Making the fuel filter heater with his own hands

How to make a flow-through diesel fuel heater with your own hands: the main types

The main disadvantage of diesel fuel is considered to be its tendency to thicken at the slightest decrease in temperature. Even Euro 5 standard fuel is not insured from the crystallization of paraffin compounds and further solidification, although not on such a scale as other grades. Avoid such troubles will help a comprehensive preparation of the feed line, which in harsh conditions should be heated.

Reasons for installing with your own hands a winter diesel heater: why and why?

Experienced motorists not only know how to prepare the battery for winter, so that then you do not have to to start the battery for the winter, so that you don’t have to turn it on from another car. But they can also identify other problems with starting. One of them is diesel fuel itself, which is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons:

1. Paraffinic 10-40%.
2. Naphthenic 20-60%.
3. Aromatics 15-30%.

Everyone, who decided to make a flow-through heater of diesel fuel with his hands, knows that the summer varieties of heavy fuel begin to lose their qualities already at a temperature of about -5 ° C, and winter – at 25 ° C. Experienced motorists are well aware of the insurmountable difficulties in determining the difference between them without laboratory analysis.

Winter metamorphosis

So what happens to diesel under winter conditions? As temperatures drop, the viscosity of diesel fuel increases. Experts distinguish three thresholds of emulsion fluidity transformation:

• Cloudiness – the beginning of crystallization of paraffins present in diesel fuel. The cloud point is -5°C for summer grades and about -25°C for winter grades.
• The ultimate filterability – in this state small paraffin crystals can clog the pores of filter screens and elements, as well as settle in the channels of the fuel line and paralyze the operation of the engine. If you do not install a diesel fuel heater with your own hands, then the summer fuel enters this stage at -7°C, and winter fuel – at -35°C.
• Freezing – the absolute loss of fluidity. At that stage summer diesel turns into jelly at -10°C and winter diesel at -40°C.

The main difference between diesel grades is the percentage of paraffin, which affects the fluidity of the emulsion, and thus its use, depending on weather conditions and temperature regime. The most unpleasant period for owners of cars with a diesel unit is the autumn-winter off-season. At that time, the atmospheric temperature ranges from +3°C to -5°C and the diesel can thicken at any moment. And when there is water in diesel fuel, the energy collapse for the car is guaranteed.

Methods of diesel starting and operation at low temperatures

There are not many ways to start the engine in cold weather and not all of them can be used effectively. For example, to start the diesel engine with the help of a tow truck is quite a risky activity. The timing belt drive in cars is belt type and because of jerks during towing it can easily jump over a few cogs or break at all. There is another modern method – the use of fuel additivesso-called depressants. However, it is necessary to take into account such moments, as increasing the cost of refueling and questionable quality of some products of this series. But, according to the reasoning of practitioners, the flow-through heater of regular diesel fuel with your own hands has the right to use because of the low material costs and efficiency. Electric and combined systems in the fight against the crystallization of paraffin compounds have proven to be productive in all weather conditions. Such heaters are installed on critical parts of the fuel system and quickly ensure that the diesel fuel is in working order.

The variants of making a flow heater for the standard diesel fuel with your own hands

Methods of ensuring reliable fuel supply to the engine with the help of a heater are known for a long time. The main nodes of fuel supply, which need to maintain the temperature regime:

• Coarse filter or separator.
• Fine filter.
• Pipeline mains.
• Fuel intake pipe.

In auto stores you can find a wide range of already upgraded components or additional elements for the standard units. The only obstacle to their purchase may be the cost, which is quite high. Experienced motorists assert that some works on fuel heating are performed by them independently. At the same time the service life of such devices is not inferior to the factory samples, and in some cases are even able to surpass them in efficiency. According to their functional purpose, there are the following types of heating elements:

• bandage – for fine filters;
• flow-through – is installed before the filter in the cut of fuel line;
• flexible band – performs heating of filters and fuel line;
• bar – you can make such kind of heater for diesel fuel by your own hands for its further installation into separator or fuel intake;
• heated nozzles – used for heating of separators and fuel intakes.

It is also possible to independently replace regular fuel intake assemblies in the fuel tank for heated products. This, of course, will cost more expensive than homemade devices, but implies a savings of at least 1500-2000 rubles for the work.

