DRIVEN DIESEL POWERSTROKE FUEL SYSTEMS ...just the facts... |
Based on the comments of some of our competitors as well as the questions from some of our customers, we've decided to put together this page of information about our Fuel System Kits. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have ANY questions about the information presented on this page! |
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Driven Diesel Fuel System kits are built with the best quality parts available. Driven Diesel fuel system kits are assembled "in house" by our staff. Every part is inspected before assembly. Every assembly is put together by hand and re-inspected. Every kit is double checked for quality and completeness because it's our name on the label. |
"In-Tank" Modifications and Pre-Pump Filtration: |
Our standard "In Tank" fuel modifications are 100% steel, we do NOT use any rubber hose inside the fuel tank. The pickup and return extensions are T-304 Stainless Steel tubing and the compression fittings are steel to ensure a solid "bite" into the tubing for a trouble-free, secure connection. We have NEVER used any brass compression fittings in the tank...and we NEVER will! Once you've installed our "in tank" components, we don't want you to have to go back into the tank again...unless you want to. Outside the tank we use high quality Gates "Diesel and Bio-Diesel Rated" fuel line and Stainless Steel clamps to eliminate the "quick disconnect" fittings and complete the installation. Pre-Pump fuel filtration is very important in a modified fuel system. Whether you're installing the basic "in tank" fuel system mods or upgrading to a larger Pump & Pickup, you'll be eliminating the fine mesh screens installed in the tank by the factory. This leaves the fuel pump unprotected and can result in premature damage to the internal components of the pump as well as shortened service life of the stock filter. There is a very large selection of diesel fuel filter setups to choose from. Some offer improved water separation, lower micron level filtration and in the case of the AirDog...air removal. The prices of these filters are as diverse as the filter offerings themselves. We have chosen to use the Baldwin BF1212 spin-on filter and Baldwin filter head with our kits. This filter offers 99% filtration efficiency at 20 microns (significantly better than the stock in-tank screens) with extremely low pressure drop and better than 93% average water removel efficiency. The elements are inexpensive to replace and can be easily cross-referenced with elements from other manufacturers like Wix, etc. Of course, if you would prefer to supply your own filtration solution, we also offer our kit with no filter. |
Fuel Pressure Regulator: |
Driven Diesel Regulated Return Fuel System kits have always been built with high quality fuel pressure regulators. The Fuelab Fuel Pressure Regulator that we currently use is a solid performer with an excellent track record. |
High Performance Fuel Delivery Kit: |
Driven Diesel High Performance Fuel Delivery Systems have a 5/8" T-304 S.S. fuel tank pickup, steel bulkhead hardware for the top of the tank, quality "Push-Lok" hose ends and enough Gates "Diesel and Bio-Diesel" rated -10 (5/8") fuel line to plumb up to a Crew Cab / Long Bed truck. They also include Gates "Diesel and Bio-Diesel" rated -6 (3/8") fuel line from the pump to the stock filter bowl or bowl delete, along with the necessary fittings to make the connections. The pump is mounted to a custom built Driven Diesel Mounting Bracket using rubber vibration/noise isolators and all necessary hardware to complete the installation is included. We've even included a custom built wiring harness that was designed specifically for use in the Powerstroke Super Duty trucks. |
Pressure, Flow, Check Valves, etc...: |
It's fairly common to find low fuel pressure in stock 7.3L Powerstrokes. The factory spring/poppet style fuel pressure regulator isn't the most accurate device on the truck...to say the least. Several of our competitors are selling products that allow you to increase the fuel pressure to fix this problem (shim kits, stand-alone regulators, etc.), but these are really only "bandaid fixes" that don't address the major issues of the Powerstroke fuel system. Unlike fuel injected gas engines, the Powerstroke injectors don't use fuel pressure as a way to regulate the amount of fuel injected into the cylinder. Instead, fuel pressure remains constant and only needs to be high enough to guarantee that the injector fills properly and is ready to fire. If your truck requires high fuel pressure levels to run right, there is likely something else happening in the fuel/injection system that needs to be addressed. Because of the poor flow characteristics of the stock "Dead Head" fuel system, a number of issues arise. Entrained Air passed into the fuel rails has only one path of escape, through the fuel injectors. In addition, the lack of flow "through" the fuel rail can lead to one or more improperly filled injectors, which affects injection timing and causes noisy operation, reduction in power, reduction in economy and increases in smoke (unburned fuel). The use of a Regulated Return type fuel system not only provides the ability to address the low fuel pressure issue, it also corrects issues with poor fuel flow through the heads. With the correct fuel pressure and significantly improved fuel flow, every fuel injector has equal access to the fuel all the time. In reality, the "Flow" improvements made through the use of a Regulated Return system are much more important than the Pressure improvements from a simple shim kit or other fuel pressure only modification. |
We hope this helps to clear up some of the questions regarding 7.3L Powerstroke fuel systems. Please feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss any of these items further. |