? about stock fuel filter heater

[GREASE FIRE]

the stock fuel filter heater on my 89 truck does not seem to work but i just realized that i have a filter from an engine that was totally rebuilt by Reviva around 03 and with low miles. I called them when i first bought the engine from a local guy and they said they rebuild everything from top to bottom - so it could very well be that the fuel heater works on this one.

Does anyone know HOW these things work? like what temp do they turn on at, what temp do they shut off at, and are they internally regulated or does a sensor on the engine tell them when to turn off? If i wanted to keep it on all the time in cold weather could i just run a toggle switch from the battery and connect it to the spade terminal on the filter head?

thanks,
Paul

 

[Agnem]

To the best of my knowledge, they run all the time, and work like the ol' heat tape did. Just a resistance wire wound around a core.

 

[GREASE FIRE]

To the best of my knowledge, they run all the time, and work like the ol' heat tape did. Just a resistance wire wound around a core.

are you referring to the fuel filter heater or a heated fuel line? what you describe sounds more like a heated fuel line, which my truck does not have.
it seems like the fuel filter heater is a bit of a mystery here because i could not find anything about it using the search feature...
thanks,
Paul

 

[SparkandFire]

Mel's right, I was looking at the schematic for my '86 and the fuel heater is wired up to the ignition switch "ON" position (throught a fusible link)

I'm pretty sure Ford left this design alone, so I bet the heater is on all the time on your truck...