Anyone Install a Fuel Cooler?

Was at my truck dealer today, and mentioned about a fuel return cooler. They already have designed one for day cab trucks with one fuel tank. Fuel was getting cooked really bad in those trucks with a small single tank. I took a look at what they had designed, and it really looks like a solid, reliable unit. They said it would be a simple install to put it on my truck. Am looking into it further to see what price they are charging for this setup. The sales manager was showing it to me, installed on one of the day cab trucks they had. I will have to get with parts guy later and see what they are charging to see if it is worth it. If price is reasonable, it seems stupid to try and reinvent the wheel, so to speak, and their system is at least real world proven.

If anyone is going by the Pilot or Flying hook near Waterloo, IA, Harrison Truck Center is right across from the Pilot and you could stop in and take a look at their fuel cooler setup and see what you think. Kinda kicking myself for not thinking about a fuel return cooler sooner. I could have had them put it in when they built my glider truck.

 

You could put it anywhere there is decent air flow. I would opt for under the cab and not out front. It is safer under there and there would be enough air flow. And using a minimum of extra fuel line at the same time. If one used a top line tranny cooler, they usually with have a temperature contolled fan as part of the unit, so air flow would be a non issue. It is just simpler to keep it near where the fuel return line is.

As far as during cold weather, fuel is coming off the rail at a pretty warm temp. No cooler is going to bring that fuel temp down to the outside ambient temperature. It will still be above any gel or cloud point. But, using a good anti-gel or even dosing the fuel with some number 1 would be prudent. Actually, the only time gelling should be any issue, is if truck has been sitting turned off. I have driven the upper Midwest and Canada for several decades, and even in Alaska for 10 years, and the only time I had filter plug problems due to gelling was if the truck had been sitting, turned off, for several hours at temps below -10F. A good anti-gel with a deicer should take care of most anything. Of course, a bad load of fuel is going to be a problem no matter what you do. Maybe my problems have been reduced as well because I have used a Davco with heater elements in it. I am sure that has helped avoid a bad situation more than once. It is only going to activate at really cold temps, and I can plug it in to 120v outlet at home when the truck is off in cold weather.

 

Shouldn't be a negative effect. Like I stated, fuel coming off the rail is pretty warm. I doubt a fuel cooler would even drop the temp to anywhere near outside ambient temp. A radiator on the front of the engine, even in extreme cold weather, will not lower the temp of the engine coolant below 32F (except at idle). A fuel cooler mounted near the fuel return line would cool even less. But it will still knock the temp down compared to what it would be coming straight off the engine and into the tanks. Sometime, after running hard all day, even on a cool day, put your hand on the end of the fuel tank and see what kind of temp that fuel is up to. It is darn warm, especially on a tank with 1/2 or less fuel in it. Imagine what it is like coming off the engine. And when you fuel after some hard running, there is usually a lot of vapor coming out when you remove that fuel cap. That fuel is really getting cooked.

That being said, there is a lot of heavy equipment, day cabs with small single tanks, etc that are using fuel coolers put there by the OEM's or added later. The Chevy Duramax comes standard with a fuel cooler. It must provide something beneficial, and must not be a problem in cold weather. Because the OEM's didn't include one on class 8 road trucks doesn't mean that it wouldn't be a good addition. The OEM didn't put a ported/coated exhaust manifold on my engine, nor did they go for a larger T6 housing turbo with a blanket or high flow mufflers on the stacks. But those additions have been extremely beneficial to my engine. Exhaust temps are 200F - 300F cooler than they are with the stock stuff and fuel mileage and power is better. OEM's will cut corners where they can. And a fuel cooler is not on their hit parade as a useful addition.