Engine FIRE!
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 276
Likes: 9
From: Alaska (not Anchorage)
Engine FIRE!
Wow- today was my lucky day. Usually I start and drive off. Today, I started and went inside to get a new blade for a wiper, came out and noticed moderate amount of smoke coming from under the front of my Nov 1999 build F350. Shut it off, popped the hood, opened it and was very surprised to see a wee tiny fire burning behind the plastic fuel filter cover. I jumped up and was able to blow it out quickly (like a candle on a birthday cake). Below is a picture with labels...
The fire seemed to be related mostly to spilling fuel and a tab of hanging electrical tape...no other damage apparent. The fuel appeared to be leaking out from around the base of a white plug on the back of the fuel filter housing...my Chiltons is not clear, I think that this is the fuel heater...it is circled in the attached picture. The base of the white plug appears to have significant heat damage. Also, one of the terminals on the glow plug relay appears burned...this is also circled in the picture.
Any thoughts on this gentlemen? What is the white plug? Anyone had this problem? Recommendations? One relevant note is that I live off of the road system in rural Alaska and have no Ford diesel mechanic locally.
Thanks gents.
The fire seemed to be related mostly to spilling fuel and a tab of hanging electrical tape...no other damage apparent. The fuel appeared to be leaking out from around the base of a white plug on the back of the fuel filter housing...my Chiltons is not clear, I think that this is the fuel heater...it is circled in the attached picture. The base of the white plug appears to have significant heat damage. Also, one of the terminals on the glow plug relay appears burned...this is also circled in the picture.
Any thoughts on this gentlemen? What is the white plug? Anyone had this problem? Recommendations? One relevant note is that I live off of the road system in rural Alaska and have no Ford diesel mechanic locally.
Thanks gents.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 14,541
Likes: 2
From: Dallas-Ft. Worth
That *is* the fuel bowl heater connector. I just was into mine replacing the O-rings on the drain valve.
You need a new GPR -- the reason that terminal is getting so hot is because when the relay starts to fail, it doesn't go all at once. It starts becoming more & more of a resistor. The more resistance in there, the hotter it gets. Check out Guzzle's page about the Stancor.
If your drain valve is also leaking, you need O-rings (also available from Guzzle). I know the heater can be replaced, but I don't know if it's the entire ***'y including the plug on the outside.
You need a new GPR -- the reason that terminal is getting so hot is because when the relay starts to fail, it doesn't go all at once. It starts becoming more & more of a resistor. The more resistance in there, the hotter it gets. Check out Guzzle's page about the Stancor.
If your drain valve is also leaking, you need O-rings (also available from Guzzle). I know the heater can be replaced, but I don't know if it's the entire ***'y including the plug on the outside.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 10,977
Likes: 5
From: Lancaster, Pa.
Man, glad you seen it too before it really got out of hand. Like Joe said, a Stancor unit and a fuel bowl heater but not sure on the plug, might as well just delete it. But then again, being in Alaska, it gets pretty darn cold up there, you might not want to delete it. Here's the fuel bowl heater http://www.dieselorings.com/index.ph...cat=18&group=6
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 276
Likes: 9
From: Alaska (not Anchorage)
THANKS!
Thank you for the resolution on this gentlemen.
You are saying that the white plug is the connector for the fuel bowl heater?
The upper portion of this plugin is totally gone: I can feel what appears to be a small mechanical mechanism of some sort here...I was thinking that it might be the remains of the water sensor.
You are saying that the white plug is the connector for the fuel bowl heater?
The upper portion of this plugin is totally gone: I can feel what appears to be a small mechanical mechanism of some sort here...I was thinking that it might be the remains of the water sensor.
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 276
Likes: 9
From: Alaska (not Anchorage)
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Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 276
Likes: 9
From: Alaska (not Anchorage)
Question
Is the above plug-in in the picture for the bowl heater? What is the metal plate? The wires also seem a little thin for a heater.
TIA
TIA
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Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 276
Likes: 9
From: Alaska (not Anchorage)
Got it: it's called a "Water in Fuel Sensor"
Yep, it is what is called the "water in fuel sensor"and it is also a part of the fuel bowl heating system.
I am surprised at how little reference I have found to these things and the problems that they can cause.
There is an online how-to for how to replace these things on Guzzle's website. Here is the link: Welcome to guzzle's Powerstroke Fuel Bowl Rebuild Web Page.
Here is the part number E8TZ-9J308-A
I am surprised at how little reference I have found to these things and the problems that they can cause.
There is an online how-to for how to replace these things on Guzzle's website. Here is the link: Welcome to guzzle's Powerstroke Fuel Bowl Rebuild Web Page.
Here is the part number E8TZ-9J308-A
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 276
Likes: 9
From: Alaska (not Anchorage)
Yep
Roger that on the rebuild...I am curious as to what caused the failure. The upper part of the sensor is gone, this is where the fuel was gushing from. At this point I suspect that it may have been something other than a gasket failure. The sensor looks fried, but I can't believe that there would be enough amperage to do that given the thin wires going to it...
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 14,541
Likes: 2
From: Dallas-Ft. Worth
Roger that on the rebuild...I am curious as to what caused the failure. The upper part of the sensor is gone, this is where the fuel was gushing from. At this point I suspect that it may have been something other than a gasket failure. The sensor looks fried, but I can't believe that there would be enough amperage to do that given the thin wires going to it...
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 276
Likes: 9
From: Alaska (not Anchorage)
Cause of the fire-
It appears that the fuel bowl heater popped loose from its mounts on it's insulators, shorted against the metal fuel bowl, the connection running through the plastic FIW sensor plugin heated, melted the plugin allowing pressurized fuel to spray in the engine compartment. Here is a pic of the heater and the fried FIW sensor. I believe that this is what is called a catastrophic failure.
