Tank Heater Installed!

[TestDriver]

Here are some pictures of the tank heater I just put into my truck.

I ran some insulated heater hose to the front tank where the heater is installed and went for a test drive. The hose itself gets plenty warm on the return side and the exchanger is hot to the touch on top of the tank. However, I was unable to run oil out of it without getting the filter light to come on the first few times I tried it out.

My theory is that the lines from the tank are loosing heat too fast and the oil thickens up along the lines before it reaches the engine bay. The fourth time I tried it, I kept the electric pump going and this kept the filter light from coming on. I turned the pump off after a few minutes and was able to drive normally but all in all, it was only a minor success. I need to get this so I can drive on oil during my short, 14 mile commute. When I returned home from my 30 mile test loop, the front tank was not cold but it was not warm either though outside temps are about 30.

In the plans are, insulation for the fuel line past the selector valve and a silicone pad heater for the bottom of the front fuel tank that will be wired with the block heater. I also need some kind of wind blocker for the front of the grill. I hear Tractor Supply has them and will visit them soon.

 

[gonecrazyi]

Where did you get the tank heater at? Looks like a pretty clean installation. Did you try running the heater line along side of the fuel line. You could then wrap them both in insulation to keep the heat in.

I dont know how safe it is, but I have seen people run the fuel line around the exhaust for heat. I think the setup I had seen used copper piping.

 

[TestDriver]

Where did you get the tank heater at? Looks like a pretty clean installation. Did you try running the heater line along side of the fuel line. You could then wrap them both in insulation to keep the heat in.

I dont know how safe it is, but I have seen people run the fuel line around the exhaust for heat. I think the setup I had seen used copper piping.

Thanks. I built this one. I have more time than money but if I did it again, I might pop for a commercially available unit. It just takes too much time to build one up from scratch.

Running the coolant line along the fuel line might be doable. I'll see if I can re-route them later.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

Additionally, you can use the factory trans cooler in the radiator's bottom tank as a fuel heater - that's how mine is, my transmission is all air-cooled so the factory cooler is bypassed as far it's concerned, and instead I have the fuel running through it so by the time it reaches the lift pump it's nice and warm

 

[6.9poweredscout]

Additionally, you can use the factory trans cooler in the radiator's bottom tank as a fuel heater - that's how mine is, my transmission is all air-cooled so the factory cooler is bypassed as far it's concerned, and instead I have the fuel running through it so by the time it reaches the lift pump it's nice and warm

fancyyyy...since i ditched the auto ( ) mabe i should try that to help the fuel in the winter? any ill effects in the summer i'd have to worry about?

-Jon

 

[LCAM-01XA]

Nothing that I have noticed, and I've been stuck in traffic for hours in some mighty hot days in Texas. If anything it makes it easy on the lift pump, since its nice and warm diaphragm is now hit by nice and warm fuel, instead of cold fuel that causes thermal shock on the rubber and ages it faster.

 

[Bill-W]

You could sleeve the fuel line with the coolant line coming from the engine. You would need to make up 2 ends for the transitions and possible run a larger coolant hose as some of the volume would be taken up with the fuel line. Unless you are using something like Evans Coolant with no pressure then the fuel line would need to be hard as the pressure would collapse the fuel line and cut off the flow of fuel. Wrap the whole thing in insulation and I would imagine it would heat fairly quick.

 

[TestDriver]

You could sleeve the fuel line with the coolant line coming from the engine. You would need to make up 2 ends for the transitions and possible run a larger coolant hose as some of the volume would be taken up with the fuel line. Unless you are using something like Evans Coolant with no pressure then the fuel line would need to be hard as the pressure would collapse the fuel line and cut off the flow of fuel. Wrap the whole thing in insulation and I would imagine it would heat fairly quick.

I thought of doing this initially but opted to leave the fuel line where Ford put it. Just routing my insulated hose was a *****. If I had sleeved a fuel line, it would have been even more difficult.

I think I'll try insulating the fuel line first. I'll start with the sections that are easily accessible and go from there. Hopefully, it won't take too much since it will already run with the auxiliary pump engaged.

 

[TWeatherford]

Are you running waste vegetable oil or waste motor oil, or is this just to help with a non winter blend of diesel?

Looks like a nice heater you made. I think if you run the fuel line along with the coolant lines going to your heater, it will flow just fine. I've done that with WVO in some cold weather, no insulation, just fine. Insulation would be even better, and I planned on doing it, but since it works without I've never been able to motivate myself to bother.

Using exhaust has been discussed on some other forums I frequent, and the conclusion has always been that its been a bad idea. Mostly because the exhaust ranges from ambient temperature to close to 1000 degrees sometimes, all while the engine is running. Even 300 degrees is way way too hot for any fuel. And imagine running through a big puddle with copper fuel line at 500 degrees suddenly cooled to 60, not very pretty.

