Fuel pressure tester

[Sp6saz]

Can anyone tell me why almost all fuel pressure test kits say not for use with diesel or flex fuels. I mean that statement basically says here's a fuel pressure test kit that can not be used on any vehicle as most cars use some percent of ethanol or methanol in the gasoline and that constitutes flex fuel. And diesel is the rest. Why do they say this ???

[Iceni John]

Why not just install a proper fuel pressure gauge between the engine's fuel pump and the secondary filter? I did that some years ago, along with an electric fuel priming pump, so now it's easy to see if the engine's getting its 60-plus PSI of fuel, and if it isn't I can more easily troubleshoot the problem. I use stainless-braided PTFE fuel line to the gauge: so far so good.

John

[jjaj823]

The problem isn't with diesels or fuels per se...its because of the high pressures after the injection pump and and some point, I can almost guarantee some idiot hooked up a 100 psi gauge after the pump and had it explode ion his hand. Therefore, the lawyers make them put that on the box. If you keep it on the low pressure side, you'll have no problems.

[Booyah45828]

Your cheaper testers might not have internal part compatibility with flex fuels or diesel. It might not fail instantly, but over time and continued use it will.

Some might be like jjaj823 says and they don't want to be liable for you being stupid with it.

I've used our pressure gauge set in the shop on diesel, gas, and e85 to no detriment of the equipment, but it's not a cheap set by any standards either.

[Sp6saz]

Well best I can tell my fuel pressure at the shrader test port in the front of the common rail into the head through to the injectors is supposed to be 60 psi on my 2006 dt466e and that should be the case all the way back to the fuel filter housing but I would like to know what the pressure is in the filter housing and I don't. I'll have to check on that. I ended up picking up a gauge that goes up to 200 psi and is rated for diesel with a 6' long hose on it.

[jjaj823]

Originally Posted by Sp6saz

Well best I can tell my fuel pressure at the shrader test port in the front of the common rail into the head through to the injectors is supposed to be 60 psi on my 2006 dt466e and that should be the case all the way back to the fuel filter housing but I would like to know what the pressure is in the filter housing and I don't. I'll have to check on that. I ended up picking up a gauge that goes up to 200 psi and is rated for diesel with a 6' long hose on it.

Your high pressure shouldn’t happen until after the pump…I don’t have the manual in front of me to verify, but you should be able to measure the pressure at the outlet of the fuel filter without a problem. I have seen lots of folks put a permanent gauge on the outlet side.

[HamSkoolie]

Originally Posted by jjaj823

The problem ...... the lawyers make them put that on the box.

Oh how far those lawyers have taken us from Darwin. Warning labels everywhere.
When I was in kindergarten and 5 years old I used my brand spanking new Radio Shack 101 electrical projects kit to build a radio. Know what the kit had for an antenna? A strand of wire with a metal spade on the end. The instructions said to look at the electrical outlet and insert the spade into the wider slot of the outlet thus using the house "neutral" side as an antenna.
Get a lawyer to sign off on that today!!!!!!
LOL

[BFlinn181]

Originally Posted by Sp6saz

Can anyone tell me why almost all fuel pressure test kits say not for use with diesel or flex fuels. I mean that statement basically says here's a fuel pressure test kit that can not be used on any vehicle as most cars use some percent of ethanol or methanol in the gasoline and that constitutes flex fuel. And diesel is the rest. Why do they say this ???

As has been stated above, it could be that the pressure tester cautions you're reading could be for only a gasoline system or it might contain parts incompatible with the fuel you want to test.

In a diesel engine system, the pressures at the filters aren't too extreme, but if you somehow hooked into the fuel rail after the high-pressure injection pump you'd have to have a tester that can handle upwards of 30,000 to 40,000 psi.

Don't blame lawyers, it's folks with no knowledge or common sense that try things, get injured, then want to sue someone because of their idiocy.

[Diverdude0075]

You can still blame lawyers for trying to get bs money when they shouldn’t represent the dummies in the first place and tell them to quit being dumb.

[HamSkoolie]

Originally Posted by Diverdude0075

You can still blame lawyers for trying to get bs money when they shouldn’t represent the dummies in the first place and tell them to quit being dumb.

Or just let Darwin take care of the issue like we did in the good old days before ignorant juries that award civil settlements to thieves who fall through the roof of the house they're robbing (and other such stupid awards).

[Sp6saz]

Originally Posted by Iceni John

Why not just install a proper fuel pressure gauge between the engine's fuel pump and the secondary filter? I did that some years ago, along with an electric fuel priming pump, so now it's easy to see if the engine's getting its 60-plus PSI of fuel, and if it isn't I can more easily troubleshoot the problem. I use stainless-braided PTFE fuel line to the gauge: so far so good.

John

Sounds like a good Idea John