That fuel return cooler looks like a small trans cooler.

Whats the point of the cooler pump?

Pump is in the supply line to the filter and injection pump (ie, to the engine). Cooler is in the return line from the engine, to get rid of all the heat the recirculated fuel picked up going thru the engine and injection pump, to keep from heating up the entire fuel tank.

Fuel heated by the engine I would presume is a normal condition

It is normal.

Wow, you sure do need a lift pump just to handle all the extra plumbing. I'm not against the lift pump, I wish it was more simple and easy to remove for warrenty purpose.

And would not be a big problem in a pressurized system, but heat build up combined with fuel under a vacuum is probably a big contributor to air collecting in the filter head. I think everyone agrees this is a BAD thing. Cooling the fuel down may help prevent air collecting in the filter head...it also will protect his lift pump from excessive heat.

Keeping the tank from getting hot was not a concern I dont think.

Quick disconnects on the fuel lines are tool-free. If you feel around on the female part, up toward the top is a small tab on one side. Press it in, and it will release the clamps inside so that you can pull the male part (metal line) out.

Might take a few tries to press it in far enough and at the right angle, but the two parts should separate easily once you get it right. If you're straining and they won't separate, you don't have the tab pressed in right. Just takes a little patience.

Best selection for fittings I found locally was at NAPA. They call them fuel line repair kits.

You'll need one of the double-ended male metal pipe sections, 3/8". At NAPA, they come in a pack with both the 3/8" and 5/16" pipe sections. Youll need this to mate up to the female side of the quick disconnect on the vehicle. You'll also need some type of tubing bender to bend it to an appropriate angle to get it to run in the direction you want. As far as hooking up fuel hose to the other end of the pipe, you can either cut off the excess length and double-clamp 3/8" fuel hose over it (a very snug fit over that pipe), or get one of the 3/8" straight body female quick connects they sell separately and made to have hose clamped onto it, install this qucik connect on the opposite male end of the pipe and then clamp the fuel hose to it.

To connect to the male end on the vehicle, I got one of the kits that has a 3/8" female quick connect with 90 degree elbow and 18" of nylon fuel line attached. I cut the nylon fuel line off the quick connect and clamped on 3/8" fuel hose (the quick connect has a hose barb end), then simply plugged that onto the male pipe on the vehicle. You could just clamp 3/8" fuel hose over the end of the pipe, but the way my lines were routed and being on the pressure side of the pump, it made for a neater install and less chance of leaks IMO.

Once you've got everything plumbed, if you're using the same Kennedy lift pump, I'd recommend leaving power disconnected to the pump at first, repriming all the lines and venting the filter with the hand primer, and starting the vehicle and let it run for a few minutes to get everything full of fuel. Then shut off the engine and connect power to the pump.

If you're mounting yours in the same place, might want to check and see how the parking brake cable is routed on that side. On mine, it was rather close to the pump but not in a position to cause any problems, yours might be a different story.

I can understand having a cooler in a vacuum situation that is part of the CRD fuel system and using a lift pump setup. But wouldn't a inline electric fuel pump at about 5 psi do all that is needed? It would keep a constant pressure to the fuel filter and eliminate a vacuum situation and, with that eliminated, a fuel cooler less necessary.

This would be similar to my semi. Just a thought.

Our '02 automatic VW TDI, which has a higher pressure pump then the manual tranny model, had a return fuel cooler as standard equipment and was thermostatic controled. This helps to prevent the fuel from breaking down and releasing bubbles into the fuel and a mirried of other problems when the fuel overheats.

But you semi is using older technology then your CRD as far as fuel pressure goes I will assume (yes, I know what it spells) and these high pressures means the returning fuel has been heated by the high compression fuel IP and should be cooled before returning to the tank, except in cold weather. Our '02 automatic VW TDI, which has a higher pressure pump then the manual tranny model, had a return fuel cooler as standard equipment and was thermostatic controled. This helps to prevent the fuel from breaking down and releasing bubbles into the fuel and a mirried of other problems when the fuel overheats.

The highlighted text implies an active, electrically controlled cooling system as opposed to a mini-radiator. Tell us more about it please. Having a cooler that can be turned on and off is appealing for northerners.