I just bought an 87 F-250 4x4. So far I've been unable to locate the factory water separator. Where is is supposed to be located at. Does anybody have any ideas on aftermarket separators?

I've been around diesel engines all my life, but mostly industrial applications. I've never seen the need for a water separator, but I've been told that it's a really good idea to have one. Is there good reasoning for this.

If possible I would like a decent unit that doesn't have replaceable elements or anything that requires too much maintenance. Something simple that has a warning light on it that I can hook up. Or is there a wire already installed that coincides with an idiot light in my dash that I don't know about?

Thanks

 

this may sound dumb but i have an 88 f 250 and i figured that since i get all my fuel at the same place, they stick the tanks regular, and use a high volume of fuel, that the light and sensor in the filter would be enough. i'm guessing that there has to be more than a few drops to light the water light on the wait to start lights. and considering that the water will stay on the bottom of the filter, regular changing will take care of it. i drain fuel out the bottom of the filter about once a month and can't say i've ever seen water come out.

 

I think that the 87 was still where my 86 is. Open the hood and on the fire wall all the way to the drivers side you will see the water seperator. It should have a ring on the top that you pull up for a couple of seconds to drain it. Be careful the fuel will drain out under the truck right below the seperator. You may not want to do this on your driveway blacktop.

This seperator is not changed when the filter is changed, so if it has water in it , it will stay there.

I think the 88 has the seperator built in to the fuel filter. If it is then it will get changed/drained when you change the filter.

But you also have to remember that not all of these trucks are fueled at truck stops that do a large volume of diesel every month. Farmer John that lives out in the middle of Nowhere, Wyoming that has a 5000 gallon tank on the farm that only gets filled every 5 or 6 months probably gets more use out of his water seperator than the guy that lives down the street from a Truck Stops of America. And since Farmer John's closest neighbor is 63 miles away, I bet he likes the water seperator on his truck just fine. I will also mention that these trucks are also in Canada and Alaska, not places you would want to walk a mile at night in the winter, let alone 50 or 100 to the neighbors house.

What is an annoyance to one may save anothers life. I would also bet that there are some of these trucks living and working in places that you would at times not even like to visit for three days, let alone live there all your life.

 

I just bought this thing in Caliente Nevada on Tuesday. If you've never been there, then it is pretty close to the epitomy of in the middle of nowhere. The only places worse in this state are up on Route 50. There are towns in both directions around 30-50 miles away. But in between that is a lot of nowhere and not many people that would stop and help you if it was late on a weekday.

This thing has a documented 390K plus miles on it, so it will be a learning experience. So far so good. A little TLC and I hope to be driving it around and using it.

Thanks to all the people who post here. I'm pretty good with gas engines, but these diesels are going to be a real education for me.

 

people that live out in the wilderness don't listen to me..

 

We had problems on a few '84 vans with the water seperator leaking. We alway bypassed them and pitched them.

I was wondering where it was myself on a '86 f250. Now I know where it was (thanks Dave Sponaugle) and what these 2 hoses that are patched together. I guess someone else did the same thing I used to do.

 

Mine doesn't have any of that stuff, so I guess all of that went the way of the dodo a long time ago. I saw one in JcWhitney for pretty cheap, but you have to buy the filter too and I don't really like that idea. Maybe I'll keep looking. I know I'll find what I'm after one of these days.

 

I remember the older trucks with the diesel power had that stoopid water separator on the fire wall where dave said it was, above the steering column and usually they went goofy because the inner seal broke down. Most people took them off and began using the "filter" that had the drain on the bottom. There is also a company that manufactures the water separator that would fit on the firewall where the factory one used to be. I belive RACOR was the name. If you think the supplier is selling watered fuel, Do a search for water separator and that should get you in the right direction. If your parts man is a good guy he will find you a filter/separator that will fit where your present filter is. Good luck and take pride in your ride. Over and OUT

 

Thanks. I'm looking as we speak. Well, sorta in a roundabout way.