Fuel pressure gauge for Tech Folder?
 

So there's nothing in the tech folder that I can find on a fuel pressure gauge... Can someone who's done it do a good write up here that a mod could add to the tech folder, please? I'd like to get it done on both my trucks and could use some direction...

Here's a really quick one I typed up (pictures credited to Cartmanea, Rusty Axlerod, and MoyockPowerstroke, their links are listed in earlier posts) Sorry there are a lot of gaps, but if you use the other 5 links I put up they should cover everything.

First off, we have to install the adapter hose and sending unit. I put the sending unit into the hose first.

Here's where we're working, the secondary fuel filter housing (the black plastic cap with a square in it):
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ctureid=105269

Remove intake by removing the radiator to degas bottle hose from the degas bottle, disconnecting the MAF sensor and air filter minder, and loosening the hose clamp between the rear filter housing and the turbo intake tube. Rotate the entire intake (front and rear cover still attached to filter) upwards and forward out of the truck. (search for videos of this on youtube, it honestly takes longer to type out than to do after you've done it once)

Remove the cold side CAC hose. It'll be black plastic on later trucks, and metal with blue or black boots on earlier trucks. Loosen the hose clamp on the intake horn, loosen the clamp on the outlet of the intercooler, pop the tube off the horn and rotate it towards the battery and out of the way. It doesn't have to come all the way out, it just needs to be rotated out of the way.

You have two options now: remove the upper radiator hose, or leave it in place; I leave it in place, but pull it downward by putting a ratchet strap around the hose, dropping the ends down under the truck, and tying off to a tow hook. If you want it entirely out of the way, open the white drain petcock under the radiator (drivers side, 19mm plastic nut) and let it drain into a 5 gallon bucket, then remove the entire upper radiator hose. The thermostat housing doesn't need to be touched.

We're looking for the test port in the secondary filter housing. This picture shows the housing with the radiator hose removed:
(ignore the part about removing the nuts, that's for another install walkthrough. If you happen to need to remove the fuel line, you need an 11/16 and a 3/4 wrench, pressure regulator cover bolts are T27)
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ctureid=105270

Now that you know where the test port is, remove the plastic cap on the secondary fuel filter. I use a socket, using the square hole can sometimes crack the cap. Remove the filter and cap, and set them aside somewhere clean. Use a turkey baster, a length of tube, or some other suction device to suck all the diesel out of the housing:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ctureid=105271

Once the housing is mostly empty, pack some thing absorbent under the test port, and remove the plug with a hex:
(NOTE: some people skip the steps of removing the filter and draining the housing, I prefer to empty it but some guys say it won't leak if you don't drain it)
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ctureid=105272

Install the adapter hose into the test port:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ctureid=105273

Route the hose under where the air filter sits, then tie it off somewhere near the master cylinder:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ctureid=105274

You can reinstall all the engine components now, or you can just put the filter and cap back on and wait until you've cycled to key to check for any leaks between the housing and hose, or hose and sending unit. You'll get a code/CEL if you cycle the key without the MAF plugged in, but it should clear itself when the sensor is reinstalled.

Now for the wiring. You need to find a pass through somewhere in the engine bay. Earlier trucks have a plastic plug almost right below the master cylinder you can drill through, but my truck had a shiny piece of insulation over that hole, so I went inside the truck and dug around behind the pedals until I found a rubber grommet behind the insulation on the firewall. Put some conduit/sleeving on the three sensor wires, plug the connector into the sending unit, and fish the wire from the engine bay back into the cab. Let it chill behind the pedals until you're sure of how you want to route it behind the dash.

Since you're doing an A-Pillar pod, remove the grab handle and A-Pillar by removing the two bolts on the handle, then unsnapping the entire trim piece. You'll fish the wiring up through the gap you just uncovered:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ctureid=105277

Find a keyed power source. I used a fuse tap in the fuse block under the steering wheel, but there are several other hot-while-keyed-on wires around under the steering wheel (there's a blunt cut wire in the bundle for the OBDII connector, it might be a blue/white or white/blue, you can use a multimeter to check for it). Use a ring terminal and add a ground wire to one of the many grounds around the fuse block. Add sleeving, and run those two wires up with the others.

For dimming on the gauge: This one is a littler harder if you don't want to pull the dash cover to hunt wires. If you can reach up under the dash cover, pop out the section that holds the 4x4 switch, power sliding window switch, or backup sensor switch (whatever combo you have). There should be a dead-end connector beind that panel you can pull the dimming wire out of. Or, you can pop out the headlight switch and tap into the wire in that connector. Worst case is you have to take off the dash cover to get your chosen switch out. You're looking for a blue w/ red trace wire, if you check it with a multimeter it should rise and fall as you spin the dimming wheel in the headlight switch. Run this up with the other 5 wires; if it's close to your power supply wiring bundle it in with those two wires. If all three of the power wires are close enough to the thee sensor wires, bundle all six together.

