Charon's information came from a Honda 250 twin that he is currently riding.

Can you post a pic of your set up on your Savage?


Have you ever simply poured some gasoline into the inlet of the filter and watched to see if the paper element would stop it?

That is functionally at NO head height, so if the gas stops like you think it will then you have something to show the clerk at Autozone when you carry the filter back to them to get your money back.

 
They have a word for fuel filters that do not pass fuel when you pour it into the inlet side ....

..... defective ......




But before you try to carry it back to the clerk make sure it isn't marked with a flow arrow or "inlet" and "outlet".    

Some filters do have one>way valves incorporated in them, you know.





The clerk might also ask you about water after he examines the clear sided filter, as soaking the paper with water before gasoline gets applied to it can cause a paper filter to osmosis lock out the gasoline flow.

And we have heard about some folks using an old gas can full of watery rusty gasoline lately, which sort of thing could certainly do that sort of water soaking to a newly installed paper pleated fuel filter.

But it would show through the sides of the clear filter as wavy looking "swollen up" looking paper pleats.

A possible way to save a water soaked filter is to pour rubbing alcohol through it (Alcohol will mix with and absorb the water).

But since yours is brand new, simply carry it back to where you bought it from and get your money back.

 
If you notice my set up, everything is oriented sequentially "downhill" and the top of the filter is below the petcock exit point so my filter stays full all the time.

Air lock?   No such animal as the fuel will flow downhill right through the paper element until the bowl fills up and the fuel backs up and fills the filter.

If you haven't been seeing this, you have another issue like a stuck float valve.

Take a good sized screwdriver handle and whack the bowl 3-4 times fairly smartly with the handle end when the petcock is on prime.  You should start to see fuel start flowing.



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Now, here is a totally biased piece of advice.   Get rid of your vacsucker petcock, because if a simple fuel filter puzzles you out then that vacsucker is gonna drive you totally out of your mind when it starts to misbehave.

TRy a long hose on the filter, filled with fuel & blow  gas thru it, wet the paper fully. Once its wet with gas, it may play more nicely,
Youve already done some smart stuff by playing with the tractor & its filter. One more step & its either on the bike or back to the store.

YOu must get up around Mineola then? Im North of Longview , about 5 or 6 miles I guess, , about 1/2 mile East of 300, & about 2 miles North of 1844. Im about 40 Mi East of Mineola.

Im not riding right now, so,, bring the truck.Just come on out, Theres a few good burger joints in L/view.

Fuel flows through the gravel catcher (100 micron screen) filter off of my tractor when it is on the bike and the bike runs fine.  The fuel will not flow through the FF7144DL filter when it is on my tractor (gravity fuel system also), so it has to be something in the FF7144DL fuel filter 40 micron pleated paper media and restriction across it.  Since the fuel will flow through the FF7144DL filter when it is poured in I am at a loss as to why the filter is acting the way it does.  This has become a personnel issue with me and I will get the lab manometer on the filter at work on Monday and get an exact restriction across the filter media.  


Justin, be aware that he is talking about testing his tractor fuel filter not the big clear universal filter that is mentioned in the instructional thread he says he's basing off of.

Punch in FF7144DL filter into your browser and it does come up with an Autozone listing that looks like this.  

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/parts/_/N-8gd7g?itemIdentifier=246928_0_0_




He's got the completely wrong filter, or something else is wrong here.   First he starts off talking his bike and a clear filter ....

I added a fuel filter (5/16 inlet & outlet) that appears to be the same as Oldfellows (from pictures in his posts) and purchased it from Auto Zone.   The bike will only run for a couple of minutes then it is starved for fuel.

Then he finishes talking about his his bike AND his tractor and a tractor style filter on his bike.

??????  

Fuel flows through the gravel catcher (100 micron screen) filter off of my tractor when it is on the bike and the bike runs fine.  The fuel will not flow through the FF7144DL filter when it is on my tractor (gravity fuel system also), so it has to be something in the FF7144DL fuel filter 40 micron pleated paper media and restriction across it.  Since the fuel will flow through the FF7144DL filter when it is poured in I am at a loss as to why the filter is acting the way it does.  This has become a personnel issue with me and I will get the lab manometer on the filter at work on Monday and get an exact restriction across the filter media.  

 
Charon,  I am very interested in your "head pressure survey" information.  

Please don't junk it up with a lot of metal cannister data though as I don't think people should be using opaque fuel filters (it misses the main point that the clear sided filters do meet, to be able to SEE your fuel's condition and its flow)

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Yup, I mighta got lucky on my clear fuel filter compared to a lot of the metal pressure cannister types out there.  I wanted to be able to SEE what was going on -- and I still think that is a key requirement for troubleshooting.   (I don't think I would have put my finger on the vac petcock near as quickly without the clear filter to look at when the bike was dying by the roadside).

Mine was sold as a clear plastic universal in-line filter and they used to be very common, Walmart sold them as did every auto parts store, in quarter inch, 5/16 and 3/8 sizes.  Some had combo nipples (mine did).

The world does turn from year to year though, and I am surprised to find that now the clear sided fuel filters in the smaller nipple sizes are not so easily found any more.

Fram G2, G3 and Fram G12 are still in stock at parts stores, etc, but the ID size of the hose goes up to 3/8" which is still within clamp closure range I guess.  The old G1 small nipple must be ordered from most places now days.

"The G2 has a nominal micron rating of 10-14 microns."    You gotta love that very very very clear polycarbonate bowl that Fram uses, although under stress a polycarbonate can crack a little easier than a softer (less clear) plastic.   Our looping hoses don't put a lot of stress on anything, and the position we put it in is very protected from impacts.  Also note that Fram packs a lot of inches of filter paper into that tightly folded pleat section, more so than a lot of the others who don't filter nearly as finely.



Here is a pic of the old G1 small nipple which does need to be ordered most places now days.  In retrospect, a quarter inch hose is likely too small on the nipple ID for a maximized fuel flow (the nipple on the filter presents a restriction point).   When I replace mine, I will go with bigger 3/8" hose and bigger nipples accordingly.



There are a lot of two stroke marine filters in the same size range are available at larger micron numbers, but that isn't "commonly available" the way I like to recommend things.

Still, the use of a CLEAR SIDED fuel filter is vital on a motorcycle, so you can see what is what with your fuel.   We will have to spot some easy to get filter sources and see what we have available and add it back to the Tech thread.