water/fuel seperator problems

[Chevyboy_0]

So i still havent gotten the truck to start, im thinking that now the water fuel sep is sucking air because after i drained it it doesnt want to start now.... whats the best way to go around this? should i remove it all together? or just cap of the drain line so it wont suck air?

Also can someone remind me on which terminals im supposed to hook the Remote Starter switch upto? thanks

 

[jwalterus]

Also can someone remind me on which terminals im supposed to hook the Remote Starter switch upto? thanks

remote start is when my wife tells me to go start her car when it's -40*

 

[SparkandFire]

My separator is bypassed completely, the Racor unit on the frame handles the job...

On mine, there is just a hose barb fitting going between the hoses on top of the separator, with no connection to the separator itself.

 

[OB_WAN]

don't quote me on this - short-timer for owning a diesel and it was a while ago that I got this info:

I took my rig down to a popular diesel shop(frequently do articles for diesel power mag and had 6 IDIs in the lot when I pulled in) a few months ago to have them do a complete look-through. one item they did was replace the fuel filter. when doing so, they showed me the old one(2-piece filter setup with water/fuel separator) and the new one they put on. I think it was a rancor and was 1-piece. They said the 2-piece filters were very problematic with sucking air.

my inexperienced suggestion would be to ditch the 2-piece filter and replace it with a 1-piece.

 

[sootman73]

don't quote me on this - short-timer for owning a diesel and it was a while ago that I got this info:

I took my rig down to a popular diesel shop(frequently do articles for diesel power mag and had 6 IDIs in the lot when I pulled in) a few months ago to have them do a complete look-through. one item they did was replace the fuel filter. when doing so, they showed me the old one(2-piece filter setup with water/fuel separator) and the new one they put on. I think it was a rancor and was 1-piece. They said the 2-piece filters were very problematic with sucking air.

my inexperienced suggestion would be to ditch the 2-piece filter and replace it with a 1-piece.

it really isn't that the two piece filters are problematic its mostly a smal thing thing that a person would overlook. those with heavy equipment experience(not to say that someone without it wouldn't know this) know that, after changing ten filters during a service job, its very important that the seals are perfectly clean and then have very clean oil put on the seals whether it be fuel, coolant, hydraulic, engine oil filters. you have to be very meticulous with the way you put them together if not you are gonna have leaks. will it suck a bunch of air or blow oil prob not unless there is a big particle but it could slightly drip down the filter or let some air in. any surface that is gonna be mated to another to create a seal of any kind must be very clean and installed almost perfect to guarantee no seepage in or out of a filter.

just my $.02

 

[Chevyboy_0]

just to make sure were all talking bout the same thing my Water seperator is mounted on the firewall next to the brake booster, from what im gathering the 7.3 has the fuel filter and the seperator as one whole piece?

 

[plywood]

Those older water separators are very problematic. I think it's actually the little line that attaches to it, I don't know for sure but even the good separator/filters can give you problems with air intrusion if everything is not just right, as said.

My 85 has the 7.3l filter cause it's a 7.3l now, but there is JB weld in at least two places, I think three on it.

 

[Chevyboy_0]

so i was messing around with her tonight and noticed a length of what looks to be 3/8s rubber line running down between the cab and drivers inner fenderwell, i traced it up and it looks like it runs to the water fuel seperator? if thats the drain line im thinking i oughta plug it up and see if thats where my air is coming from....i hope thats the problem cause im really really wanting to drive her soon

 

[leftcoastjeff]

pesky water seperater/air inlet

After I pulled the pin for the first time, it stuck open letting in mass amounts of air.
I bypassed it, in hind-sight, I should have just plugged the 3/8 line you found under the drivers side. Then I could pull that plug to drain any water.

Anybody try to rebuild/fix one of these?

LCjeff

 

[Agnem]

Yes. It can be done. The main problem with the Stanadyne water filter, is that there is no filtration before it. So all kinds of sediment from the tanks collect in the bottom where the drain is. The sediment builds up and forms a sort of wall around the rubber plug that is sealing the bottom. When you pull the pin, the walls partially collapse and prevent the rubber plug from re-seating. Remove the large nut from the top of the unit. This will allow you to gently pull ALL of the guts out of the unit. There will be a sort of cloth bag you are going to want to be gentle with. Once this is out, take a long slender blunt object, and scrape the bottom of the canister through the hole in the top. This will dislodge the crud, and you can then flush it with diesel or fuel treatment of your choice. Reassemble and you should be good.

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[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

Although my old Stanadyne separator unit has been hanging on the barn wall for more than twenty years, I remember a trick/fix that started about two weeks after the first one of these trucks rolled off the assembly-line.

Those separators sucked air from just about day one.

If you wish to keep the separator, I first recommend you clean it out as Agnem suggests ( it seems like Mel actually did a write-up on this ).

Then, right at the bottom nipple, splice in a ball cut-off valve; such that, even if the spring-loaded ring-thingie doesn't seal, the cut-off valve will prevent any air or fuel leaks.


The best remedy for the separator is to replace it with a genuine GoldenRod sediment-bowl/filter unit.

 

[Agnem]

I know I'm more the exception than the rule, but mine has been hanging on the Moose Trucks' firewall since Ford put it there in 83' and it's been in service ever since. I don't think the design is the problem, but rather the maintanance. I've always drained mine regularly. This prevents the aformentioned build up of crud, and allows the sediment to drain out before it becomes lodged. That's soon going to change though, because one of my pre-rally activiites this year is going to be a little modification to my fuel system. Those who attend will enjoy.

 

[Chevyboy_0]

( it seems like Mel actually did a write-up on this ).

i did read the write up, i even printed it out im just having a hard time getting to the damn thing that i wanted some clarification, so if i get a chance tomorrow ill pull it apart and clean it out and see what happens