I'm not sure I understand what advantage is provided by running fuel through the transmission cooler... isn't the point of that to cool stuff, not heat it up? I'm probably missing something, but I can't understand how that would be a good idea.

 

[sootman73]

for you guys with fuel going through the radiator remember that the fuel is used to cool the pump and keep everything from expanding past tolerances. it is probably fine during the winter as the fuel is quite cold to start from but in the summer i would think that you should disconnect the heater. a lift pump is by far cheaper and easier than an injection pump.......

 

[sootman73]

Are you running waste vegetable oil or waste motor oil, or is this just to help with a non winter blend of diesel?

Looks like a nice heater you made. I think if you run the fuel line along with the coolant lines going to your heater, it will flow just fine. I've done that with WVO in some cold weather, no insulation, just fine. Insulation would be even better, and I planned on doing it, but since it works without I've never been able to motivate myself to bother.

Using exhaust has been discussed on some other forums I frequent, and the conclusion has always been that its been a bad idea. Mostly because the exhaust ranges from ambient temperature to close to 1000 degrees sometimes, all while the engine is running. Even 300 degrees is way way too hot for any fuel. And imagine running through a big puddle with copper fuel line at 500 degrees suddenly cooled to 60, not very pretty.

I'm not sure I understand what advantage is provided by running fuel through the transmission cooler... isn't the point of that to cool stuff, not heat it up? I'm probably missing something, but I can't understand how that would be a good idea.

the coolant in the radiator heats the fuel to the temp of the engine or close to that. thats why its best to not use that for cooling the trans. might be more efficient heat transfer wise but you run the risk of heating the trans up more.

 

[TestDriver]

Are you running waste vegetable oil or waste motor oil, or is this just to help with a non winter blend of diesel?

Looks like a nice heater you made. I think if you run the fuel line along with the coolant lines going to your heater, it will flow just fine. I've done that with WVO in some cold weather, no insulation, just fine. Insulation would be even better, and I planned on doing it, but since it works without I've never been able to motivate myself to bother.

Using exhaust has been discussed on some other forums I frequent, and the conclusion has always been that its been a bad idea. Mostly because the exhaust ranges from ambient temperature to close to 1000 degrees sometimes, all while the engine is running. Even 300 degrees is way way too hot for any fuel. And imagine running through a big puddle with copper fuel line at 500 degrees suddenly cooled to 60, not very pretty.

I'm not sure I understand what advantage is provided by running fuel through the transmission cooler... isn't the point of that to cool stuff, not heat it up? I'm probably missing something, but I can't understand how that would be a good idea.

The mix I've got now is about 50% WMO, 30% WVO, 10% Diesel and 10% Hydraulic. I did not come up with this in any manner. It just happened to end up this way based on what I had in hand at the time I filled my in-bed tank.

I understand the motivation part. Like I said, it'll work if I run with the electric pump in series with the mechanical lift pump when not up to full temp. With the bad weather coming, so long as I can keep running this way, I might not want to crawl under the truck again til spring. Maybe I can use the fuel savings money to build myself a proper shop with a lift.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

the coolant in the radiator heats the fuel to the temp of the engine or close to that. thats why its best to not use that for cooling the trans. might be more efficient heat transfer wise but you run the risk of heating the trans up more.

The coolant only heats up the ATF while the trans warms up, after a few miles of driving the fluid pumped out the converter is hotter than the engine coolant in the bottom tank (say 170F vs. 150F), so the heat transfer is from the ATF to the coolant now. Do not make the mistake of thinking that at 190-200F the coolant is hotter than the ATF - this is the discharge coolant temperature, after the coolant passes through the radiator its temperature drops significantly, so it can later be heated up by the engine again and overall achieve a stable engine operating temperature - this is why the ATF heat exchangers are always located in the "cold" tank of the engine radiators.

Why bypassing the factory heat exchanger is not a good idea for these trucks - the IDI makes little heat while idling, so if you're stuck in traffic and just idle there the fan clutch won't move too much air - not a problem with the liquid cooling for the ATF, as the engine coolant is always at the proper temperature to provide adequate cooling of the trans, but if you have no liquid cooling and only rely on the air cooling you may be in a bit of trouble here as the airflow pulled by the engine fan is sufficient for keeping the engine happy but may not be enough to cool the ATF. I get away with it cause my ATF cooler is a monster and my engine fan is locked so it blows full-speed all the time, but the way most people do it the trans really won't live all that long before converter damage occurs.

 

[TestDriver]

Evening Report

Well, I left work today and ran it on my mix as soon as the heater air was warm on my face. It ran fine with the electric pump turned on and after about 5 minutes, I turned the pump off. It ran fine all the way home and for the errands I ran later.

This leads me to believe that I just did not have enough experience with this to expect the results I had last night. Besides, last night, I ran it on the highway where fuel demand must have been much higher than on my surface roads commute.

I think I'll drop any plans for further enhancement on the heating and concentrate on my ideas for a centrifuge.

When I get progress there, I'll post pics.