How to make your own hands heating diesel fuel in the car tank?

Mechanism, which ensures the reliability of the inflammable liquid from the regular tank of the car, must necessarily be heated. It is necessary to understand that in severe frosts the fuel starts losing its fluidity already at the fuel intake inlet. That is why it is necessary to preheat the fuel composition before starting the engine and ensure its operating condition in the marsh mode.

Vintage bulb dipping method

In the past, when the current abundance of car accessories could only be dreamed of, the owners of diesels created a positive temperature field in the fuel tank with the help of an ordinary light bulb for 12 V with a capacity of 50-55 W . To do this, in addition to the source of light, used:

• Electrical wire with a cross section of 2.5mm².
• A switch.
• Fuse.

The lamp is immersed through the throat of the tank directly into the fuel. It is necessary to place it next to the fuel intake device. Only in this way it will be possible to effectively dissolve the crystallized paraffin and ensure the stability of fuel supply into the line. So that the homemade diesel fuel heating with its own hands in the tank did not cause any harm, a fuse was necessarily included in the control circuit. Today this method looks archaic, but who knows in what situation we can suddenly find ourselves on a long road? Maybe in this way we can get out of emergency situation, when there is nothing suitable at hand.

Wire heating

Option is more reliable and efficient than the above described. According to its principle of operation it can be compared to the operation of heater, which is built in for seat heating . Implementation scheme is simple and available to any motorist:

• Make holes in the body of the grid intake, the number of up to 8-10 pieces on one side; they must be located against each other with a certain offset of pitch.
• Prepare a special wire based on a material with high resistivity, such as nichrome.
• Form the heating structure by threading the wire through the holes.
• Drill two holes in the fence cover to install the terminals and connect the wire to them.
• Connect the heating element to the onboard network of the car.

It is necessary to include a fuse into the electrical circuit, as well as a relay to automate the heating process.

Not as an advertisement: the store alternative from Nomakon

The group of companies Nomakon offers motorists special nozzles for fuel intakes series NTP-100 . The device is capable of functioning in both pre-start and march mode. The set includes:

• Coarse filter.
• Vibration-proof and fireproof heater.
• Device for fixing on end of fuel intake tube.
• Electrical installation kit.

This type of diesel fuel heater in the tank can be installed with your own hands without the help of specialists. Connection to the electric network depends on the type of control of the device.

• With manual – directly to the onboard network of the car through a switch.
• With automatic – to the unit SPA-101.

Slot filter and fuel in the intake tube is heated before start-up for 3-4 minutes. This is enough for dewaxing and fluidity of fuel to come to norm.

How do I warm up the standard diesel fuel filter with my own hands?

A proven method of correcting the temperature regime is the modernization of the fuel pre-filter assembly. Among all the options, two should be distinguished:

1. Mounting a glow plug to the regular place of the drain valve.
2. Installation of the heating device in the body of the fuel feed tube.

Important! The first method of tuning requires thoughtful actions. The node, which is to be dismantled, is designed to remove water sediment from diesel fuel. Conclusion – this kind of modernization is suitable for owners who fuel their car with a high-quality composition.

Modernization of the separator drain valve

Immediately it is worth noting the need for a lathe or the services of a qualified turner. Preparation and installation of the glow plug in place of the drain valve is as follows:

• A bushing is milled from metal, which is the same configuration as the plastic cap of the drain valve;
• The new sleeve is threaded with the appropriate pitch;
• a hole is drilled on the cylindrical form and an internal thread is cut to secure the stud with a tap;
• the internal thread is cut in the cavity of the part;
• screw in glow plug;
• install the assembly in the cage body and connect wires: “+” to the heating element and “-” to the stud.

Retrofitting the separator fuel supply fitting

Another diesel fuel filter heating with their own hands , it is more common and, moreover, the reconstruction does not involve the removal of important structural elements. The scheme of tuning is similar to the above and includes the following steps:

• drill a hole in the body of the fitting;
• to cut the thread in the cavity, corresponding to the thread pitch of the glow plug;
• screw the spark plug into the new hole;
• Connect the device power supply from the on-board network.

