Fuel Question

[dellisor]

I wanted to find out if anyone has ever made anything up to help cool the fuel down before it returns to the tank. I have noticed that on a really hot day my tank gets real hot and the bus looses a percentage of its power that is there for the first hour or so. I have a A/C condenser i was thinking about using and a cooling fan out of a landrover, Would this be worth exploring ? Thanks Dave

[luvrbus]

A DD 2 stroke will lose 5% of HP when the fuel temps are above 95 degrees then another 5% for each 20 degrees above the 95 degrees I for one like the cooling of fuel all the new stuff with the common rail system have a cooler it doesn't take much I think the AC condenser and a fan would be a over kill.
Hayden makes a fuel cooler fwiw 

good luck

[dellisor]

Its just what I have on hand and wouldnt cost anything but my cheap labor at this time. and some fuel line

[Frank @ TX]

Could be that if you use a fuel cooler like Hayden you would only cool it to the outside temp , on a 90-95F day on a hot highway  

[bevans6]

i think you were just thinking of using the condenser as the cooling element to pump the fuel through, not using it as a AC cooled thing, right?  Cheap and cheerful, got it use it engineering.  It will help.

Brian

[dellisor]

  Yep always use what I have at hand and the condenser is much bigger then a trans cooler

[stevet903]

I was watching the fuel temp on my Silverleaf while I was traveling in the hot weather from Colorado Springs to Chicago last weekend.  In 90 degree air temps it takes about 4 hours for the fuel to get to 150 degrees.  That's starting with a full tank (160 gals) and driving at about 60 mph straight through (8v92T).  It probably takes less time if you start with less fuel and have more hills.  Where would you plumb in a cooler - after the secondary filter and before the head?

[Ed Hackenbruch]

I would think that you would want to plumb it into the return line so that you cool it down before it gets back to the tank.

[thomasinnv]

i would think you would reap more benefit by installing the cooler before the injectors.

[dellisor]

I was concidering installing it behind the front axel where the old A/C tank use to be ( with a heavy wire grill to protect it ) but open to all sugestions Thanks dave

[Len Silva]

If you are going to do it, I would suggest placing it on the pressure side of the fuel pump or in the return line.  I've had enough headaches chasing suction side leaks to last me a lifetime.

[Mex-Busnut]

Where in the fuel system would you place the fuel temp sensor?

[demodriver]

I know it's not practical on a bus but us derby guys have been using fuel line coolers for a long time. We run the fuel thru a small trans cooler that is in the bottom of a old ammo box.  We then fill the box full of ice.

Might give someone a idea??

[luvrbus]

Fuel coolers have been used in the marine world on 2 strokes for 60 years they are installed on the return lines,if I knew how to scan and post I could show the fuel cooler Eagle used on some models it is in the same area as the air cooler for the compressor at the rear bolted to the floor

good luck

[Ncbob]

Yes, we did use fuel coolers in the Marine field and they worked great. We wrapped copper tubing around the inlet pipe to the heat exchangers..on the fuel return side. The inlets to the H/E were brass so the conductivity (cooling) was good.

Personally I don't allow my tank (146 Gal.) to get below half-way for that reason. If I did add a fuel return cooler it would be in front of the curb-side radiator (MC-5) because it would grab the cooler air and not be affected by large trucks passing me. I'm a right lane driver and don't want the highway heat.

Bob