If you are tuned, have a tuner, how many parts can be scrapped off the engine?

We know yes, for:
EGR coolers
Intake elbow
DPF / exhaust
stock turbo
EGR valve

What about the fuel cooler?
Is it needed, or just used to stabilize the fuel temperature for emission reasons?
It would be nice to hack that crap out.

Anyone have any other ideas on what could be ditched from the engine bay?

 

You can remove it. There is a great thread on PSA about it.

 

Not sure I'd remove the fuel cooler. High temp diesel has a different density and potentially loses some of what's left of the lubrication properties. Extreme pressures of the HPFP (I've heard up where of 20,000 PSI in the 6.4) cause high temps.

 

I think the 6.4's fuel system was advertised up to 28,000 psi.

I am not sure if the "fuel cooler" is so much a cooler, rather a "temperature stabiliser"

Would be interesting to see what happens temp wise without it.

what is "PSA" ?

 

I believe he's referring to Powerstrokearmy.com

 

The fuel cooler also keeps the turbo cool. I would'nt remove it. You certainly gain nothing by removing it.

 

This turbo doesn't have liquid cooling does it?

I thought it was just oil cooled?

 

The sensor under the pipes is the fuel temp sensor. If fuel gets too hot, it derates horsepower.

 

28K psi and some change for the fuel pressure to the rails.

Leave the cooler.

 

I can't find anything on temperatures of diesel fuel at those extreme pressures but, I do know that typical No 2 diesel will usually Auto Ignite at +-270 degrees pending elevation above/below sea level. So, at 28,000 PSI, how hot does the diesel get?

 

you would need oxygen to ignite it though....

 

Yes you would, and also liquids to not simply jump in temperature from being compressed.

I'm not sold that the cooler is even acting as a cooler, I think it's just keeping the fuel warm, and stable, for emissions purposes only.

 

The pump for the fuel cooler/VGT actuator kicks in when fuel temps get to 160* fuel temp. Think a motor derate comes in at around 200* fuel temp. If you are trying to clean the engine bay up, do a cooler like the Duramax's have down by the fuel tank.

 

OK so I did a bunch of forum reading, and asked a few people as well.
I have a verdict now.

The fuel cooler is required, but the heat isn't generated by the pumps or anything, it's just the under hood temps and engine temps that raise the temperature.

The fuel that doesn't get used goes back to the bowl, so it can build up with heat.
If it went back to the tank, a small passive air cooler would be enough.

The vgt actuator also is cooled by this secondary cooling system.

What a frickin nightmare, I would love to throw a single turbo in and delete all that junk.

It would be awesome to delete the entire 2nd cooling system.

 

A single turbo and getting rid of all the plumbing would certainly clean it up. There might be an aftermarket answer for that I don't know.