Diesel fuel return ?

[Don Mitchell]

I have a 4 cylinder ford Lehman diesel. The day tank is located 4 feet above the motor. Can I route the fuel return line that high ? Will the fuel pump up that high ?. Also, if it will, when the motor is shut down, what happens to the fuel remaining in the line ? Will the fuel leak past the injectors and into the cylinder ? Thank you in advance...... Don in So. Cal.

[model 10]

Unless you have a bad injector, it will not leak into the engine. It takes like 1500 psi to open an injector. The return fuel will have no problem getting back to the tank

[DougR]

Might be better to return the fuel back to the main fuel tank...
- Eliminates any question of fuel leaking back thru the injection system
- Gives the fuel more time to get rid of any heat it has picked up when traveling thru the injection system

DougR

[travellerw]

ECOS is right..

Our boat was built with both fuel tanks above the motors (about 3ft). Been like that for 14 years.

On the upside, I NEVER have to bleed my motors. I simply open all the valves and wait 30 minutes. Gravity does all the work for me. The air is pushed into the bleed line. On first rotation they will fire, sputter, then catch and we are off.

[mvmojo]

There is very little fuel return on a Ford Lehman. Route it back to the main tank rather than the day tank. That eliminates any/all concerns and what little return there is is good clean fuel going back into your main tank.

[boatman1]

If the return fuel line is plumbed to a tank other than that which is providing the supply, you'll prematurely exhaust the fuel in the latter and, depending on the level of fuel in the former, overfill it.

[Mike Banks]

I simply return mine to the fuel filter via an automotive transmission cooler radiator, since the fuel is no longer under high pressure. It cost $100 new. but from a wreckers $20. Only in the tropics or with a very short return line would one even need a cooler. I hang mine below a beam, so it has air both sides, convection cooled.

If you get a second hand one--wash it thoroughly with a few changes of petrol and blow it dry.

[Geoff H.]

Hi Don from Tahiti!!
Wht boatman one said. I recently forgot to switch my return to the sending tank and nearly overfilled one tank and emptied the sending tank.
And it’s just not true that ford Lehman doesn’t return much. My 6 cal sure does anyway.
Left you a ph msg this morning! Come see us in Tahiti!!