Have you removed your fuel heater?
 

I've got problems with my fuel heater, and I want to find out if anyone that lives in a real cold climate has removed it and noticed a difference?

Where I live we get some days below -40 (Celsius or Fahrenheit). I have read that the fuel heater doesn't do much since it is located before the filter and injection pump, and that would seem to make sense:humm:.I know the truck probably won't start with out plugging in for a few hours, but just wondering if the fuel heater makes a difference.

dont worry about that pos

Still have mine - not sure if it makes a difference or not. Probably not.

When it gets below -25 deg C my 12V does not like to run - even when its been plugged in for 6 hours and 0W40 synthetic oil.

I guess I'll try removing it and see what happens, sounds like I need to invent one that heats the fuel right before the injector:humm:.

I really cant see it doing much

mine had a short and melted the plug so i just took it off all together and never had a starting issue ever....it doesnt get that cold here but there were a few 0 degree days last winter and fired right up, had it plugged in all night of coarse.:tu:

I was going to ask the same question. I noticed when I pulled my motor the plug was melted bad enough it couldn't be unplugged so I cut the wires. When you guys removed it did you put any spacer or anything between the pump and block or trim the pushrod down? I was planning on removing the whole thing and making all new fuel line till I get an airdog but wasn't sure if the pushrod would be too long without it there. Sorry to hijack your thread man

you can just remove the fuel heater and leave the pre-screener bowl on the truck, here's directions:

-unscrew the bottom of the pre-screener/fuel heater assembly
-remove nut holding pre-screener in place
-remove pre-screener
-insert large allen key into center of threaded adapter and unscrew
-remove heater assembly
-reinstall pre-screener assembly directly to housing leaving out heater and threaded adapter

If you want to completely remove the pre-screener unit I guess you could cut off the base of the mount to use as a spacer for the lift pump. I wouldn't grind down the push rod because it rides on the cam shaft and if its not nice and smooth it may destroy the lobe it rides on and then you won't have any lift pump. I'm not sure it's a good idea to eliminate the prescreener, but maybe it's not very important.

Take it off, it will eliminate problems later.

Floyd

When a truck gells up it is usually in the filter, just use a good anti jelling additive in the winter. :c:

no heater
 

so just making sure there are guys out there running with out the fuel heater in below freezing temps with out problems

I moose hunt in -20 so I need it but warmer climates do not. Replacement direct from cummins is only $60 including gaskets and new screen. Dodge wants $400 for the element alone.

I have never had a problem with mine. It doesn't usually get much below freezing here, but if it's going to be in the 30's or less I plug it in every night and it fires right up and runs great the next morning. I didn't always do this, the first year I had it I didn't even know it was there because someone had zip tied the plug so far up behind the headlight. That winter sucked. If I didn't drive it every day it didn't want to start, and when it finally did it ran like crap until it warmed up a bit. If it was much below 40 it didn't want to start, if it was below freezing sometimes it wouldn't start at all. I was running the best diesel additive we know of at the time too. Every since I started plugging it in at night, I have had absolutely zero issues like these, no problems with the heater itself, and haven't run an additive in three years. If I lived down south where there isn't a winter I wouldn't have any use for it, but I really don't see why anyone would remove it and I definitely couldn't live without it unless I found something better to replace it with, but at this point I see no reason to look.

5 gallon of kerosene and fill the rest with diesel will help when it gets real cold, its get down to -30 where i live I have an oil pan heater and the block heater shell start rite up, I also run powerservice too. Also a Radiator tarp will help..

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I also have a PCM programmed for the cold.. Love it. High idle after 10 degrees and after -30 its 3 cylinder run till 90 degree coolant.

Yeah, the PCM sounds nice. One advantage to the 24V I guess.