OK, It's the FSD - now, which relocation kit

[m-keith]

As most suspected, it's my FSD that's causing my no-start problem. The problem has evolved to occasional stalling, & the lift pump checks out OK. As one person suggested, a bag of ice on the FSD got the truck restarted after about a minute when it stalled on me yesterday.

Now it's time to fork over the $$$ for a new one plus heat sync, etc to relocated it. Is Kennedy's kit still the best bet out there? I've seen a similar setup selling on ebay for about $100 less, but I don't know anything about the kit or who makes it.

[jspringator]

I got my kit fron Kennedy and am happy with it. I think the relocation heat sink is made by BETA. It may be exactly the same set up for $100 less. By the way, some recommend putting dialectic grease between the FSD and the heat sink. I also need to check the torque of the FSD on the heat sink to make sure it is still tight.

[ucdavis]

New FSD should come w/a new heat transfer pad. If it doesn't you can use heat-transfer paste sold @ Radio Shack (I did).
Kennedy has the best extension harness, plug & play (I made my own in only 12 hours using a wrecked FSD for the missing plug) or if you are beyond the 120K warranty, you can lengthen the 6-wire section of the FSD harness to desired length (should take less than 12 hours ;)
I used a 9x12x.25 aluminum plate for heatsink in front & left of radiator; works great.

[dslpwr]

I got mine from Bill Heath.
It come with 6 feet on harness. I mount mine under truck on top of transmission cross over frame. you can mount it anywhere.
Its a nice set up.

[goodmonkey]

Glad to see one of my tricks helped someone else out. :D
I also bought my kit from Kennedy. I'm planning on taking the FSD off and putting some dialectic grease along with the heat transfer pad. I work in electronics and I can say adding a heat transfering compound in addition to transfer pads can help double or triple the life of transistors. I'm also contemplating relocating the cooler from where it is mounted on the intake. It still gets too hot there for my liking, and I worry about the vibration. Best of luck to you. smile.gif

[m-keith]

It sure did help; thanks for the tip.

By the way, who's Bill Heath? I saw that name a couple of times searching the archives, but I couldn't find any association between the name & a vendor or web site. I'd be interested in that 6' extension harness.

As it turns out, Kennedy is out of heat syncs for about a week, & he said that Stanadyne has FSD's on national backorder. He's out of those as well & doesn't know when he'll have more. So, being that I need this thing yesterday, I bought this kit off ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2438752227&category=33553&rd=1

I'll report back as to how it works out.

The only thing I don't like about the kit is that I'll have to mount it to the intake because there's no extention harness. What I do like about it is that it'll be on my doorstep by Wednesday. I'm getting sick of carrying a bag of ice with me everywhere I go. :D

If I can get a hold of an extension harness soon, I'd like to relocate this thing somewhere in the passenger compartment. I was thinking of rigging something like a CPU fan to it.

[G B Sisson]

Does Kennedy's ext harness work like an extension cord? (male one end,female the other)? I mounted my FSD cooler today on the manifold,but like you and others, I would like to move it to someplace cooler and with less vibration asap.

[dslpwr]

Bill Heath is a advertiser on diesel page.
www.heathdiesel.com (http://www.heathdiesel.com)
phone 1-877-894-6266
He fast shipping, about 3 days

[vernj4]

Why not mount the new unit inside the air box, upstream of the filter? The 6' cable would be more than long enough....and surely the cold air flow would the best that could be expect.

[got boost?]

I recently completed a prototype relocation and cooling unit made from a 6" x 6" x 2" piece of aluminum heatsink. Mounted it on the firewall between the hydraboost and the fender projecting out perpendicular to the mounting surface. The flat face of the heat sink faces upwards with the PMD mounted on top. On top of the PMD I installed a small thermal switch, normally open, which closed at 140 degrees and reopened at 120 degrees. The switch activates a small axial fan mounted on the bottom of the heat sink and directs 108 CFM of air upwards to cool the heatsink and draw heat away from the PMD as well. The fan is always energized even with the key off so the unit can continue to cool even after stopping the engine and thereby keeping the PMD from becoming heat soaked as well. It turns itself off once the PMD reaches 120 degrees.

So far works great. Even in hot weather. Stay tuned.

[Lionel_213]

GB It is exactly like an extension cord, and works great. The hardest part of the job is fishing the old harness connector out of the intake.

[m-keith]

got boost?- I was thinking of doing something similar, but my plan differs from yours in 3 ways:

1- I'm planning to relocate mine somewhere under the dash. I figure it's a bit more of a pain, but it's the coolest place in the vehicle.

