There are a lot of fluids and moving parts in your boat's Yamaha outboard engine. Filters are important to keeping your engine clean and performing its best.
If you've ever done a search for Yamaha outboard fuel filters, you might have noticed the list goes on and on and on. Fuel is fuel, right? So, why are there so many different Yamaha outboard fuel filters? Well, here’s your answer!
Yamaha Fuel Filters
The simple answer behind the various fuel filters is that contaminants take many forms, especially for marine engines. Dirt in your fuel lines isn’t like the stuff you clean off your boots at the end of the day. Different types of dirt come in different shapes and sizes.
For example, one type of dirt might be shaped like an arrow, while another kind is shaped like a ball. It's hard to make one filter that can hold back every shape. The arrow-shaped dirt particles are much smaller than the ball-shaped dirt. If you make a filter small enough to stop the arrow-shaped dirt, the ball-shaped dirt might clog up the filter, causing a vacuum that hinders (or damages) your entire system.
The way to solve this problem is to install many filters. The first line of filters can filter out the larger debris; the second filter handles smaller particles, while the third one handles particles that are even smaller.
The result of all these filters is that the fuel in your boat is clean when it reaches your Yamaha outboard engine, allowing your outboard motor to run at peak performance.
Some Yamaha 4-stroke outboard engines run with several different fuel filters to prevent debris and water from impacting the internal workings. Here are the different types of fuel filters that keep your Yamaha outboard engine running smoothly and the order in which they appear in your fuel lines.
1. Yamaha Outboard 10-Micron Fuel-Water Separating Filter
When fuel comes out of your tank, the first filter it comes to is the 10-micron fuel-water separating filter. As the name might imply, the Yamaha 10-micron fuel-water separating filter is designed to keep water and small debris (let’s say around 10 microns in diameter) from entering your Yamaha engine.
To keep your engine running clean, you should change your 10-micron fuel-water separating filter every 50 hours of engine use. It’s also a good idea to carry a spare filter onboard, just in case you get a bad tank of gas that overwhelms the original filter.
2. Yamaha Outboard Primary On-Engine Filter
Next in line is the primary on-engine filter. If your 10-micron filter doesn't catch potentially damaging particles, this one will!
You usually find this filter on the powerhead's rear, side, or front. The filter's housing is typically made of clear plastic you can see through. Also, there may be a red ring visible inside the housing. The red ring isn't an accident, so don't remove it! It's a marker to tell you if there's water trapped in the filter.
If you notice the red ring floating inside the filter, it means the filter’s trap is filled with water, and it’s time to swap it out. It also means you should change your 10-micron filter because it's likely also full of water.
3. Yamaha Outboard In-Line Filter (If Applicable)
In some Yamaha outboard engine models, an extra filter, an in-line filter, sitting between the primary on-engine filter and the vapor tank separator (VST) filter.
If you have one, the in-line filter can be found along the top of the outboard. Many boat owners don’t even know this little filter exists! But that doesn’t mean it’s any less important.
Like the rest of your Yamaha outboard engine's fuel filters, this is just another line of defense against water and particulates contaminating the fuel going into the outboard motor. If you don't inspect and service this filter, it could become blocked up and clog your entire fuel line.
If you're unsure if you have a primary on-engine filter, refer to your service manual. You might also need to contact your dealer exactly where this filter is hiding on your specific outboard engine model.
4. Vapor Separator Tank (VST) Filter
Your Yamaha outboard engine has an electric fuel pump that takes fuel and sends it straight into the engine so your boat can run. Before the fuel gets pressurized into your injection rail(s), there's another filter that's designed to catch any remaining debris.
The vapor separator tank (VST) filter is designed to catch deposits before they can gum up and hurt the internal workings of your engine. This is especially important if you use untreated fuel.
If you want to ease this filter’s workload and keep your engine running clean, you should add some Yamaha Ring Free Plus with every tank of fuel. It also doesn’t hurt to regularly inspect and service the first two filters in the fuel line to prevent clogs in your VST filter.
The various Yamaha outboard engine models are different, so consult your engine's service manual for the recommended changing interval for your VST filter.
4. Fuel Injector Screen
The fuel injector screen is the last line of defense against debris in your fuel line. This filter is exactly like it sounds: It’s a filter that sits just before your injectors to catch any last-minute particulates that might have made their way through the other filters.
As you might have guessed, this filter is made of a very fine-mesh screen. If debris made it through the other filters, it’s likely extremely small!
Luckily, not much debris makes it to this stage, so you don’t have to change your fuel injector screens very often. If debris does make it to your fuel injector screen, you will likely have to get it removed and cleaned by a certified Yamaha mechanic.
The best way to avoid the cost of professionally changing your fuel injector screen is to keep the other filters in your fuel line sparkling clean. The more your other filters keep out, the less there’ll be to clog your injector screen.
Find the Right Fuel Filter for your Yamaha Outboard Engine
No matter which fuel filters you need to keep your Yamaha outboard engine running smoothly, Yamaha Online Parts has what you need. We carry a full catalog of Yamaha fuel filters and have what you need to fit any engine model. If you're unsure when to change your filters, refer to our Yamaha Outboard Service Interval Chart.
Proper Yamaha outboard engine maintenance requires Genuine OEM Yamaha parts. Trust the experts at Yamaha Online Parts for all your outboard engine needs.
