This thread https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...fuel-pump.html has some data I’ve never seen before, but it supports my dislike for mucking with the OEM fuel system with no measurable benefits.

Specifically, there has never been any empirical data to suggest a benefit to RR or other common mods under the hood.

More specifically, removing the stock fuel bowl is an especially bad idea.

Agree? Disagree?? What’s your opinion??? Got any data to support it????

I will say I’ve modified the fuel system on these trucks in more ways than anyone I have met while designing and installing vegetable oil conversions. I’ve also been around long enough to have followed the ‘Cackle’ discussions since they started and I clearly remember the ‘development’ of the Regulated Return we know today.

Has anyone else ever collected data the way @TooManyToys. did? (Thanks for sharing TMT, hope you don’t mind me dragging this discussion over to the 7.3 group! )

 

Oh you brought Jack into this?

 

I'm a fuel bowl fanboi too. Separates air and water from the fuel. Add an FRx and you're golden.

 

Why FRx?

I feel like these mods fix problems that do not exist. There is no data to support they help anything.

HPx is in the same category, except these fail and leave people stranded. This can be a separate discussion.

 

I went regulated return because I wanted to do away with the fuel bowl. I was frequently finding leaks at the lines and bowl itself, and just got fed up, plus it always seemed to be in the way. No data or argument of which may be better just a personal choice.

 

I’ve never had a truck come back for a fuel leak after ‘rebuilding’ the fuel bowl. That includes my truck that was rebuilt after the water drain valve leaked 10yrs and over 200k miles ago.

In my experience (100’s of trucks?), the vibraloc fittings, etc are not problematic. But, I’ve seen some super sketchy RR and fuel bowl delete mods. Some even cost several $100.....

Like mentioned above, the factory fuel system was very deliberately designed. It is at the TOP of the fuel system for a reason. This provides an opportunity for entrained air to be evacuated before the injectors.

 

I was a factory fuel bowl fanboi before but now after this discussion I am even more so.

 

While I agree the fuel bowl should stay, I did like the CNC 4 line fuel feed for the simple reason of replacing fuel lines with better quality stock for about he same coin. My truck already ran very well, so I can't say I noticed this huge improvement over stock as far as idle or WOT, but I do think the balanced fuel feed is not a bad thing. Clay has had some good input on this. Even Ford seemed to think cackle was a real issue. Who knows? But, like I always say, plenty of 400k mile plus bone stock trucks running around. My fuel bowl will be staying. This much I know. It's not the leak prone POS that has been an issue in the OBS. If it was, it'd be gone.

 

I agree with Jason, at most power levels there is no reason to get rid of the factory fuel bowl or even modify by removing the check spring in the center under the filter, as it has very few short comings. Once you use higher quality orings to seal it up it is good for decades longer. There is a good case to be made for fixing the dead head though and returning back from the heads to the tank. Ford also agreed as that is what is on the OBS, but for some reason they decided to cut the SD short. Probably cost cutting measures would be my guess since they also didn't put light bulbs in door light on the 99 😂. My experience after fixing probably hundreds of leaking fuel bowls in the last 15 years is reseal the fuel bowl, and look at an FRX and Fuel Feed lines from Riffraff Diesel to cleanly allow a return path from the fuel rails in the head to the tank. I have started using the stainless braided feed line set to get rid of the vibralok seals on the fuel lines and go to JIC for zero leak potential in the future. That way you keep factory filtration, water separation, as both work very well for these fuel systems when using a factory filter and lid setup. If you are going for big power and the bowl can't support the flow then I use Dennis's fuel bowl delete kit from Strictly Diesel.

 

I’ve never felt the need to touch the stock fuel setup but my truck is mostly stock anyway. That extra fuel line on the back of the driver’s side turned me off too as being a little close to hot exhaust pipes for my liking. I understand the theory behind it though as possibly having merit. With bigger injectors the deadhead might be more of a concern?

 

Good input Peter. I was never ‘against’ FRx, but Jack’s data (starts in post #6 in link of first post) makes me wonder how much it really helps. The fluid dynamics change with that ‘clean return path’ and I think that is what we see in Jack’s testing. Granted the FRx is not the same as RR.

The fact that Ford addressed ‘cackle’ has always fascinated me. Most people agree the LL injector makes little if any difference in the way these trucks run and we all know that STOCK can last 500k miles with unmolested fuel systems. Did the early days of ‘forums’ contribute to this change by Ford?

I think people will continue to do these mods because ‘they make sense’.

Now, upgrading the stock steel fuel lines is brilliant. I just replaced a leaky one yesterday... The jury is still out whether the SS hard lines will stand the test of time. I have not used these yet because of the possibility they will crack or leak at the fittings over time. I’ve been using PTFE-lined SS braided hoses with JIC ends (like RDP now sells) for over 10yrs now and don’t know of a single failure. Including the ones in close proximity to the up-pipes. Even E99 up-pipes where the collector literally almost touches the drivers-side fuel line fitting. (Clearancing the collector is req’d to install the fitting)

 

I am interested to see how my airdog 2 kit, G&R sump and cncfab delete block (already have their 4 line feed kit) do.

 

I had thought about this. This will be my solution if these SS prove to be problematic. They are well made though. I don't have any concern of them lasting the life of the truck. Ssshhhhhh

 

Good conversation guys. I like the factory fuel bowl as it is easy to service as well.

 

What Chet said.

I have not once considered removing the fuel bowl. Only for a brief moment did I consider installing a 4 way fuel kit, but I have OEM injectors and will not go above 160/0 in the future. I resealed the fuel bowl 4-5 years ago as preventive maintenance when there were no leaks and still no leaks.

I do have a set of the Riffraff JIC fitting replacement fuel lines in the garage. I'm just too lazy to install them.