ultimate onboard fuel filtration / processing setup

In the spirit of using my new LDS multifuel to it's full potential, I want to equip Mah Deuce with the ultimate fuel system. I'm talking about being able to pour just about anything flammable right into the fuel tank, knowing that it will be processed and filtered before it reaches the engine. The thing is, I'm actually going to be living/traveling in this M109 motorhome fulltime, so the fuel processing system has to be built into Mah Deuce.

When I started researching fuel filters and related components, the name Racor kept coming up. Everything I read seemed to indicate that they set the standard when it comes to fuel filtration. So I contacted them, and they've been really enthusiastic about this project. We're calling it 'an exercise in overkill'.

Although Racor has a TON of experience filtering ally types of fluids, it's not often that they're asked to do it all in one system. The problem is that a lot of components (filters, seals, etc.) are made to work with one type of fluid, and are not compatible with another. But I think we've came up with this list of components, that when properly configured, would seem to be able to filter just about any type of fuel.

I know that some of you have a lot of experience dealing with WMO, WVO, and filtering/processing a variety of other fuels/fluids - so I'd like to ask you guys to take a look at this list of components and tell me what you think. Have an idea about how we could improve on this? Please comment. I would appreciate the input.

Here's a basic rundown of the system as I'm currently envisioning it:

There will be a total of 100 gallons of fuel capacity, split evenly between two tanks: one 50 gallon tank in the stock location on the passenger's-side, and another stock 50 gallon fuel tank on the driver's-side (where the spare tire was). I'm planning on duplicating something like what's in the tractors with dual tanks. As of right now, I'm not planning on having a diesel-only tank. Instead, I'm relying on my ability to pre-heat the fuel. Radiant heating is being used throughout the vehicle, so it will be very easy for me to create a dedicated loop to heat the fuel tanks (I'm going to do something similar for the water tanks). I'll have two propane-fired tankless water-heaters onboard, and two multifuel-fired coolant heaters, which will serve as backups. There's also going to be a heat exchanger built into the engine's coolant system. Racor also makes this neat little coolant heater. But the propane heaters should work in spite of cold temperatures, right? So it seems kind of unnecessary to make room for a 'diesel-only' fuel tank. I guess that leaves me kinda hosed if the propane-fired water heaters went out for any reason though. Hmmmm. I'm obviously still thinking some of these things through. But that's why I'm posting.

Racor's Marine Turbine 1000 unit with a 30-micron filter will serve as the primary fuel filter. These things look amazing! It's a centrifuge, a filter, and a water-separator all built into one unit. This Turbine unit will also incorporate an optional 24V electric priming pump.

A second, identical, Marine Turbine 1000 unit with a 10-micron filter will serve as a secondary fuel filter. Racor is working on a full-flow electric pump that I would add to this Turbine unit whenever it becomes available. I just like the idea of having a backup (or two) when it comes to parts (like fuel pumps) that I might have a hard time replacing in the middle of nowhere.

Although the Turbine 1000 units are specifically designed to separate water from Diesel, Racor told me that I would need an additional water filter to separate the water from used motor oil, ATF, hydraulic fluid, and WVO. They recommended one of these filters in one of these filter housings. Only caveat is that this filter is not compatible with gasoline, so I'd have to make a bypass line that I would switch over to whenever I put gasoline through the tanks.

And then these filters would be equipped with 2-micron filters, and would serve as the final filters in the system.

This FPM-050 fuel polishing unit, along with a FPM-PTC-12 timer/controller, would circulate the fuel through the filters on a programmable timer, so I wouldn't have to worry as much about fuel going bad if/when Mah Deuce might be parked somewhere for a while. My inverter will automatically turn on a generator whenever my batteries discharge to a pre-set point, but ideally, I'd like to power that fuel polishing unit (and everything else onboard) with an array of solar panels on the roof of my M109 box.


What do you guys think? What would you add, or take away, or do differently? How would YOU design/build the ultimate fuel system for a deuce? The only thing to keep in mind, is that space is at a premium. This is a motorhome. I'm not trying to turn Mah Deuce into any type of dedicated fuel-truck.

