FSD re-location harness problems?

[signgrafix]

I noticed on the FSD re-location kits you have a couple options,
1. re-locate to the top of the engine
2. re-locate to fender well or surronding area
3. re-locate to area below front bumper.

To move it to the area below the front bumper, I am assuming you would need the harness that is 72 inches in length. I know in some cases, electronical/electric componets are effected by the length of the wiring.

Now, the question.
Has anybody experinced or heard of any problems with the 72 inch harness?

I would like to move mine to the area below the bumper but not if I am going to have problems. On the Kennedy site it states that "Default length is 40"
So is that saying you are taking a risk by going longer?
Also, the Heath relocator states that it mounts in front of the skid plate. Question, how will this interfere later (when I can afford it) an intercooler?

[Turbine Doc]

My Heath is mounted on bumper, plate fwd driver facing bumper with spacer washers for clearance, with both a Kennedy early extension about 20" IIRC, and Heath 72", routed that way because of the IC install. 2 years now no problems to report. Have a Kennedy/DSG remote on the fender as a backup just in case Heath fails, went Heath after multiple in engine bay fails at other locations you mention. IMO out of engine bay regardless who's kit you use is best. Another possibility is in air a custom air filter box, as long as engine is running you will have cool air across the sink/driver.

[sturgeon-phish]

I also have the Heath under the bumper. After a long hard pull the FSD is still cool eonugh to comfortably lay your hand on. Cool is a good thing!
Jim

[DaveNY]

My Heath is on for about a year (11,000 mi) no problems so far. Mounted on the skid plate.

[Kennedy]

40" is plenty to get to the remote locations shown on my site. Some feel better locating further out front. The original FSD cooler is still the best solution IMHO so long as it is remotely mounted off engine.

[AC Bingel]

I just ordered the PMD isolator from Heath. I have heard of other PMD's failing that are mounted in the engine compartment. Plus Heath gives a 7 year free replacement warranty. Now that is hard to beat.

[atom_c]

I dove in and spliced in a long harness of my own making. I mounted the FSD in the bumper behind the license plate on a ssdiesel heat sink. I have to remove the license plate to access a mounting bolt. It never seems more than slightly warm to touch. It has been working great for about 5k miles. It was a pain to make but saved $$.

Adam

[signgrafix]

Here is a thought, has anybody ever re-located the FSD to the inside of the cab like under the dash? In the summer if would have the benifit of AC! Just a thought. What do ya think?

[BobND]

I seem to recall reading about someone who moved the FSD inside, on a big heatsink, and them mounted 12-Volt brushless 'puter fan on the heatsink.

[DA BIG ONE]

I run three pump drivers (2 are spares)

1) under bumper (heaths),

2) mounted on back of bumper bracket just in front of drivers side fender well the unit is exposed to anything and everything that gets kicked up by tire so I sealed it silicone sealant,

3) pump mounted

Used first 2 submerged in water, in cold winter, sandy desert, & subtropics for extended periods w/o any problems whatsoever. Third unit is just incase!

[Kennedy]

IMHO if we were intercooled, we could simply mount to a machined surface on the intake plenum. I've had excellent results from engine compartment (off engine) mounted FSD Cooler kits. My 96 has 170k+ and to the best of my knowledge is still running the same FSD cooler mounted PMD in the location pictured on my site. The truck is now in TX heat which has been 100f already this year or so I am told.

[Turbine Doc]

I run three pump drivers (2 are spares)

1) under bumper (heaths),

2) mounted on back of bumper bracket just in front of drivers side fender well the unit is exposed to anything and everything that gets kicked up by tire so I sealed it silicone sealant,

3) pump mounted

Used first 2 submerged in water, in cold winter, sandy desert, & subtropics for extended periods w/o any problems whatsoever. Third unit is just incase!


me also one on the IP, DSG/Kennedy on drivers side fender (3xs fail with a new driver in place of the 3x failed one there; but lasted longer there than on IP) see http://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/showthread.php?t=5587&highlight=points+ponder for that story; a Heath on bumper, plus another "used but good" I have at home in my "stash of stuff". Thinking about a Bobbie Martin conversion possibly if I can find a cheap DB2

