Delete The Fuel Bowl...

We often get asked by potential customers what the reason is for doing a "Fuel Bowl Delete" as opposed to keeping the OEM Fuel Filter Bowl when installing a Regulated Return on a 7.3L or 6.0L Powerstroke. Truth be told, there are a number of reasons, it isn't always same for everyone. In this blog I will cover the most common reasons, so that you can make an informed decision about the style of system you wish to purchase.

When we designed the first commercially available "Fuel Bowl Delete Regulated Return Kit" for the 7.3L, somewhere around 2004ish, it was at a time when the 7.3L "Performance" market was just starting to get interesting. Big injectors were "B Codes" (International DT530 Injectors with Modified Powerstroke Nozzles), "Hybrid" Injectors (B Code parts in A Code bodies) were just being figured out. It was discovered that the High Pressure Oil Pump couldn't keep up with larger injectors, so Injection Control Pressure (ICP) was dropping under heavy throttle, which was hurting power output...resulting in the development of "Dual High Pressure Oil Pump" systems. "Custom Tuning" options for the 7.3L could be counted on one hand, with fingers left over. T4i turbo kits (primarily Hypermax kits with turbos from various sources), and later T4 kits were also just becomming popular. It was really a pretty exciting time.

If I remember correctly, BTS developed the first "Dual High Pressure Oil Pump" (DHPOP) system, which was 2 OEM HPOPs "stacked" using a billet reservoir spacer. Sometime after that, "inline" DHPOPs were developed by Terminator Engineering and Stealth. The "inline" pumps used a modified front pump (installed in the stock location) with a billet spacer and second HPOP connected where the original rear cover was. Inline pumps were lower profile, but extended further back in the engine valley.

That's a lot of history to get to the first and biggest reason for the original development of the "Fuel Bowl Delete" version of our Regulated Return Kit...SPACE! With the popularity of the different DHPOP systems, the development of different turbo setups (including compounds) and more and more people wanting to tear into their trucks and do these kinds of upgrades, cleaning up the engine valley was a "no brainer". 20+ years later, the list of reasons has grown, but generally speaking, every truck owner doing a Fuel Bowl Delete will fall into one or more of the following:

CURRENT LIST OF REASONS TO RUN A FUEL BOWL DELETE:

1. The OG reason...clean up the engine valley and make space.

2. The OEM filter bowl has over a dozen ways in which is can leak (excluding the bowl being cracked)...some owners have experienced repeated leaks from the more common problem points and are tired of it, others just don't want to have to deal with it.

3. The Fuel Bowl Delete setup flows more fuel and will support higher horsepower modifications than the OEM filter bowl will.

4. The OEM filter bowl is no longer necessary, because the customer has installed a high performance fuel delivery system that includes all of the correct filtration (one of our High Volume Fuel Delivery Kits, FASS, AirDog, etc). Why keep the filter bowl and risk the leaks if it is no longer needed.

5. Converting to spin-on filters makes servicing the fuel filters easier and less expensive.

6. The OEM filter bowl is expensive to replace if it cracks.

7. The OEM filter bowl is just plain ugly!

Unless you are in the position of having repeated, problematic leaks, or a cracked OEM fuel filter bowl, converting to a Fuel Bowl Delete is generally a "preference" decision. Because the function of the OEM filter bowl is important, and can't be deleted, the conversion REQUIRES that appropriate 2 micron fuel filtration (AFTER the fuel pump) be installed. As such, you can't just delete the bowl and keep on truckin'. This makes doing a "Fuel Bowl Delete Regulated Return" a more expensive project than just installing a "Standard Regulated Return" that retains the OEM filter bowl. For owners with trucks that are at or close to STOCK power levels, that don't need a higher volume fuel pump setup, this can make deleting the bowl an expensive prospect. For owners doing high performance builds, with injectors that require a higher volume fuel pump, there is likely already a budget for the larger pump (which generally includes filters), so doing the "Fuel Bowl Delete" can actually cost a bit less.

Hopefully the above discussion makes the reasoning behind installing a Fuel Bowl Delete more clear. Of course, if you have any questions, we are a call or e-mail away.