In this variant the heating element is located in the upper part of the of the filter separator as in most factory models. The efficiency of such a construction exceeds the efficiency of the first method. The electrical part, as usual, consists of a switch and a fuse.

Improvement of fine filter elements

Quite often at the final stage of fuel purification, the filter element gets clogged with crystallized paraffin. As a result, the supply of diesel fuel to the working cavity of the high-pressure pump stops and the probability of its breakdown increases. To avoid it, let’s consider two variants of organization of heating fine filterwhich are possible to realize by yourself.

Variant 1

To work you will need the following parts and equipment:

• about 6-10 meters of nichrome or copper wire with a cross section of 0.5-1 mm;
• control button;
• Glass cloth and heat-resistant sealant
• fuse 10-15A and a relay;
• two sanitary clamps;
• tin, rosin and a soldering iron.

The procedure for organizing with your own hands this type of flow heater of diesel fuel includes items:

• Apply sealant to the glass cloth and glue it to the body of the element (dry about 24 hours);
• wrap the wire with fine pitch on the element body and fix the ends with clamps;
• apply glass cloth with sealant over the coils of wire and let dry;
• solder the pins to the clamps to connect the wiring and assemble the electric circuit.

Useful tip! It is better to use tumbler and relay through the plus line, and “minus” connect to the battery. In order not to forget the device on, “plus” should be taken from the ignition switch.

Option 2

The method refers to the bandage type heaters. For its implementation will be suitable:

• electric heating of mirrors;
• heating tape (like underfloor heating);
• flexible heater.

The working process is simple and consists of the following points:

• wrap the heating element around the filter and fix it with insulation;
• connect the wires;
• to lay on top of the heater foil insulation thickness of 0.5 cm
• lay thick paper or glass cloth over the finished structure and secure it with clamps.

Masters recommend that you additionally include a temperature sensor in the electrical circuit, so that it corrects the work of the system.

Heating up the fuel from the engine cooling system

Warmed in the tank or separator, the composition can easily lose its fluidity, passing through the entire line, and even at high speed of the car. In this case, the motorist can choose and make their own hands any arrangement of a diesel fuel heater using simple technology:

• elementary insulation of the fuel line with building materials;
• installation of electric flexible heater by winding or applying on the surface of the assembly;
• installation of a heat exchanger in front of the fine filter element.

The last method consists in making a part that has two independent circuits. The simplest instance of such a device consists of two tubes of different diameters. The thinner tube is centered inside the larger one by welding. The outer circuit consists of the pipes for the passage of diesel fuel. The small circle of the cooling system is connected to the indoor unit. Variations of this design are possible, where the circuits for diesel and hot antifreeze can swap places. More complex copies contain an internal unit, made on the type of a spiral. High reliability of diesel starting in winter conditions can be provided only by a complex modernization. Its essence is the application of several methods, described above, which carry out the heating of the fuel system nodes.

Homemade diesel engine fuel filter heater with their own hands: technology and methods of implementation

Diesel cars require special preparation for harsh winter conditions. At a minimum, you should find a gas station with diesel for winter. The trouble is that already at -5°C the summer fuel starts to crystallize. Arctic fuel cloudiness occurs at temperatures below -25°C. But even in the European part of Russia frost sometimes exceeds this mark. Marketers suggest that the situation can be solved by using anti-gel agents. Experienced motorists and truckers prefer to take a different route.

Heating of a diesel fuel filter at home with your own hands: schemes

A reliable alternative to depressators is fuel heating. In the old days, when autochemicals were understood only as oil, only heating helped. Primitive scheme of dipping a light bulb for 24V in the fuel tank drivers of heavy trucks are still using, though less often – when progressive means pump up.

Modern Technologies

Actual methods of creating an autonomous thermal field is not so much. You can build a diesel engine fuel filter heater with your own hands or make a flow-through design, which will warm the fuel at the inlet to the filter element.

As an alternative or additional solution to the problem quite suits heating the fuel lines. There are also fuel intakes with radiant heating elements.

