In-line fuel filter

[BRYAN99]

I have a 2000 F-250 with a 7.3. The first of the month I had a problem where the truck lost power just running down the interstate. I had it towed and after got it home had no more problems with it. Until now.
I pulled my camper this weekend, one way 120+ miles, drove around another 80+ miles and had no problems. I headed home and got with in 25 miles of home and the truck lost power pulling a small incline. I pulled to the side of the interstate and stopped, I was sure at this point I had a transmission issue. My camper is 6700 lbs. dry, it is flat on the front and I was bucking a 20+ mph head wind. The transmission was running between 190-200, not sure what is too hot for that transmission. After stopping I was able to take off and get to speed again, after about 10 miles and pulling an incline, it did the same thing, I limped it to the next exit, stopped, put it in park and then was able to continue home with no more problems.
I then consulted a friend who worked for Ford. From what I was telling him, he thought it was a fuel issue and not a transmission problem.
So yesterday morning I checked my fuel filter that I had change about two weeks ago, it still looked clean, but in the bottom of the bowl was some setiment, that looked like rust. I cleaned it out best I could. So I thought I would leave the filter out and cycle the key and see how much fuel went in the bowl. Now, the other thing that I have noticed over the last 6-8 months is that my fuel lift pump has been very noisy. I had to cycle the key 3 times to fill the bowl, the fuel came in very slowly. So I decided to try what someone had suggested on here at the beginning of the month and pull the suction side line off the pump and blow air back into the tank. After I did this, the bowl filled in one key cycle and the fuel pump is quiet as a church mouse. I drove the truck over a hundred miles yesterday with no problem.

So my question, after this long drawn out story is, can I put just a regular inline filter in that suction line? Or do they make a special filter to go in that line. I have a plastic tank, so I am guessing that my fuel source is the culprit, but I am afraid, now I have blown the sock off the pickup tube and now what ever trash, that must have been plugging the pickup, will make its way through the fuel system.

Sorry this was so long, but any help would be greatly appreciated.

[ttyR2]

You can buy or build your own DIY filter setup using a pair of Baldwin spin on filters. The first one functions as a water trap and basic filtration, the second one filters down to 2 microns or so.

Use the search function and you should be able to pull up info on how to put one together.