Club 80-90 Forums

Hi all

The last step of my  Chinese diesel heater installation is taking a feed from the existing fuel line. I have installed the heater dosing pump and filter in the engine bay next to the van diesel filter. I have done this for ease of maintenance and noise reduction. I wanted to keep all diesel lines and connections outside the van but protected from elements. 

My thinking is to tee off an existing fuel line and into a shut-off valve and from there into the pump. That's what I was advised to do. 

My quandary now is which fuel line to use. Should I use the van diesel filter lines and if so, which one, there are several? Or should I go back further and tee off the line coming out of the diesel tank? 

The heater is situated internally under the r&r bed by the sliding door with all mechanical connections external. 

The heater will only be used when the van is stationary and the engine is swiched off. 

Thanks. 

Just make sure you T into the feed and not the return pipe.

R0B wrote: ↑04 Dec 2021, 10:20 Just make sure you T into the feed and not the return pipe.

Thanks Rob. 

If I tee off from supply to diesel filter, will there be enough pressure to supply the tiny dosing pump? Or, in other words, is the pressure at the diesel filter the same as at the diesel tank when the engine is switched off. 

 

I recently fitted mine but I litteraly teed at the tank. That way I didn't cut the original lines at all

I did as Rascal and also how VW did. Just cut the rubber hose coming out of the tank and put the T in.
The pump can be mounted on the crossmember or the beam.

Rascal wrote: ↑04 Dec 2021, 10:46 I recently fitted mine but I litteraly teed at the tank. That way I didn't cut the original lines at all

Thanks Rascal. What did you mean by not cutting the original line. Did you mean that you removed the fuel line, inserted the Tee and then reattached the fuel line? If so, that sounds like a good idea. 
 

ZsZ wrote: ↑04 Dec 2021, 16:32 I did as Rascal and also how VW did. Just cut the rubber hose coming out of the tank and put the T in.
The pump can be mounted on the crossmember or the beam.

Thanks for this ZsZ. This makes sense, especially if VW do it too.

One of the reasons I'm keen to have the pump and filter in the engine bay is because my old bones protest loudly when I crawl under my van. Also, the Chinese pumps are not weatherproof and need to be protected from the elements; quite robust here in Ireland. Same with the flimsy filter. Ease of maintenance is an issue too. 

If I tee off the pipe coming out of the tank and have the pump in the engine bay, the pipe length would be more than doubled with a rise of about 50cm or so. Is this doable? 

Yes used a tee with a short length of fuel line on one end and nothing on the other.. Just pulled the fuel line off the tank pipe, fitted the short end to the tank and then the main fuel line to the other end of the tee.. I even did it with a full tank. Only lost about 100ml of fuel.. Ill take a pic when I'm home this evening... I just slid the main fuel line back through the clips in the chassis rails to allow me space to fit the Tee. And checked it wasnt kinked or fouling anywhere.
Obviously I'd connected up the other connections and routed the line to the heater pump etc before hand. And heated the hose in boiling water to make it easier to fit, especially in the current cold temps.

If you fit the heater properly, you're absolutely fine to use it while the fan is moving, just make sure the inlet and exhaust both point broadly backwards and the airflow of the moving vehicle won't affect it.

I use mine in my big camper van every day, set on a timer to prewarm the van and then left on while I drive to work.
 

Rascal wrote: ↑05 Dec 2021, 11:42 Yes used a tee with a short length of fuel line on one end and nothing on the other.. Just pulled the fuel line off the tank pipe, fitted the short end to the tank and then the main fuel line to the other end of the tee.....

Thanks Rascal. Useful info

As promised

Rascal wrote: ↑07 Dec 2021, 09:53
As promised

Many thanks Rascal. That gives me a good idea of what to do