Flow rate of fuel filter?

[farmerscotty]

I am working on coming up with a heater for my fuel filter assembly on either a 89 or 92 7.3 f250. The question I have is what is the flow rate going thru the stock fuel filter when it is running? I went to local Ford dealer...(friends) and looked in all the books they have......nothing on this. Anyone have an idea. I need to know the flow rate to calculate out the wattage of the heater assembly along with a fuel temp. Going to use the heater only in winter so I plan on using 30F for a fuel temp. Now to just figure out flow rate........

Any thoughts?

Scott

 

[Diezel_Cowboy]

The flow rate should be what the truck is using. SO my truck gets about 14 miles per gallon on average and if my average speed were 40 miles per hour then that would equal about 2.857gal per hour which is about .0476 gallons per minute.

Remember this is an average not maximum or minimum but it is the easiest way i can think of to figure flow.....you might try using your own numbers for fuel mileage and maybe changing your average speed to 45mph too

 

[swampdigger]

I wish I could quote it, but I think you need 30GPH. Hopefully I'm correct on that fact, because my add-on Racor filter is 35GPH or something, and my electric fuel pump is 32GPH.

 

[FordGuy100]

The flow rate should be what the truck is using. SO my truck gets about 14 miles per gallon on average and if my average speed were 40 miles per hour then that would equal about 2.857gal per hour which is about .0476 gallons per minute.

Remember this is an average not maximum or minimum but it is the easiest way i can think of to figure flow.....you might try using your own numbers for fuel mileage and maybe changing your average speed to 45mph too

That is how much fuel you are burning, but remember that a bunch of fuel is returned to the tank.

 

[Diesel JD]

If you do the math on that figure it comes out in the 30GPH range. Also the stock lift pump and most normal e-pumps push around 30-36GPH, except the Holley Red pushes much more. If I were designing something I'd use 40GPH and just be on the high side. But if it was too hard or expensive to do that you'd be safe with something in the 30-35GPH range I do believe.

 

[Diezel_Cowboy]

Yes there is return flow to make sure that there is enough fuel supplied to the engine.

I dont see how the flow could be 30GPH!
Using insane figures of 85mph average and 5mpg at that speed that would equal 17GPH youd have to double that to come close to 30GPH. If anything that would be a maximum figure.......As I stated earlier I was stating an average flow not a max or min.

 

[2manydsls]

In my two diesels with the 105 gallon aux. tanks, I use a manual switch to go to the big tanks. I then set a kitchen timer for 40 minutes. I usually switch at about 1/8 th of a tank on the stock tank. I'm then running off of the large tank and the excess is going to the selected stock tank. In 40 minutes the selected tank is about 7/8 ths full. So figure about 14 gallons has gone to the selected tank plus the actual fuel used (probably 3 gallons). So 14 + 3 = 17 for 40 minutes.
Add 7 + 2 = 9 for the next 20 minutes (to give hourly rate) and your looking at about 26 gal per hour going through the electric fuel pump. These figures are probably a little high, but fairly close. I hope I did'nt get too involved in the explanation.
Ross

 

[farmerscotty]

well 30 gph sounds good to me.......am working on a electric heating pad type idea........

thanks all

Scott

 

[farmerscotty]

I bought a 100 watt electric pad to go around the filter will cover it with a real good insulation board I have access to.........it is 110 volt so I plan on plugging in to 110 on a timer to come on in mornings.......change over a 12v to 110 inverter while driving........see if that is enough wattage to heat it up.

Scott

 

[2manydsls]

I bought a 100 watt electric pad to go around the filter will cover it with a real good insulation board I have access to.........it is 110 volt so I plan on plugging in to 110 on a timer to come on in mornings.......change over a 12v to 110 inverter while driving........see if that is enough wattage to heat it up.

Scott

Your gonna need a mighty big inverter. Probably 1500 watts or so. Then you are gonna need a larger alternator to power it. Probably 150 amps or more. Good luck
Ross

 

[[email protected]]

My 88 7.3L comes stock with fuel filter heater, are you sure you don't already have one? It's on top of the fuel filter/water seperator and has a blue wire going to it. It turns on at about 32 degrees.

Wayne

 

[farmerscotty]

well a 350 watt inverter will power 100 watts........I need more heat than the standard heater........bio fuel want to warm it up...........

Scott

 

[93turbo_animal]

how hot does the pad get? if it never gets hotter then you can stand to touch its not gonna do you any good. You have plenty of electric to run it though no need for bigger alternator or inverter. Our trucks move a lot of fuel I once tested to see how much heat I would need and with a small propane torch I held the flame on the steel line from the pump to the filter head while the truck was running and it never would get hot as soon as I would remove the flame the line was cool enough to touch so all that cold fuel was sucking the heat right out

 

[2manydsls]

well a 350 watt inverter will power 100 watts........I need more heat than the standard heater........bio fuel want to warm it up...........

Scott

100 watts of 110 volt power will take approx. 1,000 watts of 12 volt inverter power to create the same amount of heat. To make 1,000 watts of 12 volt power requires between 80 and 90 amps. Not counting the loss thru the inverter, you won't be able to run much else unless you can run the heater off of 12 volts direct.
Ross

 

[2manydsls]

100 watts of 110 volt power will take approx. 1,000 watts of 12 volt inverter power to create the same amount of heat. To make 1,000 watts of 12 volt power requires between 80 and 90 amps. Not counting the loss thru the inverter, you won't be able to run much else unless you can run the heater off of 12 volts direct.
Ross

Please disregard the above, its late and I got my volts and amps crossed up. 10 amps ought to do it.