I would love to hear the reasoning behind this also. I've heard that for years and years, but I could never find a reason why people use them.

 

I can't find any exact flow rates, I will look harder when I get home. Anyway, the general consensus is that they have a slightly higher flow rate than the OE filter, which is good if you have upgraded your fuel pump and injectors, but not really too much of a point if you have a stock fuel system.

 

It's funny how so many people say how great the 300ZX filter is, yet they have no clue to why there actually using it, lol. You can use any damn fuel filter you want (I've used one from a ford van before), from any vehicle and you won't even be able to tell a difference.
Imo, a fuel filter is just that, a filter. As long as your getting the correct fuel pressure to the rail, it doesn't matter what type or brand is filtering the fuel. Also, I highly doubt putting a 300ZX filter in place of a stock KA filter on a turbo KA will gain any fuel pressure, or make any more power. Unless someone can post proof, its a myth imo.

 

What you just said doesn't make sense, well in a way it does. Anway, the 3Z filter is larger so, in theory (notice, I said "in theory"), it should be able allow more fuel to flow through it and it was designed for a higher HP car, so it should be able to take a higher fuel pressure, but yes you are right, any filter for just about any car should work. If you are running a high HP motor and have the fuel system to support it, you really think a stock fuel filter will be able to handle the extra flow, let alone the additional fuel pressure? The 300zx fuel filters run less than $20 from Nissan, almost the exact same price as the stock filter. It just makes sense to me to move to a larger filter.

However, like you also said, there seems to be little evidence, as I can't find any actual flow numbers for either filter. So, it's just really up to each person, and what they think is right. Also, many of the threads I read that involved installing a 3Z filter, the people seemed to notice a difference. Whether it was in fuel pressure, air/fuel ratio, or just generally how the car ran.

Even just replacing an old filter with a new OE replacement makes a difference in how a car runs, if it's worn out.

Did some more searching and still can't find flow rates, but found something that makes sense. Even if it does not affect fuel pressure or HP much, it does have a larger filter area. This allows for the filter to last longer because it will take longer to "clog" the filter. In other words, when your stock filter is suffering at 50k miles, the 3Z fillter still has a little bit more time on it.

 

What you just said doesn't make sense, well in a way it does.

What don't you understand? A fuel filter is a fuel filter, nuff said.

If you are running a high HP motor and have the fuel system to support it, you really think a stock fuel filter will be able to handle the extra flow, let alone the additional fuel pressure?

If your running an upgraded fuel pump, fuel rail, injectors, ECU, FPR, why the hell would you use a stock fuel filter in the first place? The stock 300ZX fuel pressure is 43.4psi (34psi on the KA's at idle, and 44 at WOT once the solenoid kicks on, bypassing the vac raising FP to 44psi)
If running a massive filter makes them last longer, why not just go into the part store and ask for the largest fuel filter possible? Not only that, if your constantly clogging filters so often that you benefit from a larger filter, you have other issues to work out.
So with that said, I'm sticking to my original statement.

 

lots of useful tips here my friends and thanks r long u the man

 

I edited the post above yours a little, not sure if you read the part I added to the bottom, about the larger surface area and crap.

 

yeah i read it heyy bro if u can help me out wit my fuel rail vaccum line thread itwould be so so sick haha

 

check PMs

and KA, the only solid thing I found was about the "clogging" factor.

 

I just presented to you the evidence as to why people would go with the 3Z filter, and you say it is wrong. Sure they don't have to go with the 3Z, any filter with a larger surface area should last longer because it's got a bigger surface area. A longer lasting filter will cut down on maintenance costs.

I never said that you would benenfit from this filter because you are constantly clogging filters. It's obvious that a larger filtering surface will last longer, given that the same amount of fuel is going to it, as was going to the smaller filter. I don't see what's so hard about that. Obviously, you are set in many of your ways and nobody else's ideas/thoughts are correct. We've argued many points before (actually really only the SR/KA), to no avail.
d
I am not trying to change your opinion, but you refuse to see things without some "substantiated proof" can you see gravity, no. Do you believe in evolution or creationism? Well, both of those are theories. Do you believe in combustion? You can't see your motor compressing and igniting the fuel, but you sure as hell can tell the car is moving.


anddd, I'm out...:S-A-Smack:

 

More surface area is great. But that does not mean its superior to a filter (of any kind) with less surface area. Would putting a massive oil filter on extend my drain intervals? Does a bigger air filter last longer?
Its not that I think peoples ideas are wrong, and what I say is right, its the fact that there's so much misinformation about the "magical" 300zx filter. I don't know about everyone else, but I change my filter a lot more often than 50k anyways, so a filter with a larger surface area has no positive effects for me, or anyone else who changes them more often.
Like I said above, I've yet to see any kind of proof that its better in any way from the stock filter. The SR thing, lets not go there.

 

I agree with you, there appears to be no proven HP or performance gain from this filter. It just seems to be one of those magical myths running around the s-chassis. Technically, any filter that has a larger surface area will last longer, given the medium it is filtering remains the same. Realistically, no you won't gain much of an advantage.

