Are Water traps necessary with todays Diesel?

[Chris142]

When I got my truck the stock water trap was bypassed. Common on these trucks as the stock one fails often.

I installed a filter head and a filter with a water trap in it. Drained it today. 11K on this filter and no water at all came out. Is this due to the low Sulfur fuel or did I just get lucky?

 

[CDX825]

Id say you just got lucky.

You can still get water in your fuel these days but you don't hear of it happening very often.

Ive got an aftermarket setup on my truck as well and have never seen anything but fuel drain out of it. All the stations I fill at are high traffic ones though so not much chance of a tank filling with condensation.

 

[CT8]

Yes there will always be condensation.

 

[camperbob]

Originally Posted By: CT8
Yes there will always be condensation.


I think this is more of your worry today than water in the fuel. You can always get a junk batch of fuel, but most mainstream diesel/truck stops turn over so much that water is minimal. Our Class 8's had Davco style clear fuel filters, and after 12k, the water was very minimal.

If you are talking about the 87 Ford. Back in the day,I used a Baldwin to fit that filter base that had a built in drain. The screw on water sensor was a pita

 

[ironman_gq]

It's a bigger problem than ever with the high pressure injection systems and very close tolerances in the injectors themselves. Water going through the system will cause major damage in a very short amount of time.

 

[bullwinkle]

If you always fill up at a busy station, & always keep your tanks full, you SHOULD never have a fuel moisture problem. I would (& do) still use filters with water separation abilities-but, knock on wood, in 12 years of owning & running diesel pickups & vans, I personally haven't had a moisture problem-but you're relying on your supplier to always have clean, dry fuel, & a separator is a good insurance policy!