I really like all those items, except the one that is not compatible with gasoline. Why is it not compatible? Will you have one filter setup for each tank, or will the tank selector decide which tank is feeding the filter system? Have you thought about what goes where? I am planning on un-bolting the secondary and final filters to install my own spin-on filter sys.

The one filter that isn't compatible with gasoline should really never need to come into contact with gasoline, as it's only intended to separate water from the previously mentioned fluids. Evidently those have a much higher percentage of water in them, and the water is suspended in those fluids in such a way that it makes it difficult for the Turbine to separate the water from them. I really don't know much about any of this though, and that's why I'm hoping to get some helpful input from some of the members that have more experience dealing with these fluids/fuels.

As far as where I might locate all of these components, yes, I've given it some thought, but I'm not going to worry about it too much until I figure out exactly what components I've got to make room for. One option is to put them between the framerails, right where the airtanks are. I need to relocate the inside tank anyway (to make room for the t-case PTO driveshaft). Another option might be to mount them where the stock toolbox is (under the driver's seat). Not sure if that space is tall enough though. I've also still got quite a bit of room in the engine compartment (no heaters or other accessories in there yet, except for a Spinner II centrifuge - for the engine oil). So yeah, got a few options. No definitive plans yet though.

A couple of things Jesse, the fuel burning coolant heater must be located below the coolant mass it's heating to work properly. It works by convection so the heated coolant must be able to rise. When hooked up to the engine, it is mounted below it and the coolant flows from the bottom to the top, opposite to normal coolant flow.
It will not work if you try to heat a fuel tank that's located below it.
The Racor is a standard primary fuel filter on the HEMTT and you should be able to find surplussed units for a lot less than buying them new. I did, and have had one installed on the 757 for a couple of years. I like them, the filter elements drop in from above and are treated with a water repellent. I use 30 microns for the primary.

Based on my experience with WVO, you need to consider separate filter systems for normal clean diesel and any alternate fuel, so that you can switch not only the tank, but the entire filtering system along with the fuel.
Install magnetic fuel filtering also...

For fuel selector valves, use aircraft, direct action type. Stay away from "pilot" operated valves, they will clog...all those little passages...

For water seperation take a look at this company Fuel Purifiers, Fuel Purification, Filtration Systems for Engines: RCI Technologies: San Dimas, CA I believe alot of their filtration claims are smoke and mirrors but during a demonstration I thought the unit had good spin out on Free water contamination.

cranetruck said:

A couple of things Jesse, the fuel burning coolant heater must be located below the coolant mass it's heating to work properly. It works by convection so the heated coolant must be able to rise. When hooked up to the engine, it is mounted below it and the coolant flows from the bottom to the top, opposite to normal coolant flow.
It will not work if you try to heat a fuel tank that's located below it.
The Racor is a standard primary fuel filter on the HEMTT and you should be able to find surplussed units for a lot less than buying them new. I did, and have had one installed on the 757 for a couple of years. I like them, the filter elements drop in from above and are treated with a water repellent. I use 30 microns for the primary.

Based on my experience with WVO, you need to consider separate filter systems for normal clean diesel and any alternate fuel, so that you can switch not only the tank, but the entire filtering system along with the fuel.
Install magnetic fuel filtering also...

For fuel selector valves, use aircraft, direct action type. Stay away from "pilot" operated valves, they will clog...all those little passages...

Click to expand...

Hi Bjorn. Thanks for the tip regardingthose water heaters, but they're going to be inline with my propane water heaters, so I will have water pumps pushing fluids through the system. Will that be a problem? I'd love to get some info about how much these heaters might be able to raise the temperature of water/coolant in a single pass. Would also be interested in hearing any thoughts about how they might work in an application where they could be used for extended periods of time. Can they handle that type of use?

That's great to know about the Racor filter. And it's already OD green!

Why a completely separate system for the WVO? Are you recommending a second, duplicate system? Or a different type of system?

The magnet filtration is also a good idea, but I wonder if it's necessary with the centrifuges in the Racor filters. I'll look into it. Any recommendations as far as magnet filters go?

Bill W said:

For water seperation take a look at this company Fuel Purifiers, Fuel Purification, Filtration Systems for Engines: RCI Technologies: San Dimas, CA I believe alot of their filtration claims are smoke and mirrors but during a demonstration I thought the unit had good spin out on Free water contamination.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the link, but I agree - that looks like a gimmick the way they're marketing it. No mention of how it actually works, or micron ratings, or anything...

how much pressure does then marine turbine 1000 need to in order to clean.

The question I have: What are you gonna do when you pour veggie oil (WVO) in, run it for a little bit, shut it down and then you have cold thick veggie oil in your lines? Even when its good pure oil, it will still thicken when cold. Thats why there are two tank systems, one to heat WVO and one to flush out the system prior to shutdown.

On board fuel processing

I am thinking along the same lines except I plan to haul much of my processed WVO and the processing equipment on a twin axle trailer. Also, I plan to carry a diesel powered generator on this same trailer with slave cable connecting a large battery pack so most everything can run on 24V DC. NO PROPANE for me; bad incident in my past. Fortuneately, I have a M36A2 which gives me a little more room so will mount the battery pack under the bed where the spare tire was. Later I might add a solar panel to augment this set up and thus extend the time out in the boonys.

I suggest running only on diesel when in very cold conditions, at least on start ups and shut downs. Also, The Man will be checking for none-tax-paid fuel so keeping the original fuel tank as is should be strongly considered.

Good luck and happy trails less traveled.

Orren

broman78 said:

how much pressure does then marine turbine 1000 need to in order to clean.

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I don't know, but that's on my list of questions I need to ask (so I get get the right fuel pump). I'll let you know as soon as I find out.

area52 said:

The question I have: What are you gonna do when you pour veggie oil (WVO) in, run it for a little bit, shut it down and then you have cold thick veggie oil in your lines? Even when its good pure oil, it will still thicken when cold. Thats why there are two tank systems, one to heat WVO and one to flush out the system prior to shutdown.

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I was going to ask (don't laugh) if there's any way that I might be able to purge the lines with... air. Maybe I should just plan on installing a small diesel-only tank, huh?

orren said:

I am thinking along the same lines except I plan to haul much of my processed WVO and the processing equipment on a twin axle trailer. Also, I plan to carry a diesel powered generator on this same trailer with slave cable connecting a large battery pack so most everything can run on 24V DC. NO PROPANE for me; bad incident in my past. Fortuneately, I have a M36A2 which gives me a little more room so will mount the battery pack under the bed where the spare tire was. Later I might add a solar panel to augment this set up and thus extend the time out in the boonys.

I suggest running only on diesel when in very cold conditions, at least on start ups and shut downs. Also, The Man will be checking for none-tax-paid fuel so keeping the original fuel tank as is should be strongly considered.

Good luck and happy trails less traveled.

Orren

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I'm going to be hauling a small (10ft) enclosed trailer too. At least, most of the time. But I would much rather have the fuel processing equipment on the truck, so I can filter fuel even when I don't have my trailer with me.

area52 said:

The question I have: What are you gonna do when you pour veggie oil (WVO) in, run it for a little bit, shut it down and then you have cold thick veggie oil in your lines? Even when its good pure oil, it will still thicken when cold. Thats why there are two tank systems, one to heat WVO and one to flush out the system prior to shutdown.

Click to expand...

Right, the reason for the separate filtration systems is to be able to eliminate a whole lot of variables from the equation when you are on the road and experience a fuel problem.

Simply "flushing" the WVO out after use still leaves a bunch of unwanted stuff stuck in the filters, which will clog them one cold morning.
Heating the filters will help and since doubling up on the secondary and final filters on the multifuel engine may be a huge project, just having separate primary filters (one for each tank) may be a solution.
Keep in mind also, that when flushing, some WVO will end up in the clean diesel tank and it will eventually end up with a respectable percentage of veggie oil.

The Racor filter can handle a fuel pressure of 15 psi max, so the 7 to 8 psi from the deuce in-tank pump is fine.

