Top Tech Questions - You've Got Questions? We've Got Answers!

By Jason Sands

Welcome to Top Tech Questions. Oftentimes, readers contact us with questions about articles, or to praise us on what a good job we are doing. But our favorite form of reader communication is tech questions. Our Top Tech section is a place where you ask what's on your mind, and we answer it. Got a trouble code? Wondering how to get your engine to make more power?

Send us an email at jason.sands@sorc.com and we'll do our best to answer it.

Question: I'm having problems with fuel gelling up on cold days, and I want to install a heated filter to the fuel line on the frame. Where can I buy this type of product?
Dave Whitten
Peoria, Illinois

If you find yourself in a...

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Answer: There are a few different ways to solve your fuel gelling dilemma. On very cold days, fuel can start to harden, or gel. The sheer volume of fuel in the tank will usually keep any fuel from gelling there, but in the lines and especially the filter, fuel can turn into gel and then you're left with a very hard-to-start truck. The most common type of fuel heater is one that is heated by coolant. However, if you can't get the engine started, there is no use in having a coolant-heated filter. But there are other alternatives.

A few of the cheaper ones involve insulating the fuel filter with some type of nonflammable material. This will keep more heat contained in the filter and could cure your gelling problem. If that doesn't work, there are electric fuel heaters available from Racor and other similar diesel suppliers. If your local diesel shop can't help you out, try giving Oregon Fuel Injection a call at (800) 452-5055 or visit www.o-f-i.com. It offers various types and styles of fuel heaters, ranging from about $300 to $500.

Question: I saw a lot of cheap HE351VGT turbos off of 6.7L Cummins engines on eBay, and I was looking at the Holset site to see how they work. It looks easy to control the turbo mechanically, and if it works out, it will be the perfect turbo. Am I right in thinking I can run an HE351VGT on my early 5.9L Cummins?
Daniel Tibus
Schortens, Germany

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Answer: If you are a decent welder, it isn't that hard to adapt a VGT turbo found on '07 to '08 Dodge Ram diesels to an earlier engine. You'll need to tackle a few basic things to get the setup working, however. First you'll need to mount the turbo. Unfortunately, the HE351VGT doesn't have a T3 flange like the earlier HX35/HY35 turbochargers. It uses a different mount, called a WGMT flange, so you'll need to fabricate an exhaust manifold-to-turbo adapter. You also might need some parts and pieces for the oil lines. The HE351VGT also takes a larger-diameter downpipe than some earlier-model trucks, so keep in mind that additional exhaust work may be needed to get it to fit.

Once the turbo is mounted, you have to find a way to control the VGT portion of the turbocharger. For this, most people out there are just using springs, levers, or wastegate actuators to move the vanes, although there are people working on VGT controllers that will allow the turbo to retain its factory characteristics. If you can live without that cool variable geometry whistle, an '03 1/2 to '06 turbocharger off a Dodge will work almost as well. Either the earlier or later turbochargers are capable of supporting 450 hp and 40 psi of boost.

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