i figured i would just create this thread for easy reference for anyone who needs the info or pictures for examples.i believe this originally came from plc7.3 not sure though.but i cant take credit for it.










Once the filter adapter is removed........right hand thread.

The heater comes out as a whole but has two halves.

Remove the complete stainless and plastic parts by pushing down (in) on the neck part that protrudes from the filter header.

You will now see a shiny stainless half and a plastic half, you will be able take the two halves apart carefully. There is a stainless spade connector protruding through the plastic neck. This is the connector to the heater wire on the top side of the filter header. On the spade connector there is a (locking tab) small piece that is bent out to secure it in place. Squeeze this piece straight and push the spade down through the neck. The stainless spade body part should seperate from the plastic portion of the assy to reveal a second o-ring. This oring causes the seal from the spade body to the inside of the plastic neck.

Find suitable orings at a hydraulic shop to replace these 2 orings. Now reassemble all the parts, ensure the locking tab on the spade connector will work. Your problem should be fixed......

If you have extra info to add to this please forward it to me ....

 

Or you can chang it over to th 6.9 filter and throw it away and then use the cheaper filters.

 

You'll want to use Viton o-rings as well...

-Enjoy
fh : )_~

 

Rupejosh, thank you so much for this post. I just finished replacing the o-ring on mine. It was leaking and dripping off of the wire on the sensor plug. Mine was a one piece heater with only one o-ring, so it must have been replaced with the updated version at some point. Hopefully, this is the last of the leaks and I will be done with the starting problems. So far I have done the return line kit, the lift pump and hose and the water seperator lower cover, in addition to this o-ring. Not to mention the glow plugs, GP relay, and probably some other stuff that I can't even remember now! From here, I'll be moving on to air flow, both in and out to try to improve power. Thanks again, and happy 4th of July to all!

 

hey no problem hotairjunkie.i put it up here so it easy for everyone to access.it seems to be a fairly common issue.and welcome to FTE by far the best idi site out there

 

i cant get my filter off, i assume it un screws? i got the lower part off, filter wont budge :<

 

Yes, it unscrews. Put a strap wrench on it if you have to.

Ok rupejosh, help me out here. The heater is not leaking like it did before, but it still has a bit of a leak. It looks like it is coming through the plug, not around the housing. When I unplug the heater, there is fuel in the connection. Is it possible for it to leak through the heater unit itself, as opposed to around the unit where the o-ring is? Again, this is a one piece heater with only one o-ring, and does not look like the one in your pictures.

 

did you replace both O rings? when i took mine apart it didn't look like there was anywhere for it to leak through the heater unless you have punctured it. mine was filled with what looked like epoxy.

 

is you head off a 6.9?hot air junkie?in my opinion unless your living in the arctic you dont need a fuel heater.i just deleted mine and put an inline filter on to be honest.the instructions actually came from plc7.3 so i cant take full credit.i originally did the inline filter until i got time to redo the o-rings and i still havent got around to it and that was a year ago.lol

 

the, mine is a one piece unit with only one o-ring that I could find. It did not look like the one in the pictures. Unless I missed something, of course.

Rupejosh, the truck is a '93, 7.3, but that doesn't mean that parts weren't swapped out at some point. I don't think so, but I don't know the truck's history, so who knows for sure. I don't live in the Arctic, but I am in the mountains of CO, so it's pretty close!

Right now, the area around the plug still gets a little wet, and it looks like the fuel is coming through the plug itself, perhaps through where the spade terminal comes through. Maybe there's another o-ring up in there that I missed, but I don't think so. Currently, the truck is starting fine, so I'm not too worried about it. The o-ring that I used might not have been Vitron or whatever to stand up to fuel, so I might be redoing my work somewhere down the road. I'll just keep an eye on it for now and if I have to pull it apart, I'll probably just replace the entire heater unit to be safe.

Thanks for all the help! Currently waiting on my new injectors to arrive (hopefully today) so that I can install them. I am really hoping that I can get this thing to pull a hill a little better...we'll see!

 

Sometimes the plastic cracks

 

well mine lasted all of a week, it's better now, but starting to leak again, worse than before. yes yes, i used viton rings, gonna get get a new one i think.

RUPE:
you say you bypassed yours? how exactly? it sis a bolt on part?

 

i just used an adapter to bypass the fuel filter head and put an inline filter on.ill try and take some pics tomorrow for ya.

 

worked great thank you gents

 

The one piece one O-ring element could very well be a OEM replacement element. The ford replacement is like this. the part # is 9J294 and there is a whopping $162.00 Price tag. Check E-bay. Someone had more than 10 of them for 80 or make a bid (Search Fuel heater 7.3). My fitting appears to be leaking as well, so I'm searching for a new head before biting that bullet! Here is the best part if your male electrical fitting is damaged like mine is (looks like the PO tried to take it off with a hammer!) you can't even get a new one without buying a whole new harness! looks like mine is gonna hafta stay that way until I can junk yard one!

Happy hunting!