AEM 10 Micron Universal Inline Fuel Filter

AEM 10 Micron Universal Inline Fuel Filter - 6AN ORB

You're running a Walbro 450 fuel pump and 1000cc injectors on your turbo K series and you need to make sure nothing gets to those injectors except clean fuel. Dirt, rust, water, and debris sitting in your fuel tank will clog your injectors and kill your fuel pump. A stock fuel filter might catch the big chunks but it's not stopping the small particles that wreck injector spray patterns and wear out your pump. AEM's 10 micron inline fuel filter catches particles down to 10 microns while flowing 100 gallons per hour. That's tiny filtration with serious flow. For reference, a human hair's about 70 microns. This filter's stopping stuff you can't even see and it's still flowing enough fuel to support 600+ horsepower. You're installing this inline between your fuel pump and your fuel rail. The filter uses -6AN ORB (O-ring boss) fittings on both ends. Clean fuel goes to your injectors, all the trash stays in the filter. When the filter gets dirty, you swap it out. You're protecting $1,200 worth of injectors and a $300 fuel pump with this filter. That's cheap insurance.

Here's Why 10 Micron Filtration Matters

Most stock fuel filters are 20-30 microns. That's fine for a bone-stock engine with stock injectors and a stock fuel pump. The injectors don't need ultra-clean fuel and the pump's not flowing enough volume to care about small particles. But when you're running a high-flow fuel pump and big injectors, filtration matters. High-flow pumps move more fuel, which means they're also moving more of whatever crud is sitting in your tank. Big injectors have tighter tolerances than stock injectors. A 1000cc injector's spray pattern is more sensitive to debris than a stock 250cc injector. If you get a particle stuck in the pintle or the spray nozzle, the injector doesn't atomize fuel correctly. You get uneven spray, poor combustion, and eventually the injector clogs completely. A 10 micron filter catches the small stuff that gets past a 20 or 30 micron filter. You're getting cleaner fuel to your injectors and your injectors last longer.

Fuel Contamination Comes from Everywhere

Your fuel tank's not clean. Even if you only buy gas from top-tier stations, there's still dirt and water getting into your tank. Every time you fill up, you're potentially adding contamination from the gas station's underground tanks. Those tanks collect water from condensation and they've got rust and sediment sitting at the bottom. When the tanker truck fills the station's tanks, it stirs up all that sediment and some of it ends up in your car. If your car sits for a few weeks or months, condensation forms inside your fuel tank. That's water sitting in your gas. Water doesn't burn and it corrodes your fuel system components. If you've got an older car, there's probably rust inside your fuel tank from years of condensation and sitting. All of that contamination flows through your fuel lines to your fuel pump and your injectors. A good filter catches it before it causes damage.

Here's When You Need a 10 Micron Filter

If you're running a stock fuel system with stock injectors and a stock fuel pump, a 10 micron filter's overkill. Your stock filter's fine. But if you've done any of these things, you need better filtration. You upgraded your fuel pump to a Walbro 255, 450, or an AEM 400 LPH pump. You installed bigger injectors (anything over 500cc). You're running E85 or flex fuel and you need to keep ethanol-related debris out of your system. You're building a turbo motor or a high-compression all-motor build that can't tolerate inconsistent fueling from clogged injectors. You track your car and you're pushing the fuel system hard. You've got an older car with a rusty fuel tank. Any of those situations, run a 10 micron filter. It's cheap and it works.

-6AN ORB Fittings with Viton Seals

AEM machines the end caps with -6AN ORB fittings. ORB stands for O-ring boss. That's a female -6AN fitting with a machined O-ring groove that seals with an O-ring instead of a tapered thread. ORB fittings seal better than standard AN fittings because the O-ring makes a positive seal. You're threading your -6AN hose ends into the filter and tightening them down. The O-ring compresses and seals. No leaks. The O-rings and gaskets are all Viton. Viton's a fluoroelastomer that's compatible with gasoline, E85, ethanol blends, and methanol. It doesn't swell or degrade from alcohol fuels like rubber O-rings do. If you're running E85 or flex fuel, Viton seals are required. The filter's compact. It's 3.5 inches long and 1.5 inches in diameter. That's small enough to fit in tight engine bays or under the car near the fuel tank.

Flows 100 Gallons Per Hour

The filter flows 100 gallons per hour. That's enough flow to support about 600-700 horsepower depending on your BSFC and your fuel type. If you're running pump gas on a turbo motor at a BSFC of 0.5, you need about 50 pounds of fuel per hour per 100 horsepower. That's 75 gallons per hour for 500 horsepower. The filter flows 100 GPH so you've got headroom. If you're running E85 with a BSFC of 0.65, you need more fuel. 500 horsepower on E85 needs about 97 gallons per hour. The filter's right at the limit. For 600+ horsepower on E85, you'd want a bigger filter or two of these filters in parallel. For most street and street/track turbo builds making 400-500 whp, this filter flows plenty.

What You Get

• AEM 10 micron universal inline fuel filter
• 10 micron paper filter element (traps particles down to 10 microns)
• Flow rating: 100 gallons per hour
• -6AN ORB (O-ring boss) inlet and outlet fittings
• Viton O-rings and gaskets (compatible with gasoline, E85, ethanol, methanol)
• Compact size: 3.5" long x 1.5" diameter
• Machined aluminum end caps
• Replaceable filter element
• Universal inline design (fits between fuel pump and fuel rail)

Note: This filter uses -6AN ORB (O-ring boss) fittings - you need -6AN male ORB hose ends to connect to it. ORB fittings seal with an O-ring, not tapered threads. If you're running standard -6AN hose ends without ORB, you'll need adapters or new hose ends. Flows 100 gallons per hour - supports approximately 600-700 HP on pump gas, 500-600 HP on E85 depending on BSFC. For higher horsepower on E85, run two filters in parallel or upgrade to a larger filter. This is a 10 micron filter - finer filtration than most stock filters (20-30 microns). Use this if you've upgraded your fuel pump, installed larger injectors, or you're running a tuned engine where fuel quality matters. The filter element is replaceable - check it regularly and replace when dirty or when fuel pressure starts dropping. A clogged filter will starve your engine of fuel and cause lean conditions or fuel starvation under load. Keep a spare filter element on hand. Mount the filter inline between your fuel pump and fuel rail. Viton seals are compatible with pump gas, E85, ethanol blends, and methanol - safe for any fuel type. Check filter element every 10,000-15,000 miles or more frequently if you're running track days or if you've got an older car with a rusty fuel tank.