any alternatives for a 7.3 water separator base?

[93banksidi]

hey guys, i've been lurking on this site for about a year now, and my idi is giving me my first set of issues. with diesel prices being so high, fuel leaks are my biggest concern. last month, my rear tank rusted out and after replacing that i noticed that the return lines around the injectors were leaky. finally got around to replacing the lines on thursday. while putting everything back together, i ended up cross-threading the fuel line onto the top of an injector. went to napa and got a temporary replacement until i can afford a set of built injectors. after starting the truck, i noticed fuel bubbling out of the base that the water separator screws into. its bubbling out of the top where one of the wires connects. does anybody know where i can get a new base, or a replacement one? i looked on the uhaul site, and can get one through them but $122.85 is a little steep at this moment.

 

[flareside_thun]

That seems to be your fuel heater oring causing the leak. In the technical articles of this forum there is an excellent detailed write-up on replacing that very oring. If it's coming out of the plug itself, alot of people I know have pulled the fuel heater out and plugged the hole with JB weld. I'm sure a junkyard near your, or even a member on this site may have the part you're looking for. Hope this helps.

 

[93banksidi]

yea i guess it is the fuel heater, and yes it is the plug that is leaking. so if i replace the o-ring, will it stop leaking? or do i need to get the whole heater element?

 

[flareside_thun]

The element most likely.....if that's the route you're going to go, put new o-rings in with it, if it doesn't come with them.

 

[fx4wannabe]

Another option you can do to delete the the fuel heater is find a rubber grommet the fits in the hole snugly and a bolt that fits through the grommet snugly. use washers that are slighly smaller than the hole on both sides of the grommet. This way when you tighten up the bolt it will squish the rubber grommet and make an airtight seal. This when you can always put the heater back if you wish to get a new one at some point.

 

[damac]

Did the stock 6.9 filter setup have a heater? I found out the hard way after buying a filter that mine had the 7.3 setup. I ditched the bottom plate for the filters with built in drains.

Mine doesn't look like that picture though? I don't have those fittings on the right side, nothing is coming out, I have the main rail coming in the front, and the outgoing rail on the back.

I am going to have to deal with this soon as well when I redo all my fuel stuff, I want to limit leaks.

 

[93banksidi]

Another option you can do to delete the the fuel heater is find a rubber grommet the fits in the hole snugly and a bolt that fits through the grommet snugly.

i would rather fix this issue the right way the first time, but as of now i might have to just do that. unemployment doesnt pay enough and i cant start my new job until i fix it. anyone know where i can get a replacement heater element? any problems with not having the element? im still pretty new to owning a diesel, just want to make sure im not going to hurt my truck

 

[flareside_thun]

Check rockauto.com for the element. I agree, unemployment definitely doesn't pay enough.

 

[IHDiesel445]

I had your exact issue with mine. Spray the plug with carb cleaner or brakleen to get all the diesel residue off, then fill the plug with liquid electrical tape (you can get it at Advance for about $4.00). Jam the pigtail back into it and allow it to cure for a while. Then drive away. I had to do this as a "parking lot fix" once. Worked great. I even forgot it was there... Which reminds me... need to fix that before I put everything back on the engine!

 

[jonathan]

i would rather fix this issue the right way the first time, but as of now i might have to just do that. unemployment doesnt pay enough and i cant start my new job until i fix it. anyone know where i can get a replacement heater element? any problems with not having the element? im still pretty new to owning a diesel, just want to make sure im not going to hurt my truck

being your in so cal you dont need the heater

 

[Jake_IN]

Did the stock 6.9 filter setup have a heater?

Yes they did, but it was built into the hard line between the fuel pump and filter. Its the part of the line that gets real fat and has a wire coming out of it.

 

[BlueOvalBud]

Did the stock 6.9 filter setup have a heater? I found out the hard way after buying a filter that mine had the 7.3 setup. I ditched the bottom plate for the filters with built in drains.

Mine doesn't look like that picture though? I don't have those fittings on the right side, nothing is coming out, I have the main rail coming in the front, and the outgoing rail on the back.

I am going to have to deal with this soon as well when I redo all my fuel stuff, I want to limit leaks.

That picture is a 7.3 filter head, sounds like you have a 6.9 filter head.
And no, the filters are not interchangable because the filter threads are different.
As stated, the fuel heater on the 6.9's is that big bulge area of the hard line from the lift pump to the filter.
I prefer the 6.9 filter head, it's stupid simple.
But it's a matter of opion, since you need to run a water seperator somewhere else with the 6.9 filter head...

 

[93banksidi]

just did a little more of a search and found that ford might have the part for around $160, uhaul has it for around $105(dont know if its new or not), and someone has 10+ for sale on ebay, buy it now $79.98. going to call around a little bit more tomorrow then most likely order it from ebay.
ebay fuel heater

 

[Dirtleg]

Man don't go overboard on this especially if money is tight. Just get the o-ring needed and be on your way. It'll cost you $2. More than likely your heater is fine but at the age of these trucks the rubber parts in the fuel system are all turning to mush.

I replaced mine a few years ago and it was beyond simple. Just make sure to get a Viton o-ring so you can forget about it decomposing on you again. Best of luck.

Nice truck BTW.

 

[93banksidi]

Man don't go overboard on this especially if money is tight. Just get the o-ring needed and be on your way. It'll cost you $2. More than likely your heater is fine but at the age of these trucks the rubber parts in the fuel system are all turning to mush.

I replaced mine a few years ago and it was beyond simple. Just make sure to get a Viton o-ring so you can forget about it decomposing on you again. Best of luck.

Nice truck BTW.

only issue im having is im pretty sure the plastic on the element is cracked as well. its not leaking around the plug, fuel is bubbling through the plug. money is tight, but so is time so i would rather fix it right, once and not have this issue again for 15+ years