered, another bit can be advanced off the pipe and joined. You need to take care not to overheat everything and spring apart the previous joint. As soon as the solder starts to flow, you need to remove the heat.

This was not my first attempt!
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AM-JKLVgx2cpsaqvle68lplASEQBZQfiBeZQODVRjARj3UNQbXtiAA5EDijVOruhnNsAeWRQNQMObRnIEGl1B_lQ8h0ocpKStlw-W0dsnvWL5wR7Hteiqp9fdrl0mmuaZrYSAGN_YpY2ef5bnka3_NRakJOe=w1576-h886-no
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Islander]

Low melting point lead/tin solder would probably be ideal for this sort of thing or LMP solder paste.