Throw them out, I have several in stock. Not worth the effort to clean them.

Anyone who is foolish enough to try to reuse these should probably just bypass the thing and get it over with.:rolleyes:

Yep! Last time I checked, CITRUS based solvent came in a large plastic bottle.

:laugh2:

To be fair though, you could wash a filter lots of times for that one bottle of cleaner...

Really though, I drop them in my plastic re-cycle bin. It's 2 bucks, I'm not going to spend a half hour salvaging a 2 dollar part. I'll work a half hour of overtime and buy me a dozen or so instead.
-nB

Replace.


I have 3 primarys and one secondary in the trunk of my car. The new NSE brand Mercedes OEM primarys arnt clear, and the Secondarys are a bit larger than the bosch units.

Primarys cost me $3, and Secondarys cost me $14 from the dealer. Not worth trying to save a few bucks and possibly run the IP or injectors.

If you're that concerned, recycle them. :)

a $2 part?
 

Come on, why bother rinsing it out? It is cheap, it really protects....not worth even taking a chance........but, if you can get it clean and you don't mind the work go ahead and have a ball. As for me, it will be replaced.

WAIT A MINUTE!!

pri·ma·ry [prahy-mer-ee, -muh-ree] first or highest in rank or importance; chief; principal

I thought you were referring to washing out the spin-on filter - i.e. the primary filter in terms of importance!!!

I generally use the terms "final filter" and "pre-filter(s)". But, now that we're on the same page, I do think it'd be just fine to wash out the completely plastic, in-line, pre-filter (which is basically a 150-micron strainer) - though I will probably continue to just recycle mine.

Additionally, IMHO adding a FM100 30-micron pre-filter / water seperator is a great idea - LINK. As I stated above, the MB in-line filters are just strainers, some use the term "rock catchers", and the FM100 is a true, high quality and highly effective pre-filter.

Part of my original post is below (I'm deleting the rest of it) as it contains some good information on recycling the Final filter. Cheers!

If you are a pencil and pen pocket protector dude you think of words as they are explained in the dictionary. However, in the mechanics world the primary fuel filter is the first one- and it has the highest micron rating, which means it lets the most particles pass. Look at the screen inside it- it's a screen folks. Put your garden hose on the out end, then get the water out and throw the sucker back on if it doesn't have any holes in it. It's purpose is to stop major stuff. Anything that passes it gets caught by the secondary anyways.

replace every 6 months or depending on how bad the gunk is on there. I only recycle/clean pre-filters when i dont have a spare one. But when i get to buying a new one, i simply throw the old one out.

I have backflushed them with starting fluid, brake cleaner, penetrating oil or whatever was available when on the side of the road without a spare, otherwise throw the sucker out.:scholar:
Jeff

just cleaned and re-installed for the umteenth time.... my new2me coupe wasn't driven for over a year and has some serious tank critters.

I just keep on re-using mine- if it aint broke, why replace it?