Heating methods

What makes a trader to use independent methods, as there are many branded separator constructions with already built in heater on sale? The answer is on the surface – the high price. For instance, Separ-2000 for KAMAZ will cost anything close to 40,000 rubles. The amount does not include installation. The diesel fuel system has two filters: a coarse (separator) and a fine filter. Each of them has its own methodology. There are several designs of heaters:

• Ribbon flex (for fine filter designs).
• Rod (installed in the separator).
• Banded (mounted on the fine filter).
• Heated nozzles (for separators).

Experts advise to dissipate heat in the body of both the separator and fine filter. If the financial situation is critical, you should pay attention to the filter element of the second design in the first place – the slightest waxing of the liquid is unacceptable for it.

How to make a fuel filter heater separator configuration of a diesel engine with your own hands: detailed instructions

The separator helps to separate impurities from the fuel, and does not allow their further transport along the flowing part. In particular, separation of water from the emulsion is performed. The essence of the work is to give the fuel centrifugal forces – water liquid and solid particles settle in the flask of the separator.

By constructing the diesel fuel filter heating with your own hands, the water will not crystallize, and the fuel will not thicken at a short stop. The principle of conversion is to install a glow plug instead of the drain valve. Without the services of a turner when performing this technique can not do without.

Important: The drain assembly serves to remove water from the sump. Removing this element from the system, it is recommended to use only tested high quality DT.

The scheme of equipping the glow plug is as follows:

• To turn out a metal sleeve, the outer contour of which is similar to the drain valve.
• Drill a center hole.
• Cut the threads inside and outside of the part. The pitch of the external thread should coincide with the drain part, the internal one – with the glow plug.
• Carry out the assembly of the resulting unit with the glow plug.
• Screw the resulting construction into the cage body.

The shaping of the replacement part should be slightly adjusted – it is necessary to get a stud on the hexagon. A simple way to achieve this is to weld a bolt or screw on the side. After the heater is installed, the wiring is installed. The following elements should be provided in the plus branch:

1. A push-button switch.
2. Relay for 4 contacts.
3. Fuse.

At the end, the terminals are connected: mass – to the bushing, “+” – to the spark plug.

Making the heating of the fine fuel filter of a diesel engine with your own hands: the methodology of the process

This filter element is designed for the final removal of the smallest particles from the fuel. If this is not done, the high-pressure fuel pump will quickly fail. And you will have to check the Common Rail injectors more often. Even small paraffin crystals are critical to the element – the flow rate drops instantly and the engine shuts down. There are two ways to prevent it with your own forces.

Method №1

The purpose – to arrange a thermal field around the external circuit of the filter. For the construction of the fuel filter heater for diesel engine fine filter with your own hands will be useful such means:

• 7-10 meters of copper or nichrome wire with a cross section of 0.5-1 mm.
• Four-pin relay.
• Fuse 10A.
• Glass cloth and heat-resistant sealant.
• Two sanitary clamps.
• Button.
• Soldering hardware (tin, rosin, soldering iron).
• Connecting wires of desired length.

The step-by-step guide will help you create a ready-made semi-finished product from all of the above:

• Lubricate the glass cloth with sealant and glue it to the outside of the filter housing.
• Allow the construction to dry for 24 hours.
• Wrap the housing element with wire and secure the ends with clamps.
• Wrap fiberglass cloth with sealing compound around the coil.
• Dry the construction.
• Solder the clamps to the wire ends to connect the leads.
• Assemble electric circuit shown on the picture above.

Method #2

The purpose of band heating is stated in method #1. Implementation is carried out in a similar way – by mounting an electric heating element around the body. The difference is that here we use a ready-made heating device: electric heating of side mirrors or a special flexible heater.

When implementing this method can not do without auxiliary devices such as insulation, wires, button, four-pin relay, foil insulation (0.5 mm), 10A fuse, clamps or wire. Tying these items together is no more complicated than pumping the brakes by one person:

• Wrap the heating element around the filter and secure it with insulation.
• Install the wiring as shown in the figure.
• Fasten the insulation on top of the heater.
• Secure the construction with clamps or wire.

P.S.

It is advisable to insulate both filter elements. In exceptional cases you should be the first to equip the heating of the fuel filter with a fine diesel engine with your own hands – it is the most critical to the waxing of fuel.

The essence of heating the separator is to install a glow plug instead of the drain valve. The technology of heating the fine filter is to create a positive thermal field around the body.