[Bnave95]

40" is plenty to get to the remote locations shown on my site. Some feel better locating further out front. The original FSD cooler is still the best solution IMHO so long as it is remotely mounted off engine.
Bata cooler on intake with 37,600 was running fine when it got replaced with the SOL-D. Thats probley close to the life on the intake?:rolleyes: I still like the,beside the battery location and the Bata cooler,though it's hard to turn down a 7 year warrenty;)
I'll just have to see where the SOL-D takes me:p

[signgrafix]

Well, I tell ya. I think I have decided to re-locate my FSD to inside the pick up on the passenger side below the glove box. I am still going to mount it on a cooler. I think I will even mount a small CPU type fan on it.
I am not to crazy about the bumber location. I know in the summer that road gets pretty hot and I seem to get stuck in construction traffic alot when traveling.

[Turbine Doc]

Well, I tell ya. I think I have decided to re-locate my FSD to inside the pick up on the passenger side below the glove box. I am still going to mount it on a cooler. I think I will even mount a small CPU type fan on it.
I am not to crazy about the bumber location. I know in the summer that road gets pretty hot and I seem to get stuck in construction traffic alot when traveling.

Properly sized heat sink is the key IMO size sufficiently so it will still draw heat even without any flow across heat sink fins, mine has been bumper mounted all traffic/hot or cold even hurricane squalls/floods (Katrina) haven't made it Krap out.

In cab with fan will be okay, several run that way, may want to include a post shutdown timer on the fan as heat will continue to dissipate from the driver once fan is off. IMO this is where the under hood fails it's so hot post shutdown the heat sink can't dump heat from the driver, hot to hot doesn't offer sufficient temp delta to exchange heat.

Start with new driver, thermal stress on ANY electronic component is cumulative and at mercy of how well it was built day one , which is why some drivers never fail, here we only see the ones that do fail, not much posting on ones that havent failed. Will my Heath driver fail, maybe/probably (it's electronic) their data suggests a long way off, my data has it installed over 2 years no fails longer than any method tried thus far, (darn why did I post that I'm doomed for sure now). But if it does fail I've got a back up, plus for next 5 years remaining Heath will cover it with a replacement, so I don't worry about it anymore (much)

[signgrafix]

In cab with fan will be okay, several run that way, may want to include a post shutdown timer on the fan as heat will continue to dissipate from the driver once fan is off.
Sound like a good idea. I will add that to my list. Thanks.

[moondoggie]

Good Day!

If I may, I'd like to offer another option. I bought JK's extension cable & mounted my FSD cooler on the driver-side, between the battery & the sheet metal that goes across the truck; I copied this idea from RJ. It's attached to the back of this sheet metal, right in front of the battery & behind the driver-side headlight. The heat sink fins are oriented vertically. There are already holes in this sheet metal allowing air to enter as the truck moves; it seems to me it'd generate adequate convection flow without the truck moving too. (Some day I'm gonna make more & bigger holes in this sheet metal...)

From reading about this situation over the years, it seems as likely to me that the radical under-hood temperature extremes might be causing at least some of the FSD failures. Some DP folks have measured some pretty astonishing under-hood temps after shutting down. This would certainly cause expansion & contraction of the physical parts of the FSD. This is supported by several folks saying they removed the potting compound on their failed FSD & finding the two large pins on the drive transistors having broken solder connections to the PCB inside the FSD - these were fixed by simply re-soldering the connections. IMHO the battery will block at least some of these temp extremes.

I did this after having the original, then a replacement, FSD fail when they were mounted on the popular location on top of, & to the driver-side of, the intake plenum. The second replacement FSD hasn't been on my truck long enough to say this location has solved this problem; I'll let everyone know after more time has passed. In my limited experience with electronics, the behind-the-headlight location, or down on the brush guard, are best.

Blessings!