Prevent contaminants getting into your engine.

Mr Funnel uses a unique filter to prevent water and contaminants getting into the engine.

A few droplets of water, some tiny grains of sand or a pinch of dirt could put an end to an enjoyable outing this summer.

That’s all it takes for the fuel to be contaminated in the engine of a boat, the tractor towing it to the beach, a quad bike or just about any other vehicle or garden/farm/contracting equipment powered by internal combustion.

But a simple and relatively inexpensive device can save the hassle and keep users safe.

By using a special type of fuel funnel that filters out harmful dirt, particles and water, potential damage to the engine can be easily avoided.

Recently introduced to New Zealand as part of the popular Mr Funnel range, the new Fuel Filter Funnel features innovative filtering technology that traps a wide range of contaminants from entering the fuel system.

“The Fuel filter Funnel is one of the most effective ways to prevent contaminants from entering the fuel system and it could just save your holiday says Tim Paterson, National Sales Manager, Griffiths Equipment, which distributes the Mr Funnel range throughout New Zealand.
“The biggest source of contamination is from storing fuel in cans in the garage or workshop. Temperature changes cause condensation to form inside the container, regardless of what it’s made of, which mixes with the fuel. And with modern engines, it doesn’t take much water to prevent an engine from starting or causing damage to the fuel system.

“It’s not something you would want to happen if you are about to return from a day’s fishing or you’ve been out riding the quad bike to a remote spot and it’s starting to get dark.”

Modern engines fitted to boats, vehicles and equipment and are highly susceptible to even small particles or water contamination, making them hard to start, and may also lead to internal damage.

Fuel left in containers is especially prone to condensation, which can be extremely damaging if used in diesel or petrol engines. Lawnmowers, chainsaws, leaf blowers and other garden equipment are also typically filled from containers.

The Mr Funnel Fuel Filter Funnel prevents these contaminants from entering the system without unduly hindering the flow. Filtered fuel flows out almost as quickly as if it was passing through a funnel that doesn’t have an effective filter and the water and dirt can be removed separately. But it’s not just any filter.

The filter in the Mr Funnel Fuel Filter Funnel is positioned vertically rather than sitting in a horizontal position over the spout, where you’ll find them on ordinary funnels. With a horizontal design, some water and contaminants are pushed through the filter, but there is no pressure on the vertical screen used in the Mr Funnel Fuel Filter Funnel, so only pure fuel passes through.

The material used in the Mr Funnel Fuel Filter Funnel is also unique and was first developed to protect the engines of the US Army’s M60 and M61 tanks on dusty battlefields and has been used in the US space programme, too. The 74 micron Teflon coated vertical stainless steel mesh is designed to filter out water and solid particles down to .005” (five-thousandths of an inch) in size.

Another feature is the unique sump at the bottom, which traps debris and water, keeping them away from the filter. Conventional filters don’t have this feature and are quick to clog, which dramatically slows the filtering process. 

The ‘sump’ area in the Mr Funnel Fuel Filter Funnel collects the deflected water and other contaminants once the fuel has passed through the filter, for easy disposal.

The Mr Funnel Fuel Filter Funnel can be used with a variety of fuel types, including petrol, diesel, 2-stroke mixes, kerosene and heating oil, and its heavy-duty construction is designed to resist chemical/solvent attack.

A patent is pending on the design and the technology is backed by independent laboratory tests, including one in which 125ml of water was added to fuel and the Mr Funnel Fuel Filter Funnel removed all that water, plus additional moisture that was already in the sample.
There are several sizes available, but Mr Paterson says the most popular Mr Funnel Fuel Filter Funnel is the F3NC size, which delivers a flow rate of 13 litres per minute. 

The Mr Funnel Fuel Filter Funnel range is available from Tradezone stores throughout the country. A video of how the technology works can be viewed below: