Really a quiet day today.
I tried to get a couple of small stainless hinges and over-centre catches to modify the plastic headlamp bowls (so that I’d be able to replace bulbs from under the wing, rather than semi-stripping the front of the wing). I went to the chandlers at the local marina, but being for narrow boats and cruisers, they sell mostly brass bling, so came away empty handed. I did find reels of SS rigging wire, SS turnbuckles and all the various fittings I’ll need to make up a pair of detatchable brush wires to rig from the bullbar to roof rack when laning or on exped, so it wasn’t time wasted.
I’ve made up two of the tree fuel lines to fit the new filter – just need a new length of pipe and a banjo bolt and fitting for the final line. I also found from the VWP catalogue that the Lucas light switch used on SIII for the instrument lights is rated at 10A – handy, as it means I won’t need a relay and all the associated wiring for the filter heater (which drew 10A cold on a bench test) – I can just run a line from the steering column fuse box through the extra Lucas switch I fitted when I cleaned up the loom and instrument panel.
At last, after searching the internet I have found some info on the heated fuel filter! I have just put one in, however I don’t know how to wire it up. Pressumably the top connections are a sensor and the bottom ones a supply to the heater? how is it controlled? Any hints will be welcomed!!
Hi Grarad,
That is correct – there is a thermostatic plug in one of the housing’s three ports which is closed when cold and opens the circuit when warm. The power heating element is inside the black plastic disc, with its contacts to one side.
I didn’t use the thermostat because I wanted to use the heater to get the fuel as hot a s possible, but I suspect the thermostat was in a circuit through the control side of a relay and not in a direct circuit to the heating element. The element draws about 10A.
I replaced the heater with a coolant based fuel heat exchanger for heating the vegoil fuel, but later had problems with SVO use and now stick to diesel.
Nick.