Heated Fuel (via primer & filter housing) Needed?

[898kor]

Hi all,

The primer on my filter housing has given up so I bought another off eBay, bargain price I thought!................. but it has not heater .

Is the heater side of the fuel delivery really needed for this country?

 

[karl webster]

Not needed at all here.

 

[898kor]

Cheers Karl.

The primer on mine gave up on a filter change a while back, I lived with it as I just filled the filter with diesel and kept the revs up on a restart.

Then I started getting none starts, if I left the motor without starting for more than a day it would need priming again (it usually starts after sniffing the key)...... turned out to be a blocked tank breather(s) - I'm guessing a combination of vacuum in the fuel tank and the primer broken (so no closed valve?) the fuel was returning back to the tank.

 

[karl webster]

I've had it far too many times myself.

As soon as I get a truck in the tank filter goes. Usually they block up and starve the truck of fuel. With this issue the IP has to work much harder and I personally think this is why a lot have issues with the pump.

The lift pumps do give issues also. Same as you mentioned. You can help it by putting a non return valve before the primer.

 

[Chris]

These are 12mm which fit directly in line. Simply cut the hose where it comes up the bulkhead, stick this in with a couple of hose clips and it stops the fuel siphoning back to the tank. There is a simple diaphragm inside which is held shut by fuel pressure on one side.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/250579635241?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2648

 

[frank rabbets]

There may be a little problem with those Chris. The diaphragm is held closed by a spring which has a requires a pressure to open it much greater than that required to move 2 ft head of diesel uphill. This means that as soon as you install it the lift pump is struggling much much more than without it. A simpler one way valve with a gravity ball in it would be better or one with a very weak spring but I failed to find one and gave up.

Frank

 

[Chris]

Never given me a problem Frank. I could blow through it pretty easily. What I figured to be happening is that the fuel doesn't just run down hill in the delivery pipe when you get this problem. It actually siphons it out of the filter too. The fuel left in the system is often enough to fire up the engine but it dies before it can really get going and have the pump pull more through. I found that by fitting this (when I had the problem) it kept the filter full and some of the pipe so that the engine would fire and run pulling fuel up the pipe only the 12" or so to where it was fitted in the system. Cured it completely and certainly never starved the engine on full throttle. Like I said, I could blow through it one way very easily.

 

[898kor]

Cheers Karl, Chris.

Check valve (above) purchased as a fail safe.

Must admit I need to check the in-tank filter, I've never looked at it and I have ran some sloppy bio in the past - wont hurt for a bit of preventative maintenance for once!!

 

[karl webster]

I have had trucks in that have only ever ran on dump diesel and you wouldn't believe the state of the pick up filter in the tank!
I just chuck them away. Some will say its there for a reason but the under bonnet filter goes down to 5 micron apparently so that's fine for me.
As I said these filters block up and make the IP work over hard and eventually give up.

 

[Citizen Brown]

Chris - i read elsewhere that you have fitted the Walbro pump - i was wondering if Frank's comment was aimed at vehicles without this mod?

 

[Chris]

Frank's comment was relevant in any situation I think and always something to consider. My experience though was simply that the one I had provided very little resistance. Regardless of whether I had a Walbo or not really. I didn't have a Walbro fitted at the time though. I do have a new Walbro coming tomorrow though actually. Yay! That will be going on the new truck.

Incidentally the Walbro is only 11psi max. It is really only a helper pump. I'd think that whacking some bad boy on there could be damaging.

 

[898kor]

Following Karl's comment on the in-tank pickup filter I set aside an hour or so yesterday.

Very surprised at the amount of crud on the filter (not sure how this compares to others?) This vehicle is 21 years old.



A clean up with some solvent and air line - it came up ok.

 

[frank rabbets]

Checked my pick up filter which has never been cleaned in 18 years and 140,000 miles and it was perfectly clean.

The temperature of the fuel must affect the fuel level reading as that little bottle with a capillary tube is some sort of corrector.

Frank

 

[clivehorridge]

Checked my pick up filter which has never been cleaned in 18 years and 140,000 miles and it was perfectly clean.

Frank

Same here Frank, 19 years and 340k kms, filter looked like new and the sender had never been removed from the tank.

 

[karl webster]

Strange how some are like new. EVERY one I have ever inspected have been gunked up.

I thought it was just the bacteria stuff in water,diesel etc caused the stuff that clogged the filters up.

 

[898kor]

I dont know much of the history of mine, I know it came from Devon way when new and stayed in the general South West then up to Birmingham. I had run about 8 tanks of bio through it before I thought better of it!

Foolishly I did mine with about 3/4 of a tank - I could see plenty of crud in the bottom of the tank, got a lot out with magnet and hands - considering a flush out now.

To be honest I think its worth a check, I like Karls theory of it placing extra strain on the HP Diesel pump.

In my first picture above it looks better than it was, it was as good as blocked, Im surprised fuel got through!

 

[frank rabbets]

My tank was completely clean in the bottom with not even the smallest foreign particle visible.

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

So was mine in A1ALL, checked it once, not a thing but when I did the GS it was so clogged up it wouldn't pull well. Quick clean and all was well. Mind it had been used on a farm for 3 years of its life.

Andy