I wouldn't rely on propane when it gets COLD. It will freeze up the regulator and lines if you have any kind of volume running through them when the temp drops enough.
It's kind of sad when you need to keep the propane warm so you can warm other things up....

OK, good to know Ed. That's why I'm asking these questions now. Looks like I need to rethink things. Appreciate the input.

This is the setup that i was looking at VEGPOWER.COM *OC-20 CENTRIFUGE PACKAGE .93 GPM

This as you can see needs 35- 90 psi 90 being the better output.

jesusgatos said:

OK, good to know Ed. That's why I'm asking these questions now. Looks like I need to rethink things. Appreciate the input.

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You can still use it, but think about running a two stage regulator. That keeps it from changing pressures rapidly at a single point (big temp changes cause the freeze up, especially with poor fuel quality.)
Just takes a little more planning, something you are NOT afraid of!

Jesusgatos, I see one major problem in your design; all your filters look great, but they are all fine fuel filters designed to work with relatively clean diesel: You need a rough filter to grap all the particles out of the wvo or it will trash the rest of your filters daily. A pre filter that is a screen or bag type is the only way to go the keep everything else working when using raw wvo.

Also, the mulit's fuel filter setup is designed to work with old technology and very dirty fuel (hence the 3 filters), but the 2 secondary filters do add quite a bit of heat to the fuel due to there location on the engine. You might want to consider getting a new spin on secondary diesel filter (you only need one) for the straight diesel tank, and then using the original secondary filters for the wvo/wmo as fuel heaters. Plumb your Racor setup inline to filter the fuel, and then use the stock secondary filters (maybe even run then with no filters inside) as a cheap way to heat your wvo.

yeager1 said:

Jesusgatos, I see one major problem in your design; all your filters look great, but they are all fine fuel filters designed to work with relatively clean diesel: You need a rough filter to grap all the particles out of the wvo or it will trash the rest of your filters daily. A pre filter that is a screen or bag type is the only way to go the keep everything else working when using raw wvo.

Also, the mulit's fuel filter setup is designed to work with old technology and very dirty fuel (hence the 3 filters), but the 2 secondary filters do add quite a bit of heat to the fuel due to there location on the engine. You might want to consider getting a new spin on secondary diesel filter (you only need one) for the straight diesel tank, and then using the original secondary filters for the wvo/wmo as fuel heaters. Plumb your Racor setup inline to filter the fuel, and then use the stock secondary filters (maybe even run then with no filters inside) as a cheap way to heat your wvo.

Click to expand...

Good point about the pre-filter. I was thinking that maybe I could use something like this funnel. But I haven't talked to Racor about that, and even if that's not the one to use, I'd like to use some kind of strainer / pre-filter to keep as much crap out of the tank as possible (at least within reason). Any suggestions?

And that's an interesting suggestion about using the secondary filter cans as fuel heaters. I'll give that some thought. Thanks for posting!

Those filter funnels look nice!
flebay has a few, about $58 + shipping, for the [SIZE=-1]RFF15C which is the biggest/fastest they make.[/SIZE]
Not sure how well it will filter the WMO/WVO though, with it being thicker. Definitely want the biggest filter to use with the thicker fuel like that.
Try it out Jesse! Then let us know how well that works. I would get that in a heartbeat if I knew it would separate free water from WMO and flow at a somewhat respectable rate (obviously slower then the normal fuel rate.)

Hi Ed. I know it says it filters out water, but I'm not sure how good a job it will do. I'd be happy if it just caught most of the big chunks of whatever might be suspended in the WMO/WVO. I'm going to get all these parts ordered just as soon as I get a better idea of how I ought to put this whole system together. Really appreciate all the input so far. As you can already see, you guys have helped me avoid making a few mistakes....

Well, I imagine it will filter out the FREE water fairly well. Figuring it will be under very little pressure (just the volume in the funnel.) I believe it will help with that part.
But I wonder how well it will do it with the WMO/WVO fuels.
Without pressure/heat, those are SLOW to filter through most filters.