Best fuel hose

[Welder Dave]

I'm replacing the fuel hose from the ECM to the filter on a Cummins M11 because the old cotton braided hose appears to be weeping. Have read of other similar issues with this type of hose. What is the best hose to use and does the length matter? It loses prime so hoping a new hose solves the problem. I read an older post that a longer hose will let it run a little longer to pick up fuel. There is a check valve in the ECM so not sure if length will make a difference.

 

[HarleyHappy]

I haven’t had good luck with ANY fuel line, for the past 10 years.

 

[Birken Vogt]

What pressure does this line operate at?

 

[Truck Shop]

For what it's worth--Plastic air hose for trucks works real well, Freightliner/Western Star and
others have used it going all the way back to the 70's. But it's good to about -40 to 200* so
if it's near any hot spots where not enough air circulation may not want to use it. I just use
strato-flex made for oils. It will work fine for a long time.

 

[ozarkag]

We use either Gates fuel hose from auto parts store or push loc/ instagrip/ lola style multipurpose hose.

 

[Welder Dave]

What pressure does this line operate at?

I'm not sure. It's the suction hose from the ECM to the fuel filter. It loops away from the air compressor so shouldn't get too hot. Truck Shop probably knows how much pressure or vacuum it pulls.

 

[Welder Dave]

I found this online. Looks like up to 180 PSI fuel pressure. I used the hose from the primer I removed. It was cleaner than the furry looking hose but still a shiny black color. If you compare the hose coming out of the filter it is just dust covered and not shiny black or furry from weeping. Thinking there may be less suction required after the filter and the increased suction before the filter is causing the weeping. I don't know if filters increase how much suction is required or if different brands could require more or less suction to draw fuel into them?

Loading…

www.dieselrebuildkits.com

 

[Truck Shop]

It's just a suction hose.

 

[Drag racer]

I found this online. Looks like up to 180 PSI fuel pressure. I used the hose from the primer I removed. It was cleaner than the furry looking hose but still a shiny black color. If you compare the hose coming out of the filter it is just dust covered and not shiny black or furry from weeping. Thinking there may be less suction required after the filter and the increased suction before the filter is causing the weeping. I don't know if filters increase how much suction is required or if different brands could require more or less suction to draw fuel into them?

Loading…

www.dieselrebuildkits.com

I just purchased fuel injection hose from Advance Auto it was 1.00 per inch thankfully I only needed a foot.

 

[HarleyHappy]

+1 on the truck air line hose.
We use that on the Chevy trucks when the originals rot out.

 

[Truck Shop]

5/8"

 

[Welder Dave]

I went to the hose shop and the guy there recommended the same kind of hose that I'm replacing. He said it handles a lot more heat than standard fuel suction hose. I didn't realize the fittings on the hose were reusable. He said they looked good so I had them swapped to the new hose. Was about half the cost of new fittings. Cost about the same price to get the fittings changed as the length hose cost. I've never done reusable fittings so not familiar with them. They were warm when he brought the hose out so must have been tightened pretty good. What was a little interesting is the 10AN fittings were for 1/2" hose. He said hose can swell when it been in service for a long time. I think I'll pick up a new filter too. Have read Donaldson are more likely to drain back than some other brands. Hopefully with the new hose it won't be an issue but a filter isn't a big expense.

 

[Welder Dave]

Picked up a Baldwin BF957 filter. I didn't get the version with a drain. Not sure if I'd need to drain it often or not. It is a lot shorter so hopefully will help with keeping prime. If the truck still needs to start a 2nd time it may only need to crank for 10 seconds or less to fill the filter instead of 20 seconds to fill the BF1259. It's worth trying for $15.

 

[cfherrman]

I've used the short filter a lot, just change it every time you change oil. I do believe the 1259 is the correct filter and I change that one too every time I change oil, it's cheap

 

[Welder Dave]

Baldwin used to have a bulletin that the 1259 has a stand pipe to prevent loss of prime specifically on Cummins Celect engines. That bulletin cannot be found anywhere now, likely because it doesn't solve the problem a lot of times. When it loses prime it takes a lot of cranking. Other's have had much better luck with curing loss of prime by using a short filter. It's certainly worth trying. Even it doesn't totally elimate the loss of prime, I'm thinking it will take a lot less cranking to fill and start the engine. There are about 8 different filters that are recommended for Cummins. Who knows which is the best one to use?? Might depend on the specific engine and have to do a little trial and error. The BF957 is the shortest at just over 5" tall. It would take me years to put 500 miles on the truck so changing the fuel filter more often isn't a big deal and it's a lot easier and cheaper than R&Ring the starter. Hoping the new hose and short filter at least cuts the cranking time in half if it does experience loss of prime.

 

[Truck Shop]

The 957, 3109 are the standard filters going all the way back, because of the input/suction
port if filter is fitted to pump especially--when removing filter fuel will normally be about
3/4" below filter threads because of slight drain back, just a fact. That is the static level in filter
with a slight vacuum holding level at 3/4". I'm never surprised when removing filter on a PT
system.

 

[cfherrman]

My n14 celect looses prime at the time because I don't have a check in the line, I still have the check I'm going to put in one of these days. I just prime it with my superdutys fuel pump when I need to start it.

 

[Welder Dave]

Apparently not all Celect engines came with a check valve. The check valve appeared to be good. I could only blow through it one way and didn't see any debris like I did a few years ago when I first got the truck. The fuel hose from the check valve to the filter was definitely weeping. I've read you can get air in the return line causing air in the filter but have also read the check valve on the ECM should solve the loss of prime. The fuel pump has a high suction rate and I'm wondering if that just makes it pull air so much easier from all the tiny pin holes where it's weeping causing it to have to crank longer than normal to fill the filter?

 

[cfherrman]

I'm my experience Cummins are the best at getting prime again compared to Detroits.

I don't what my engine has for a check valves I was talking about the one on the fuel tank.

 

[Welder Dave]

I put the new fuel hose on. It's a little long which is odd because the guy had the old hose to measure. It didn't solve the loss of prime issue using the Donaldson filter that was on the truck. After sitting about 25-30 mins. it stumbled but picked up fuel. After an hour it quit after 30-40 secs. I took the filter off and it was half full. I put the shorter Baldwin BF957 on after. One thing I noticed was the Baldwin had tighter threads on the head when I threaded it on. Probably not a big deal once the gasket is compressed but the Donaldson flopped around more threading it on. After 20-25 mins. the truck started up and didn't stumble at all with the Baldwin filter. I didn't want to wait around for another hour so will see how it does tomorrow.

I noticed a short hose by the fuel pump, that I think is for return, had cracks in it when I pushed it sideways. It's an Aeroquip push lock type hose. It looked a little shiny so I'm wondering if it could be weeping slightly and/or could be causing or contributing to the loss of prime? I think it's a 1/4" ID. I was thinking I could cut the hose off and replace it on the truck. I'm not sure if the fittings would get buggered up trying to get them off.