6.9 aftermarket water separator

[BrianX128]

So on my 6.9 I had to replace the factory mess that was the water separator. I'm putting a wix filter and base in instead and since I put a facet electric pump in I was wondering should I be putting the wix filter in before or after the facet pump? Does it even matter?

Also, my 6.9 gets the smallest amount of air in sitting uphill after a few days and since I've done all the return caps and lines and olives during my whole previous mess with this truck I think my air intrusion is that stupid return line from cylinder 1 that goes back up to the fuel filter. I have a single exit return cap I could use to eliminate it from there but how do I go about locating the steel fitting that comes out of the fuel filter housing that has that tiny nipple on the side for this return line to plug into?

 

[Thewespaul]

Iirc that nipple can be replaced with just a 1/8” npt pipe plug. There’s a lot of universal mount filter heads on eBay if you want to go the aftermarket route. I’m using a dual filter head from a cat loader.

 

[BrianX128]

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No, I know what your thinking but it's the metal fitting that goes from the fuel filter to the back of the ip. Mine is like in this picture I found on Google where there is a return line coming back and literally plugging into the side of the metal fitting that screws into the fuel filter housing that sends the fuel.

 

[Dieselcrawler]

Find the fitting from a 7.3. They don’t have the nipple cause it is threaded into the housing itself.

 

[BrianX128]

I'm guessing this is a junkyard only item at this point because I can't seem to find one online to buy anywhere

 

[Macrobb]

Or do yourself a favor, cut the hard supply line 3" from the IP. Install a 3/8 hose barb nipple to 1/4NPT into the fuel filter, and use rubber hose down to the IP.
This then means you can move the filter whereever you want.

 

[MTKirk]

I believe water separators are supposed to have fuel sucked through them as opposed to having fuel pushed through. So the separators should be before the fuel pump. That's how I did mine and it works great!

 

[DrCharles]

My Facet 40285 pump that I put on my 7.3 has a filter screen and sediment bowl built-in (before the pump itself). I just mounted it on the inner fender and used Gates diesel-rated hose to connect it to the frame hard line and filter head. I figure that any small amount of crud that makes it through the new showerheads will end up in the bowl or screen. And I'm running the Wix filter that has the water separator built in.

 

[BrianX128]

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Ignore us talking but this thing came with a pack of barb connectors and it isn't the greatest quality. It was a wix base and filter but the barbs are just junk.

No wonder the truck sucked some air. I taped the threads and tightened them to "hopefully the filter housing doesn't crack" ft/lbs and now I can blow 80psi of compressed air into the hose barb with an old lightbulb shoved in the hose on the other side and it will hold and not lose pressure. Just gotta reinstall it a 3rd time....

Also I might be able to leave the return line going to the fuel filter alone. The little green compression clip was really not holding it tight up there so I used a tiny 7/16 hose clamp on it and really tightened it down and the truck seems pretty air tight now.

Just gotta get my 1 moose mister back from Mel to get the truck done and running even. It's amazing how 1 parts store injector will imbalance an engine. 7/8 doesn't mean much until your at 1300 rpm or higher and then the parts store injector can hide.

 

[77 F-250]

It is easier to remove water before it passes through the pump. The pump has a tendency to mix the fuel and water together making it more difficult to separate.

 

[Thewespaul]

My only problem with mounting the filter before the pump is consider what happens to the contamination when your pump dies.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Also, Ford mounted the water seperator after the lift pump on the 7.3 style filter head.

 

[77 F-250]

Your point is valid about pump failure. I was only speaking to the water issue.

From an efficiency standpoint;
Remove the water
Course filter
Pump
Fine filter.

If one filter was the answer, why do the new trucks come with two?