burpod - yes, definitely go with the 6" element as it reduces restriction over the 4.6". my setup is working perfectly. i have installed the electric fuel heater but i have
not wired it yet. the diverter valve, and probably even the fuel heater are not necessary, provided your fuel is well treated/winterized. i use 8oz of Stanadyne Performance Formula additive every tank, B33 BioD fuel, and it works perfectly.
if fuel flow was being impeded at all, i would know because i have a drag pointer restriction guage installed. i've had morning temps in the teens already and fuel flow / restriction is literally unchanged. the electric fuel heater is inexpensive added insurance, and i highly recommend it, but literally if you use SPF additive and a reasonable BioD blend or D2 you should
never have fuel flow issues.
so is removing the OE thermal diverter valve and simply plugging in the FM-100 going to cause problems by not stabilizing the fuel temps? ie, sending fuel that has become too hot back to the tank. or does this happen naturally?
without the diverter, fuel goes from the engine back to the fuel cooler and then to the tank. with the diverter in place this is exactly how fuel flows - probably 97% of the time.
i am thinking of getting this setup with the hand primer pump, the side load heater, and either the clear bowl or water sensor kit, if it isn't too pricey.
do not get the hand primer pump option - as this will very significantly increase restriction. the hand primer pump option changes the fuel flow path, routing the fuel through the pump's valves which adds significant restriction. one TDI club member tried it and the result was periodic fuel starvation.
the reason i set my system up as i did is because i didn't think Herm's configuration (where he kept the OEM fuel filter but removed it's innards) was necessary. my first hand experience and continuous fuel restriction monitoring seem to confirm that the "simple" setup i'm using is functioning very well:
i also now have the clear bowl H20 seperator waiting to be installed (thanks to whitedog) and i'm going to be trying some of this
transparent polyurethane BioD fuel hose:
and a
Mahle In-Line Mercedes Benz Pre-Filter. they're made in germany, allow you to view your fuel before it reaches the primary filter, should remove all big contaminants thereby extending the primary filter's life, and best of all - they only cost ~$2.50. i will have all this installed and a report and pics posted by next Friday. i want to stress that
i do not yet know if this in-line filter can be used as a prefilter for TDI's without significantly increasing fuel restriction. i do not recommend buying it until i've restriction tested it and posted the results. if it does work well (very little or no increase in restriction) then Russell at dieselgiant.com will sell us 10 packs of these filters for $24.50.
cheers!