no-red 6 0
Senioritis
found this, hope it hasn't been posted before, thought it was interesting reading. i have seen questions that this may answer...
April 10, 2006
DIESEL FUEL ONLY!
Glossary
April 2, 2006 It's food for your engine and your engine as very picky about what it eats. Your modern diesel engine does not like acids, water and dirt. Therefore you want to be sure the engine is running on clean high quality fuel. When discussing fuel quality and issues related to it, cetane levels and gel points are the typical subjects. We thought it would be good to discuss what is not supposed to be in your fuel for a change. With all of the multiple injector failures and finger pointing regarding the causes, fuel quality is something that is not widely discussed among light truck owners and IT SHOULD BE! We took some samples from customers' vehicles and placed them into test tubes for easy comparison. Let's take a look.
Test tube #1
Nice! A sample of good clean fuel. It has a clear light golden color with no contamination settling to the bottom. Other good samples might be even clearer or a little darker. Becoming familiar with the look, feel and odor of good diesel fuel may be valuable in identifying fuel related concerns. For example, gasoline in diesel will still look normal but one sniff will tell the real story! Don't be fooled by appearances alone.
Test tube #2
Water. The most common contamination we find. The amber fuel appears slightly cloudy and the water which is heavier than the fuel, settles to the bottom. This is what you want water in your fuel system to do! This allows water to separate and collect in the lowest point in the system for removal. Adding chemicals or additives intended to disperse the water into the fuel will cause damage to the fuel system including pumps, lines and injectors. Keep in mind that the fuel water separator has a limited capacity and ignoring the warning light on the dash may result in water making it's way to the injectors.
Test tube #3
Dirt. This contamination was a very fine silt that managed to plug two filters and destroy a fuel pump. The vehicle this sample came from was a tow-in which required a new HFCM, flushing of all fuel lines and the tank was removed and washed. This is an extreme example but it shows how dirt can cause big problems. A vehicle that is operated in very dirty or dusty environments should have it's filters changed more frequently than the recommended 15,000 mile interval.
Test tube #4
Questionable. This is a sample of fuel that has been dyed red to indicate that it is for off road use only. There are two concerns with red fuel. Since dyed or marked off-road diesel fuel may contain regular sulfur levels or low sulfur levels it is not approved for highway use as high sulfur levels can damage exhaust emissions components. High levels of sulfur in fuel will also create higher levels of acid in the engine oil which can lead to engine wear and damage. The second reason is that off road fuel is frequently stored in less than ideal conditions or containers and is more likely to pick up contamination. The color can range from a light rosy red to a dark almost blackish red depending on the fuel quality and the amount of dye used to color it.
Test tube #5
Suspect. The contamination in this test tube did not settle and the dark color is worthy of concern. Since we can rule out dirt there are two possibilities. The first is that this fuel has had chemicals or waste oil dumped into it. Not good. If the fuel sample were black, oil contamination from the fuel system is possible in a HEUI fuel system. Another viable contaminant is algae also known as sludge. This algae is the result of fuel breakdown caused by age or microbial activity. This is another good reason to keep fuel systems water free because bacteria can live in diesel fuel using the water for an oxygen supply. If someone tells you that you have bugs in your fuel take them seriously! If the filters are clogged with a dark slimy film accompanied by a foul odor, it's algae.
Filters
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is easy to see by comparing samples that all fuel is not alike. Regular sampling will help identify the quality of the fuel being used and possibly head off potential problems before the start. A good time to do this is to take a sample by draining the fuel/water separator at every oil change. When diagnosing performance concerns fuel samples can be very helpful in telling you things that the customer might not be. Now that we have identified some real life fuel contaminants we need to turn our attention to the fuel filters. Inspecting the elements can also reveal useful evidence. Regardless of the service history, a low fuel pressure reading almost certainly means that you will be pulling the filters for inspection and replacement as necessary.
The photo to the right shows an extreme example of dirt contamination that was caused by the fuel sample in test tube number 3 shown above. This 6.0L equipped F350 was towed in for a no-start condition. Apparently the silt in the filters was too much for the fuel pump and it finally overheated and failed. What you are looking at is the engine mounted (secondary) filter and the 4 micron filter cartridge. In the bottom of the housing is a layer of silt that had passed through the HFCM (frame mounted primary) 10 micron filter cartridge along with an o-ring and retainer left behind during a prior filter change. This shows that filter problems can also be man-made in nature. Leave enough parts behind and your new filter may distort and fail to open the fuel valve in the standpipe. We hope this has demonstrated the importance of using high quality filters.
Typically OEM filters are the best filters for your engine, designed to fit properly they perform well with the systems in your vehicle. Ensure that your filters meet or exceed the OEM specifications.