Soonboosted wanted to know the benefits, and the only one I could find and seem to be substantiated, was that the Z32 filter would last longer. :beer2:

 

There you go ^. The advantage of the 300ZX fuel filter is more filter surface area, and longer life between changes.

 

h

 

calm down ladies no need to start pulling hair and clawing at eachother

Any useful input? :S-A-Smack:

 

calm down ladies no need to pull hair and claw at eachother :wgaf

 

Ok, to add a little more...

The whole thing about the filter lasting longer seems to be the big reason everyone supports the filter, I however, after searching for quite some time, found no actual time comparison test or results to support the conclusion. So that still leaves us at the original question, which I am intending to solve, positive or negative. I have contacted several "reputable" s-chassis tuning companies and am going to contact more, to find out if they have anything solid. If they can't provide anything, this question will continue to bug me (yes, it's stupid, I've spent hours searching and not slept because of it, anyway). If nothing comes from the tuning companies, I will purchase each filter, brand new OEM, and try to run some tests myself. However, I am not going to dyno because of the cost involved with it. I'm talking about A/F ratio, injector duty cycle ratings, F/P, crap like that, run some stuff with Nissan Datascan. Probably even make some sort of ghetto flow bench. I may be blowing this out of proportion, but this is bugging the crap out of me. Somebody, back in the day, had to have some proven reason to go with this filter, and now, I want to know why.

Thanks Soonboosted and KA!:gaah:

 

ill give you the reason why people run z32 filters.

1. it looks bigger (bigger means better ask my girlfriends)
2. its more expensive (more expensive means nicer ask my any hooker)

thats it

 

Reading threads from 10 years or more back, the Z32 fuel filters were originally cheaper than the original filters. Now, only $3 more from Nissan, not a huge price difference. As far as size, you've seen the argument for that, but I'm going to work on this. I already have 1(ea) new OEM filter ordered.

 

fonix said it best, lol. RLong, defiantly see what you can dig up. I'm curious as to why/how the 300zx fuel filter "upgrade" started too.

 

sweet man rlong my man u actually put shit to the test thats what i like too seee haha

 

3 bucks is a gallan of gass, half a pack of sigs, or 3 for 3 at jack in the box

 

^lol

 

First two responses I've received, company names are purposely left out. I wrote back to the first one to see if they would be willing to test (this was a good response, proves to me that all the good things I've heard about this company are true).

Hi Rick,
Unfortunately, we do not have any support documents for this fuel filter.

Second response, I just left it alone and did not respond:

1. They are physically larger, so with same amount of fuel flow vs a 240SX, - they will last longer (more material to plug up)

2. They are standard on 300ZX's which come stock with 300 hp. Many will push over 500 hp on the stock fuel system (stock hardlines, stock filter, upgraded injectors), so it must flow fairly well. We have made well over 400 whp on these filters with no starvation.

3. Limiting factor in the hp will be the feed lines of the 240SX, as the 3/16' hard lines can only flow so much fuel to feed so much energy (hp)

4. It's cheaper from Nissan vs the 240SX filter.

More to come, when I receive more responses.

Oh, I was wondering if this could get stickied? I plan on keeping this updated. Plus, this could put a pretty good twist into one of the common things that has always been associated with our cars.

 

I wanna see flow numbers of each, lol. And what the hell is this?
"Limiting factor in the hp will be the feed lines of the 240SX, as the 3/16' hard lines can only flow so much fuel to feed so much energy (hp)"
I cannot think of one single time, or person that I've ever known, have to get bigger fuel lines to make more power. Maybe if your pushing mega hp number > 1000 hp, but for the average 3-4-500hp, its not going to make a difference.

 

my old neon(this is in 1999 and i know this is a 240 site but its got a point in this post...) i had a 2.4liter turbo'd/3stage nos dodge neon 4door.
i ran low 6 seconds in the 1/8 and high 10 in the 1/4

the factory lines had to be replaced when i went with the deisel turbo. i was starving for fuel left and right.
ended up with 1/2inch lines custom made.

the stock filter(2.0 sohc) couldnt flow past 250ish hp
i upgraded to a jegs FI filter and had no problems with it besides the price.

my "theory" on why the 300z filter...
holds more fuel = less starvation...
the filter i ended up gettin on the neon was a bout a foot long and 2 inches wide.
the reason i got it was so it would hold more fuel past the filter part for less starvation...

 

Yes, it might hold more fuel, but the inlet and outlets are the same size as the S13/S14 filter, so it's not going to move any more fuel than the stock filter, unless there is more fuel pressure, at a higher volume trying to push fuel through (ie: an aftermarket fuel pump). Even then, you are still trying to push through the same size hole and then spreading the fuel out over a wider area, so now you have a pressure drop inside the larger filter (which would be worse with a stock pump). So we are still back to the original question.

Fonix, I was thinking about what you said when this was first posted. An a NA car (with stock fuel system) will probably benefit very little from this, if at all. So, is there a really a point in me testing it out? My fuel system is not even remotely stock and the car is turbo, I wander...

 

good point rick and the guy with number for a name haha yea both god points and yeah most deffinatly should be a sticky!!!!!

 

number guy that is a good point.
however are we really adding boost to the issue?
i would say the true story teller would be pound for pound under NA standards