2- I was thinking that I'd need some sort of small pryometer that could be sandwiched between the FSD & the heat sync. I was thinking that if a thermal switch on top of the FSD was closing at 140, the actual temp inside the FSD would be much higher.

3- I was also planning to direct the fan away from the heat sync; essentially pulling air through the heat sync rather than pushing air toward it. My thinking on this point was that directing fan flow toward the heat sync might push some hot air back toward it to a certain degree.

When planning your upgrade, did you consider & subsequently reject any of the above? If so, why?

Thanks,

[spra01]

Instead of the bag of ice, a can of compressed air for cleaning electronics, should cool off the fsd nicely, and it doesn,t melt.

[MTTwister]

Reviving an old, dead thread.. but what the Hey!

Got-Boost posted:

"I recently completed a prototype relocation and cooling unit made from a 6" x 6" x 2" piece of aluminum heatsink. Mounted it on the firewall between the hydraboost and the fender projecting out perpendicular to the mounting surface. The flat face of the heat sink faces upwards with the PMD mounted on top. On top of the PMD I installed a small thermal switch, normally open, which closed at 140 degrees and reopened at 120 degrees. The switch activates a small axial fan mounted on the bottom of the heat sink and directs 108 CFM of air upwards to cool the heatsink and draw heat away from the PMD as well. The fan is always energized even with the key off so the unit can continue to cool even after stopping the engine and thereby keeping the PMD from becoming heat soaked as well. It turns itself off once the PMD reaches 120 degrees.
"

and from m-keith:

"got boost?- I was thinking of doing something similar, but my plan differs from yours in 3 ways:

1- I'm planning to relocate mine somewhere under the dash. I figure it's a bit more of a pain, but it's the coolest place in the vehicle.

2- I was thinking that I'd need some sort of small pryometer that could be sandwiched between the FSD & the heat sync. I was thinking that if a thermal switch on top of the FSD was closing at 140, the actual temp inside the FSD would be much higher.

3- I was also planning to direct the fan away from the heat sync; essentially pulling air through the heat sync rather than pushing air toward it. My thinking on this point was that directing fan flow toward the heat sync might push some hot air back toward it to a certain degree.

When planning your upgrade, did you consider & subsequently reject any of the above? If so, why?"
****

Ok Me now - I'm going down this same road - and would like any updates on how both of these 'systems' worked out.

I was also thinking of mounting in the CAB - and designing a fan that would blow air on the heat sink. Also thought of cutting out the heat sink where the transistors would be, so as to get direct air on them. However, venting any air blown on them seems another little problem. Depends on how far I mount the fan, I suppose.

Got-Boost: - Is there anything tricky on the Thermal Switch - acquisition, supplier?


However - mounting in the Air Box before the filter has some appeal - any good reason not to do that? May not be the coolest air all the time, should have plenty of airflow via the turbo action...

Thanks for the Search Feature smile.gif

[Gapper_ca]

Got mine from Bill Heath. looked at lots of them, even the ones on e-bay. he had the best deal around and was shipped out the day i ordered. i mounted it on the front skid plate. so far has worked great. have checked it several times and it is always cold.(something to do with -49 C????) it is up and out of the way, bumper will protect it from anything. and there is lots of air flow there to help cool it.
hardest part was pulling the cord from old fsd to hook up the extention to it.

[MTTwister]

Hey Gapper - Would you please keep that cold air mass up there where it 'belongs', quit trying to send it down here, or we'll be forced to close the borders. Build giant fans to blow it all back at ya, maybe diesel powered!

Got the Heath Cooler on the way, just thinking of 'improvements' on a proven design.

[Gapper_ca]

MTTwister well bing a canadian and since we are all so friendly up here i feel that i should share with you all this wonderful cold air that we have been getting. (only -35 C today.. damn near a heat).

[ucdavis]

MTT- The fan is overkill if you mount the heatsink out of the engine compartment where it gets hot just from being in the radiator wash & engine heat soak effect area (engine gaining temp on a hot shutdown, not too prevalent this time of year in your neck of the woods, but measurably troublesome in the heat of summer). Mounting the heatsink in the cab or in front of radiator out of the way of the radiator air flow should keep FSD temp @ 135 degrees or so max. Since it can be 100 degrees ambient, that's pretty good heat disipation compared to 175 or so in the heat soak (some have said maybe 210 or more). Anyway, one less system to fail (12v fan) is a good deal in my book by proper relocation of the FSD. I've checked mine w/no fan, 100 degrees ambient & 135 on the hottest part of the FSD (105 or so on the edge of the cooler plate). Any cooling over that is just for fun and isn't likely to get you any benefit IMO.