anyone have any experience with the 12 volt heaters to wrap around your fuel filter? wondering if it would help, or does the fuel gel before it even gets to the filter? Thanks

Should'nt have a problem with fuel gelling as long as you use an additive. I have never had a problem. I was in Mich. last winter snowmobiling , it was -24 witha windchill of -40 and my trucked fired up without being plugged in all weekend. I used amsoil cold flow but i recently switched to Stanadyne.

I just installed a 100 watt unit and I just love it so far it was 0deg f. here this morning. I started the truck let it run for 15 min then drove 15 miles to work popped the hood when I got there and the filter was warm top to bottom like 50 deg!!!!! Felt pretty nice on the bare hands when the winchill was -20. Can pm if you would like I got the idea from this site a few weeks back.

I just installed a 100 watt unit and I just love it so far it was 0deg f. here this morning. I started the truck let it run for 15 min then drove 15 miles to work popped the hood when I got there and the filter was warm top to bottom like 50 deg!!!!! Felt pretty nice on the bare hands when the winchill was -20. Can pm if you would like I got the idea from this site a few weeks back.

Thanks for the info, where did you get yours and how much? Thanks again

I got it from www.dieselproducts.com 905-362-0423 I got the 100 watt 12 volt heater. It fits the large part of the filter perfect!!!! the only part of the filter not covered is the part where it necks down for the wif. I can say that I know first hand it WILL GELL in the filter b-4 it quits flowing!!! It was less than $100 shipped but a lot better than sitting on the side of the road changing the filter. I'll keep you posted...

Doesn't the front fuel filter assembly have a heater built in? The one that you are describing sounds good. If you have the 12V one doesn't that drain the battery a lot? I would think getting the 120V one and plugging it in along with the block heater. Just curious. I wonder if something like this would be good for the AirDog unit I have underneath.

MOST of the time fuel will never gel just sitting there but as soon as you fire up the rig to move it it has to flow through the filter that is where 99% of the geling will occur. I have started a lot of units outside they might start but will run for 10 min then die due to cold fuel in the filter you can take a torch out there and warm the filter up and get it running again while keeping the filter warm it will stay running........ So my O.J.T. if it starts keep the filter warm it will stay running. That's why I have the 12v heater start truck then turn the filter heater on game over.

Sounds like a good idea to me. Mine gelled on me today. I was thinking I've got an old Zex nitrous bottle heater. Do you think that would work? Will it get too hot? I'm guessing its 12V, I dunno how many watts. Whatcha think???

It might work, but I would buy one that is made for the specific purpose.

After duking it out with the Powerstroke guys over who made it to work in the -17 degree weather without gelling, I came to find out that a fuel heater was designed into the Powerstroke engine ever since the 7.3L was around. Hearing this, I was inspired to do a little research about what our options are when it comes to keeping fuel flowing after getting the engine started.

Keeping warrenty in mind, it seems like the cleanest system in the market is the Racor P/N 32313 kit, which consists of an additional fuel filter, water separator and fuel heater in one system. Rumor also says that GM supports this kit for the Duramax application. Knowing that, I decided to give my buddies down at the dealership a call and see what they had to say. Coincidence or not, they informed me that, just the other week, a GM rep came down to talk about fuel gelling/filter plugging issues common to the Illinois and Iowa regions. They proceeded to describe the same Racor product and gave the name and number of their local truck shop who is a Racor vendor. They also gave me the go-ahead to retrofit it into my truck and evaluate it for everyone's benefit... I hope that means they won't deny me warrenty.

So, two things I've learned in the past few frigid days - the Racor kit looks to be promising for the Duramax's and the fuel in our regions (Illinois and eastern Iowa) is evidently the worse in the whole country, according to GM's history of complaints.

Wow. why Illinois and eastern Iowa I wonder?

Farmer friendly states = B11 or higher fuel

I was thinking about trying motorcycle hand grip heaters. Enduro enginering sells them for around 30 bucks. They have a high and a low power setting, and come with a 3 way toggle switch. On high they get too hot to hold with thin gloves on. When it warms up this spring I`ll make em work for next winter. Just stich up a sleeve with the heater pads inside and velcro to the fuel filter you got a switchable filter heater.

Whats the Racor kit part numbers and the shop to get'em from?

The dedicated Racor kit for the Duramax is P/N 32313, but the guy at truck parts place didn't recognize that number. Rather, he named off the following part numbers:

660R1210
320HTR4
R125P (filter?)

He also mentioned that these components were for a 2009 truck. Not knowing what these were, I tried to identify them on Parker/Racor's website, but had no luck. However, I did find the Duramax kit (P/N 32313)at the website.

As far as who supplies it, I believe you can buy in through www.dieselproducts.com (http://www.dieselproducts.com) if you can't find a supplier closer to you.

cool, thanks!!:beerchug:

Last week here in MN My mirror temp showed -34F when I arrived at work. That night on the way home it showed -29F. I have no additive and in the state of MN we are req. to min of b2 all the time at those temps I WANT all the heat that I can put on the filter. For less than a $100 it's cheap insurance. ps The winchill was -48F don't want to be changing the filter 1/2 way home in that ....