doing some random searches recently i found this statement posted:

"the late 99 and up powerstrokes have a dead-head fuel rail"

of course this could just be some yayhoo posting bad info, but i do not know. can anyone tell me- do the early 99's have a return line coming from the fuel rail? i have recently completed a wvo conversion that was designed on the assumption that the rail was dead-headed; if not i am sending wvo back to my diesel tank. no bueno. truck is parked until i get this figured out. i have tried to look in there but cannot tell.

thanks in advance.

 

Dead, dead, dead. The flaws in the Superduty/Powerstroke fuel system:

1. Fuel starts in a fuel line with Quick-Disconnects to make dropping the tank easier. When the fuel gets low in the tank (about 1/4 tank), gravity stops pushing the fuel in the line and the pump starts to create a vacuum in the fuel line. QDs have o-ring seals, and these suck at sealing... well.... suction.
2. Any air in the line from a bad o-ring seal enters the fuel bowl and the pressure regulator bleeds much of the air back to the tank - where a mixing chamber lies in wait. It then makes sure the air feels welcome with the fuel by mixing it with fresh fuel from the pickup - like a nosey aunt trying to pair you up with her friend's daughter. The air mixture gets a proper mixing with this aerate, return, aerate - until the fuel bowl makes a nice bubble bath and the injectors get a foam diet.
3. There is no fuel pass-through on the head - except through the injectors. There is a threaded port on the end of each head for installing a test gauge, but the factory kept these pre-occupied with plugs.
4. Back to the tank... there is a funnel-shaped pickup in there that sometimes falls off. Off! Leaving a tube at mid-tank tring to suck fuel up by... I dunno... Magic?

Cures? I have links in my signature for the Hutch mod and the FRx.

 

Mine is dead headed. The SQUARE plugs on the early 99 for a FRx is at the rear of the drivers side head in a small inset that the intake plenum has curved into it. Same thing on the passenger side rail except the SQUARE plug is on the front.
Dwayne

 

If you plan on installing the FRx from Riffraff then you will have to grind on the up-pipe to collector connection on the drivers side for the new fitting. The late 99-03 has that connection 3/4 inch higher and you do not need to grind on the metal. I am going to wait to upgrade to the late99-03 setup with bellowed up pipes and a GTP38R after the fall this year.
Dwayne

 

thanks guys. stellar and useful information as usual.