This right here. ^^^^^^

The rust formed post filtration. The workshop manual instructs technicians to look for rust formation in certain spots, which would indicate fuel contamination.

In this particular case, the addition of Lucas helped push water through.

And here's another significant factor - the OP stated he ran Lucas every 3rd tank. Ok, so the water separator collects water and traps it for a couple of tanks. Then every 3rd tank you run an emulsifier like Lucas, where it picks up that additional amount of trapped water and pushes it past the filters at higher than normal concentration. Keep doing that cycle repeatedly and you get accelerated rusting issues. The WIF light would never come on because there wouldn't be enough water trapped in the W/F separator for long enough to trigger.

This would happen to GM and Ram trucks alike. The problem is the product used, and compounded by the cycle of using it every 3rd tank. It's why none of the manufacturers recommend using any type of emulsifier product. And unfortunately, it's why the OP is stuck with a very large repair bill.


On a side note, I would wager that most fuel contamination issues are the direct result of improper additives used. People are afraid of a large repair bill on newer diesels, but most issues are unknowingly caused by the owner and can be completely avoided.

 

Interesting Curtis. So, by my not caring about an extra MPG or whatever other benefits they claim and skipping ever using additives, I've actually done myself a favor.

 

How do they know it's rust?...some guy look at it in jar? Could be bio-growth. That's as believable to me as fast forming rust.

As for water, I check a half gallon of fuel in a glass jar each and every time before filling my diesel pickup. If the fuel looks cloudy (emulsified water) or has bits floating around I drive down the road to the next station.

Also shock treat for bio-growth if my truck will be parked for a month or so.

 

Rodney, I think there are a few Good additives out there, and many that cause problems. Ford recommends their own PM22A, and my personal choice is Stanadyne Performance formula. Both add additional lubrication properties to the fuel which seemed to be an issue with the lower sulphur fuels, and the HPFP. The others out there, DieselKleen, Optilube are also probably ok, but I have never delved into those to know any better.

 

Ford, as well as other makes, suggest using only lubricity and cetane boosters and (when necessary) anti-gel. Anything else that cleans, emulsifies, demulsifies, etc are never recommended by any of the big 3.

The reason why is any additive that claims to do anything else has other chemicals or products mixed in. Some of those products actually allow contaminates to bypass the filtration system, such as water emulsification. Some can actually reduce fuel lubricity with cleaning agents (alcohol). And the list goes on.

Then of course there's the whole marketing campaign by many additive companies. It's no big secret that many of them have come under fire over the last several decades for false advertisement and whatnot. There's a reason for the term "snake oil".

 

The "one story on the internet" thing is the first line of defense you guys always use regarding these issues. It's touted over and over that "Only people with problems post on the forums". I call bull****. Heck, I'd have a lot more respect for the "opinions" here if you guys would just admit that it's a serious issue and you count your blessings it hasn't happened to you. I guess you gotta justify that huge payment somehow. I get it. But....BUT, there are far more than one story or even ten stories about this issue with these trucks. That being said, $10k a pop for a fuel issue is pretty significant and even a small percentage makes for a legitimate problem. And when does it become legit? 5 times? 10 times? 20 percent if all trucks?

Sure it's never happened to you. That doesn't make this really expensive problem invalid, especially when the manufacturer makes it their number one perogative to weasel out of it any way they can. It's definitely made me gunshy and I love these trucks. Plenty of others have echoed these same sentiments. But again, how many have to feel this way before those voices matter? 5? 20? 100? It's always said that it takes 10 good experiences to validate a product and only one to make it questionable at best. Those odds and percentages SUCK if you ask me.

 

If you think the odds are that bad Byron, perhaps the tinfoil hat was better suited for you. I don't have a payment. My truck was bought cash as my next one will be. Nothing to justify. I just put in diesel and drive it. Runs great. I hope your 97 treats you as well as my 09 and my 12. Next spring, I'll have a 17 and I'm thinking that will be just fine as well. I certainly won't be paranoid about situations I read about on the net. Especially when all the circumstances are unknown. If you choose to, more power to ya.

As to the additive thing, I think I'll go with the KISS ethos that has served me so well so far...

 

Rodney, how many miles does you have on your truck?

 

Almost the same as the OP. 45k.

 

No paranoia here. Tin foil hat donned. Caution and paranoia are pretty far from one another. I guess that makes any of us,who use some informed wisdom,fall into the category of "paranoia". Still gotta justify and feel good about that huge investment, payments or not.

 

Meh, my wife's car cost more than the truck. It's not that big of an investment. It's just a tool to get me around and tow my RV which was also a bigger investment. And, I wouldn't say you're all that informed if your getting your statistics and failure analysis from FTE.

 

The problem is not . Nor is the problem the filtration system.
The problem is that just about ALL diesel fuel does contain (some) microscopic amounts of imulsified water, combined with the high pressure injection systems.
These HP systems just about all run in excess of 30,000 PSI. Now, in order to get that kind of pressure, the injection pumps are metal to metal contact; which the fuel does lubricate. That kind of pressure will generate extreme heat, for the microsecond that it take to build the pressure. Combine that with ANY contaminant, and you have problems. If someone has better knowledge of these systems, please post and correct me if I am wrong!
I do drain off the fuel bowl on the primary filter monthly, and again at filter change. I also do wish that there was an easily visible check point so a person could do a visual "drive by" frequently.
Oh, the joy of owning a modern diesel!!🙀🙀🙀🙀 And when we drive along with no problems, we tend to become complacent! (That includes me) But, with all this, I would still have a tough time going back to the gasser for pulling my 5er, and the other stuff I use my truck for! I have 15,000 mi. on my truck, and just over 10,000 of that is pulling over 13,000 lbs.

 

To the OP since you work in the filtration industry. I suggest your company makes a better filtration system.








The problems are water is held by biodiesel or by diesel fuel with some type of emulsifies. This water comes out of solution on the High pressure(30,000) side of the fuel system. We need a filter in the High Pressure side. No one has been able to come up with a filter that works in that level of pressure.






I believe the current ford filter would stop all particles above 4 micros on the low pressure side. So I think the contamination from rust came from water in fuel and came out of solution when the fuel was on the high pressure side.
Many fuel additive emulsifies water in fuel, this was OK for the old low pressure system

 

In five years of owning a diesel pickup, I've seen cloudy fuel twice and filled my tank someplace else both times. Ounce of prevention...

 

On the other hand, I could not go back to an old 7.3. Not only is it completely unrefined compared to my 2015, but it is a gross polluter. And I've owned 2 7.3's back in the day.
I am concerned about the quality of the air we breath and what we are doing to our planet.
So many of us could never drive the old pollution spewing dinosaurs. If we want a modern diesel that is somewhat friendly to the air, this is what we have. There will be no going back.