Diesel fuel temperature relief valve

A thermostatic valve for a diesel fuel system comprising:

• a molded plastic valve housing having a bore with an end wall;
• a valve element movable within the bore of the housing between a position directing heated diesel fuel returning from an engine to the inlet of a fuel pump and a position dumping the fuel into a reservoir where the fuel mixes with lower temperature fuel;
• a temperature responsive thermostatic element for moving the valve element in response to the temperature of the diesel fuel;
• and a temperature relief valve provided in the end wall of the housing to dump the returning fuel into the reservoir.

A thermostatic valve for a diesel fuel system comprising:

• a molded plastic valve housing having a bore with an end wall;
• a valve element movable within the bore of the housing between a position directing heated diesel fuel returning from an engine to the inlet of a fuel pump and a position dumping the fuel into a reservoir where the fuel mixes with lower temperature fuel;
• a temperature responsive thermostatic element for moving the valve element in response to the temperature of the diesel fuel;
• and a normally closed bi-metal temperature relief valve provided in the end wall of the housing and being exposed to the returning fuel when the valve element in is the position in which the heated diesel fuel returning from the engine is routed to the pump inlet so that if the fuel is overheated the normally closed bi-metal temperature relief valve will open to dump the fuel into the reservoir before reaching the pump inlet.