water seperator valve

[RedD250]

Is the valve just supposed to leak in these trucks? This is the 3rd one I've put on, and they all leak in the exact same place, right at the tip of the plastic tube. Not from where it screws into the filter itself, but from the very tip. Steady drip, just over 1 per second. That adds up to just about 1/4 gallon per hour of fuel on the highway. No good. First one was a Cummins, second ones were from NAPA. Any suggestions? Is there something odd about these?

 

[BigPapa]

I went through three leaking drain valves on my '95 before I finally found a filter that didn't take the sensor. Two of them failed catastrophically, POURING fuel.

If you want to go that route, the Baldwin BF1221 or Fleetguard FS1221 is listed for your truck and it has a drain valve but doesn't take the sensor. It won't leak.

However, it is 2" longer than your stock filter is without the sensor. Your sensor is probably 2" long, so it may not make a difference.

 

[RedD250]

I hate to lose my stock WIF light, but I may have to go that route... because 1/4 gallon per hour of diesel is a huge amount of money wasted lol. I bet I'll pick up about 2 MPG with that leak fixed. Anyone know what the message center will do if the WIF sensor is not detected? Or would I just leave it plugged in and zip tie it up out of the way somewhere?

That extra 2" will most definitely come in handy, because it took me 3 hours and 3 different filter wrenches before I finally gave up and pulled the throttle linkage to get the damn filter off last time I replaced it. That gave me room to hammer a screwdriver through the case and spin it off. Absolute nightmare, not a single style of filter wrench could get a grip on it. Strap, plier, and cup, not one worked. Hopefully that extra length will make it easier to get a grip on the damn thing lol.

What are the consequences of running the truck if there is water in the fuel? I don't want to blow up my engine, as I'll have no way of knowing without the sensor. Thanks!

 

[BigPapa]

Leave it unplugged. If you have a problem with the light coming on, fill the connector with dielectric grease and tape it up.

In my 600K plus miles of driving a diesel, the only time my WIF light came on was when I steam washed the engine and got the connector wet. If you get enough water in your fuel to cause a problem, you’ll know it.

 

[RedD250]

Good to know. I found a plug for the bottom of the stock fuel filter at Geno's, so I'll just use that for now and see if that stops the leak. I"ll try the 1221 next filter change (still got over 5,000 miles left on this one).

I found an ancient thread on another forum that says the fuel heater can leak and make it look like i'ts coming from the seperator valve, so if the plug doesn't work I guess that's the next step.

 

[RedD250]

Well, it was the fuel heater seal that was leaking, not the seperator valve. I feel like an idiot, replacing 3 damn valves for nothing lol. I just couldn't see the top part of the filter, and I just assumed that it was fine because it was on tight and I had just replaced it, making damn sure that the old o-ring was removed, mating surface was clean, etc... I didn't know that the fuel heater was even a thing, never heard of it before. I did the Geno's delete kit and everything is fine now. It was just leaking down the side of the filter and making it look like it was the water seperator valve.

To anyone looking to do the fuel heater delete, it's easy if not a pain in the ass due to access. I recommend removing the intercooler pipe and the throttle linkage bracketry before even attempting it. (Take detailed pictures of how it goes together, and be careful of the tiny little clips that hold the throttle cables on. I just pulled them straight up with a pair of needle nose in one hand and a magnet right against it in the other hand.) You will be able to see and get to the fuel filter housing much easier without that stuff in the way. I used a piece of 1/16" or so thick metal about 6" long to unscrew the stock nipple. It's got a slot in it rather than an allen head. It came off fairly easy, just difficult to get it in the slot because you're working blind and at a terrible angle. Once you get the stock nipple off, the heater will just fall off. Unplug the clip, tape it up securely out of the way, Make sure the old fossilized o-ring came off with the heater, clean the surface up, and screw in the delete nipple. The delete nipple has an allen head hole which makes installing it much easier.

A topside creeper would make this, and many other jobs on these trucks, much easier. Especially if you're lifted.

I used silicone spray lubricant to aid in removing and reinstalling the intercooler pipe into the rubber boots. It worked great.

Also, you will still need to use the rubber nipple o ring (small diameter thick one) that comes with your fuel filter. I wasn't sure if it was only for the fuel heater or not, so I called Geno's and they confirmed that you still use it. The whole project took me about 2 hours from picking up the first tool to washing my hands at the end.

Oh, and do yourself a favor and get a metal band type filter wrench with grip bumps on the inside. The plier type and ones with the adjustable rubber strap did not work for me. Pliers can't get a grip because the filter is too close to the block, they just slip and rip. The rubber ones don't grip either, they just leave the band stationary and allow the handle to move freely. Junk.

 

[BigPapa]

On the 2nd Gen 12-valves, the heater was part of the pre filter. Much easier access and no parts necessary to remove it.