With a few innovative twists on a familiar template, engineers at Fleetguard have redesigned their diesel engine lube and fuel filters.

The accent is on user-friendliness, and fewer headaches for the guys in the shop. For one thing, the filter casing’s not metal. It’s a solid black polymer composite and completely recyclable. That’s an advantage because, with no metal parts, the danger of engine damage due to metal shards from the filter itself is gone. It’s also 50 percent lighter.

You can drain it and send it to a landfill or crush it and incinerate it. It also won’t dent if you drop it. Furthermore, it’s got a flat bottom.

So it won’t tip over, spilling fuel or oil all over the place, and it won’t roll out of reach.

The interior chamber of the filter casing is still rounded, but outside? Flat. Stackable. For easy handling. And if you look at the bottom of the casing, you’ll see a little half-inch indentation, into which you can insert a socket wrench for easy removal. And it’s claimed to be a hardy item to boot. The Fleetguard engineers say they drove over the prototypes in their Dodge Rams to test the filter’s physical durability.

Fleetguard, a division of Cummins, says these new filters are ready now in a limited line for mid-range engines up to 10
liters. The lineup will be expanded to include both lower and upper ends of the engine spectrum, and the filters will be priced the same as the metal ones they’re replacing. They’re OK with low-sulfur and biodiesel fuels, by the way. em>Call 800-223-4583.