Compare the primary filters to the left.
Filter #1 has a mesh barrier surrounding the pleats of the element and filter #2 does not. This barrier assists in water separation and this is very important for filters installed in the water separator assembly. Owners of 6.0L PSD engines will want to look for this feature on the large (primary) filter in the HFCM and likewise, the engine mounted filter of the 7.3L PSD engine.
Other issues related to fuel...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The use of fuel additives should be minimized as necessary. Use products to lower cloud and gel points properly and NEVER use gasoline to "thin" your winter fuel. This practice will reduce the lubricity of your fuel damaging fuel pumps and injectors.
The cetane level, a measurement of the ignition quality of diesel fuel is an important part of fuel quality. Most modern engines run best with a fuel cetane rating of 45 to 50. Use a cetane booster and performance improver if you know or suspect your fuel does not meet those numbers. Engines with COOLED EGR SYSTEMS will benefit from the lower soot levels influenced by higher cetane numbers.
Low and Ultra-Low Sulfur fuels already contain additives to retain the necessary lubricity qualities needed in diesel fuel. Adding excessive amounts of lubricity improvers can lead to gumming of internal injector components resulting in poor performance.
The use of fuel containing high levels of sulfur may cause inaccurate or inoperative fuel gages on some vehicles due to sulfur build-up on the fuel level sensor.
The use of Bio-diesel higher than a 5% blend and fuel containing Methanol, Ketones or Ethanol can also cause problems. It is possible that lining of steel fuel tanks on some 1999 through 2006 F-Series trucks may de laminate Which will clog the pick-up screen and filters. Should this occur, low fuel pressure condition will result.
Continuous use of straight Bio-diesel have been known to cause performance issues with some injectors in certain engines. Sticking and slow responding unit injectors have been found to have been used with high levels of Bio-diesel. The term being used to describe this is called "sticktion."
Bio-diesel is an effective cleaner. Many owners report that during the initial use of bio-diesel their fuel filters required frequent changing!
This article is only to provide information. It is hoped that helps technicians in identifying possible causes and assist in the quick diagnosis of the identified concern. This is not intended to replace any official instructions, authorization or documentation of any Ford Motor Company Engineers, service manual, TSB, Service Message or recall.
FDDTS
Main Page | Articles | Forums | Photographs | Jobs | About
Advertise | Contact Us | Legal & Privacy
Copyright © 2005-2006 Keith Browning & FordDoctorsDTS.com
April 10, 2006
DIESEL FUEL ONLY!
Glossary
April 2, 2006 It's food for your engine and your engine as very picky about what it eats. Your modern diesel engine does not like acids, water and dirt. Therefore you want to be sure the engine is running on clean high quality fuel. When discussing fuel quality and issues related to it, cetane levels and gel points are the typical subjects. We thought it would be good to discuss what is not supposed to be in your fuel for a change. With all of the multiple injector failures and finger pointing regarding the causes, fuel quality is something that is not widely discussed among light truck owners and IT SHOULD BE! We took some samples from customers' vehicles and placed them into test tubes for easy comparison. Let's take a look.
Test tube #1
Nice! A sample of good clean fuel. It has a clear light golden color with no contamination settling to the bottom. Other good samples might be even clearer or a little darker. Becoming familiar with the look, feel and odor of good diesel fuel may be valuable in identifying fuel related concerns. For example, gasoline in diesel will still look normal but one sniff will tell the real story! Don't be fooled by appearances alone.
Test tube #2
Water. The most common contamination we find. The amber fuel appears slightly cloudy and the water which is heavier than the fuel, settles to the bottom. This is what you want water in your fuel system to do! This allows water to separate and collect in the lowest point in the system for removal. Adding chemicals or additives intended to disperse the water into the fuel will cause damage to the fuel system including pumps, lines and injectors. Keep in mind that the fuel water separator has a limited capacity and ignoring the warning light on the dash may result in water making it's way to the injectors.
Test tube #3
Dirt. This contamination was a very fine silt that managed to plug two filters and destroy a fuel pump. The vehicle this sample came from was a tow-in which required a new HFCM, flushing of all fuel lines and the tank was removed and washed. This is an extreme example but it shows how dirt can cause big problems. A vehicle that is operated in very dirty or dusty environments should have it's filters changed more frequently than the recommended 15,000 mile interval.
Test tube #4
Questionable. This is a sample of fuel that has been dyed red to indicate that it is for off road use only. There are two concerns with red fuel. Since dyed or marked off-road diesel fuel may contain regular sulfur levels or low sulfur levels it is not approved for highway use as high sulfur levels can damage exhaust emissions components. High levels of sulfur in fuel will also create higher levels of acid in the engine oil which can lead to engine wear and damage. The second reason is that off road fuel is frequently stored in less than ideal conditions or containers and is more likely to pick up contamination. The color can range from a light rosy red to a dark almost blackish red depending on the fuel quality and the amount of dye used to color it.
