FloMax 300 Fuel Filter / Water Separator by Ramco Performance Manufacturing installed 1/19/08 One of the most neglected systems in our Jeeps is the fuel delivery system. In a way this is understandable because the fuel pump is inside the gas tank making it hard to access. Especially if you have a 97+ XJ in which you must drop the whole gas tank to remove the pump module. This means that all that gunk sitting at the bottom of your gas tank is not only slowly clogging your fuel filters (attached to the pump module) but some dirty gas is inevitably making it through to your fuel injectors. There is a small screen inside each injector and the more dirty your fuel is, the more contaminants will be trapped in those screens. Dirty or clogged fuel injectors leads to bad performance such as hard starting, stalling, hesitation, poor fuel efficiency and reduced horsepower. Click here to see what a dirty stock pickup filter looks like. The only way to guarantee that contaminants do not reach the injectors is with a high-performace fuel filter such as the FloMax 300 made by Ramco Performance Manufacturing. I recently installed the FloMax on my Cherokee and would like to introduce this product to you. I had a chance to speak with Allen McKay, the President of Ramco and he told me that up until recently their main customer base has been in the racing industry like NASCAR, drag racing, hot rods, powerboats, etc. He has been doing some testing with off-road type vehicles, including their own TJ and have also aquired an XJ that they plan to use as well. Knowing that JeepSpeed is gaining in popularity along with other "performance-based" build-ups for the trail as well as the street, it is no wonder that Ramco is getting into the off-road market. The FloMax 300 is truly a "high-performance" filter. Its made of solid billet aluminum making it very lightweight at only 19 ounces. It also has a versatile mounting design. It can be mounted to any flat surface or tubular rail. But what really impresses me are these specs: Fuel Flow: 300 GPH Filtration Efficiency: 5 micron including water separation Burst: 250 psi Dimensions: height 4.25" / width 3" / depth 3.75" Since I'm not an expert on fuel filters I did some searching on my own to see how the FloMax compares to other products out there. I won't name any names, but there are some brands of filters that are labeled as "high-performance", but comparing fuel flow and filtration efficiency, the FloMax is far superior to anything I was able to find. I also didn't find any that claimed their filter could separate water, and this is a huge benefit I see with the FloMax. As far as first-hand testing goes, I have only just installed it so I won't be able to give any feedback until I change the filter. But until then you can check out the review that Stu Olson did on this same product and see what results they got. See the end of this article for a link to Stu Olson's page. The Installation Since this product is used on so many vehicles and can be mounted anywhere you want, it does not come as an all-inclusive kit. That being said, it was not difficult to source the additional hardware I needed for the install. I'll show you what I received from Ramco and what I had to buy myself. For your Cherokee, the parts you buy will probably be similar to what I used. Refer to my list below the picture. Parts List FloMax 300 (includes plugs for un-used ports) replacement filter (shown in white box) What I bought separately: 4 feet of 5/16" rubber fuel line rated a minimum of 50 psi two 1/2" male to 1/8" female NPT brass fittings two 1/8" male NPT to 5/16" flared hose end fittings Permatex "High Performance" thread sealant four #4 hose clamps, size 1/4" - 5/8" (not shown in photo) two 3/8" bolts and appropriate nuts and washers (not shown in photo) You won't find a 1/2" NPT to 5/16" hose barb anywhere so the brass fittings I have are what the NAPA parts store had on hand. Stu Olson used slightly different fittings, so again I recommend reading his write-up and use the fittings that are easiest for you to obtain. The end result is the same however. Also a note on the fuel line - my 2000 XJ operates with a fuel pressure of 49.2 psi +/- 2 psi. Older XJs operate at lower fuel pressure down to 31 psi. The guy at NAPA assured me that the fuel hose I was buying had a 50 psi rating, but because it doesn't have it marked on the hose I am a little cautious and will be inspecting the hose frequently at first to make sure. (I can be paranoid and anal at times I know...) The last thing to do before actually installing it was to decide where it was going to be mounted on the Jeep. Ideally you want it located underneath the Jeep in relatively close proximity to the fuel lines. It is also a good idea to put it in a location that is easy to get to for changing the filter, but it also should be protected from rocks or other hazards. Keeping those things in mind, it was a challenge to find a good spot on my XJ because if you've seen my OBA system, you know that I have a 2.5 gallon air tank under the Jeep that is in the prime location for installing this filter. After much debate I decided to mount it next to the evap canister and I could attach it to the same bracket that I made to hold my air tank. Obviously what you have underneath your Jeep, and the amount of lift you have, are factors in determining where you can mount the FloMax. Note: On '98+ XJs, the EVAP canister is located here as shown. '97 and older XJs have the EVAP canister (aka: charcoal canister) located in the engine compartment. I then removed my air tank bracket to drill the mounting holes for the FloMax. continue to page 2