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Old 10-05-2015, 06:41 AM   #1
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Espar Fuel Line

I have a question for those of you with a Espar heater. I have a D2 on the way for installation in my 2006 6.0 home-brew. I'm considering just tapping the fuel line rather than dropping the tank. I will only be using it when parked since my van has rear heat/ac. For those of you with a fuel line tap, has it worked out for you? If anyone else has an opinion, it would be appreciated. Thanks, Barry

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Old 10-05-2015, 09:19 AM   #2
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Re: Espar Fuel Line

Will a fuel line tap work if the fuel pump is in the tank?
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Old 10-05-2015, 09:38 AM   #3
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Re: Espar Fuel Line

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Originally Posted by boywonder
Will a fuel line tap work if the fuel pump is in the tank?
That was my Q as well. The Espar fuel pump is a special bit of kit and I think it expects just to pull against a pickup tube.
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Old 10-06-2015, 12:35 PM   #4
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Re: Espar Fuel Line

When in doubt, pull out the shop manual. The 6.0L has a frame mounted fuel pump. The unit in the tank is the pick up tube and fuel level sensor. My Espar should be here by Friday and I'll have a better idea if I can tap the supply line to the pump. Anyone with an opinion can chime in anytime. Barry
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Old 10-06-2015, 04:37 PM   #5
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Re: Espar Fuel Line

I would think that an unrestricted flow to the Espar pump would be the #1 goal. They are quite finicky. If the engine fuel pump has the ability to draw fuel out of the line feeding the Espar pump I would think it might create a dry fuel line issue or air pocket. Just thinking out loud here and I really don't know what the outcome would be. I do know that the pickup tube for the Espar is at the 1/4 tank level in the main fuel tank so you don't get stranded in the middle of nowhere out of fuel. That said the worst thing I've dealt with is starting the Espar when the main fuel tank is below 1/4 tank. After running it dry it is difficult to pull a prime. But I'll bet a call to these guys would give you the answer
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Old 10-09-2015, 06:16 AM   #6
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Re: Espar Fuel Line

Thanks daveb...I decided to do it the correct way and dropped my tank yesterday. It seems the VW crowd just taps the fuel line. There are maximum distances that the fuel line can be run so I opted for the fuel tank just to be safe. On another note..they don't supply enough fuel line or duct tube for the install so I'm off to NAPA, Also I don't speak German so I'm glad that there's a manual via the internet. Barry
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Old 10-10-2015, 06:42 AM   #7
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Re: Espar Fuel Line

Okay, I stand corrected after starting the install. There's plenty of fuel line. It's special because it has a very small diameter. The pump is designed to be close to the tank. The pick up tube mounted nicely in the sending unit so drilling the tank was not required. Barry
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Old 10-17-2015, 09:11 PM   #8
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Re: Espar Fuel Line

I was told to use the complete kit, and to drop the tank to install the pickup.
Once i hit less than 1/4 tank I be installing mine.
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Old 12-17-2015, 07:08 PM   #9
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DaveB, when i first started my Espar it didn't have enough suction to prime itself so I bought a mityvac hand pump and pulled the fuel/diesel all the way to the end of the line right before the unit. I haven’t had a problem since.
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Old 12-18-2015, 10:18 PM   #10
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Thanks Rob. FWIW the only time I've had an issue was when I ran the heater below 1/4 tank and ran the lines dry. I kept starting it after filling up and it just took several failed starts until it finally pulled a prime and began to work. On the other hand Tom (Zeta) seemed to have repeated issues and installed one of those outboard boat priming pumps IIRC. I just never really have had enough trouble to add anything.
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