Test tube #5
Suspect. The contamination in this test tube did not settle and the dark color is worthy of concern. Since we can rule out dirt there are two possibilities. The first is that this fuel has had chemicals or waste oil dumped into it. Not good. If the fuel sample were black, oil contamination from the fuel system is possible in a HEUI fuel system. Another viable contaminant is algae also known as sludge. This algae is the result of fuel breakdown caused by age or microbial activity. This is another good reason to keep fuel systems water free because bacteria can live in diesel fuel using the water for an oxygen supply. If someone tells you that you have bugs in your fuel take them seriously! If the filters are clogged with a dark slimy film accompanied by a foul odor, it's algae.
Filters
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is easy to see by comparing samples that all fuel is not alike. Regular sampling will help identify the quality of the fuel being used and possibly head off potential problems before the start. A good time to do this is to take a sample by draining the fuel/water separator at every oil change. When diagnosing performance concerns fuel samples can be very helpful in telling you things that the customer might not be. Now that we have identified some real life fuel contaminants we need to turn our attention to the fuel filters. Inspecting the elements can also reveal useful evidence. Regardless of the service history, a low fuel pressure reading almost certainly means that you will be pulling the filters for inspection and replacement as necessary.
The photo to the right shows an extreme example of dirt contamination that was caused by the fuel sample in test tube number 3 shown above. This 6.0L equipped F350 was towed in for a no-start condition. Apparently the silt in the filters was too much for the fuel pump and it finally overheated and failed. What you are looking at is the engine mounted (secondary) filter and the 4 micron filter cartridge. In the bottom of the housing is a layer of silt that had passed through the HFCM (frame mounted primary) 10 micron filter cartridge along with an o-ring and retainer left behind during a prior filter change. This shows that filter problems can also be man-made in nature. Leave enough parts behind and your new filter may distort and fail to open the fuel valve in the standpipe. We hope this has demonstrated the importance of using high quality filters.
Typically OEM filters are the best filters for your engine, designed to fit properly they perform well with the systems in your vehicle. Ensure that your filters meet or exceed the OEM specifications.
Compare the primary filters to the left.
Filter #1 has a mesh barrier surrounding the pleats of the element and filter #2 does not. This barrier assists in water separation and this is very important for filters installed in the water separator assembly. Owners of 6.0L PSD engines will want to look for this feature on the large (primary) filter in the HFCM and likewise, the engine mounted filter of the 7.3L PSD engine.
Other issues related to fuel...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The use of fuel additives should be minimized as necessary. Use products to lower cloud and gel points properly and NEVER use gasoline to "thin" your winter fuel. This practice will reduce the lubricity of your fuel damaging fuel pumps and injectors.
The cetane level, a measurement of the ignition quality of diesel fuel is an important part of fuel quality. Most modern engines run best with a fuel cetane rating of 45 to 50. Use a cetane booster and performance improver if you know or suspect your fuel does not meet those numbers. Engines with COOLED EGR SYSTEMS will benefit from the lower soot levels influenced by higher cetane numbers.
Low and Ultra-Low Sulfur fuels already contain additives to retain the necessary lubricity qualities needed in diesel fuel. Adding excessive amounts of lubricity improvers can lead to gumming of internal injector components resulting in poor performance.
The use of fuel containing high levels of sulfur may cause inaccurate or inoperative fuel gages on some vehicles due to sulfur build-up on the fuel level sensor.
The use of Bio-diesel higher than a 5% blend and fuel containing Methanol, Ketones or Ethanol can also cause problems. It is possible that lining of steel fuel tanks on some 1999 through 2006 F-Series trucks may de laminate Which will clog the pick-up screen and filters. Should this occur, low fuel pressure condition will result.
Continuous use of straight Bio-diesel have been known to cause performance issues with some injectors in certain engines. Sticking and slow responding unit injectors have been found to have been used with high levels of Bio-diesel. The term being used to describe this is called "sticktion."
Bio-diesel is an effective cleaner. Many owners report that during the initial use of bio-diesel their fuel filters required frequent changing!
This article is only to provide information. It is hoped that helps technicians in identifying possible causes and assist in the quick diagnosis of the identified concern. This is not intended to replace any official instructions, authorization or documentation of any Ford Motor Company Engineers, service manual, TSB, Service Message or recall.
FDDTS
Main Page | Articles | Forums | Photographs | Jobs | About
Advertise | Contact Us | Legal & Privacy
Copyright © 2005-2006 Keith Browning & FordDoctorsDTS.com