Install the A-Pillar pod, and leave all six wires with at least a couple inches extra on them sticking out of the gauge hole. Reinstall the pillar cover and handle since you're only doing a single pod installation.

Follow the wiring guide in the gauge instructions to put the 6 wires in the correct order into the orange connector (w/ Isspro gauges). Trim them up and make them look pretty . If you have two separate bundles of wires coming into the pod, use some shrink wrap conduit to tie them all together right before they go into the orange connector.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ctureid=105276

Put the connector into the gauge, and check for function. With the key on-engine not running, your pressure should read between 45-65psi. If it works, pop in the gauge and be done.

Notes:
My wiring is always a mess, because I tend to not think ahead about organizing conduits. Try to get the wires from the engine bay and the power wires all at the same place, shrink wrap and tie them together, and run a single sleeved wire up to the gauge at it'll be a lot cleaner. Solder connections then shrink wrap them, don't use cheap crimp splices, use shrink wrap sleeving to keep wire bundles from slipping, and always leave enough wire exposed at the ends to see every color/trace. Basically, read the whole process and go through it while looking at the inside of your cab, decide where you want to run your wires, and plan how to bundle them so you don't end up with a rat's nest.


Specs:
Sending units are usually 1/8" NPT, the test port is M12x1.5. You'll need either an adapter hose, or brass fittings to go from M12x1.5 to 1/8"NPT. It seems like a lot of people use a 45* to angle the sending unit away from the filter housing and towards the radiator, but the relocation hose is by far my preferred method since it gives you a lot more flexibility on where to mount the sending unit.


Original thread where I first posted this write-up:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ure-gauge.html

Other Fuel Pressure related links/threads:
Sending unit relocation hose and an A-pillar mount:
http://www.strictlydiesel.com/p-2671-driven-diesel-60l-fuel-pressure-adapter.aspx
1 Gauge Pod (15212)

EV2 100psi Fuel Pressure gauge:
ISSPRO R17044 EV2 Series Fuel Pressure Gauge at DieselManor

Install threads:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...ts-o-pics.html - lots of general gauge install info
Gauge Installations at DieselManor- 2003-2007 6.0L Powerstroke pictorial directions of an install
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ml#post9637232- where to find the factory dimmer wires
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ue-spring.html - pictures of the secondary filter housing and test port
http://mikewashere.ford-trucks.com/f...installed.html- lots of pictures

I can add this to the tech folder if you want me too....:D We have room for more DIY projects.

Very nice! And I think adding it to the tech folder would be helpful for others looking for good info... I haven't looked at the links yet, but I think it would be valuable to put part numbers or at least part descriptions for the connections to the fuel bowl into this thread if it does go to the tech folder... For example, what thread/size do I need to get into the bowl? What sort of connector is needed to get from there to the sending unit? Recommendations on gauges available from a local parts store or Amazon, etc...

OK, added to the folder. Post up your ideas and add pictures or advice from your installation fellows.

The other pics are great of the install of the sensor.

I would HIGHLY recommend using this adaptor to connect your sensor
to the fuel pressure test port..

Driven Diesel 6.0L Fuel Pressure Adapter

I also found a single guage with 2 digital sensor readouts which I used.
I ran the cable through the grommet behind the brake pedal, by popping the
grommet/bushing out, putting a small slit in it and pushing the cable
through the slit. once I pushed the grommet/bushing back in the hole is
sealed.

Here are the pics of my install. Spatechnique is the gauge brand,
it's expensive, but I didn't want to loose the grab handle..
There is a push button to configure the guage which I should tuck back
inside the dash, the side vent just pops out and gives easy access..

If you used that setup and put a 1/4 turn valve with a .047" restrictor orifice in the branch of the tee that has the schraeder valve, and ran a 1/4" ID hose back to the fuel tank, you would have an accurate version of the Ford factory tool Diesel Fuel Flow Tester 310-193. The pressure you need to know is full power pressure, and by opening the valve while the engine is idling you shunt off a metered amount of fuel back to the fuel tank - the .047" orifice is calculated to divert the same amount of fuel that a 6.0 PSD uses at full power, but while the engine is sitting at an idle.

.047" is less than 1/16". That little orifice flows the fuel required to run the stock engine at full power. This is why putting 6.4 banjo's on "to remove a restriction" is misguided, the stock banjos flow far more fuel than one bank of the engine could ever use.

Brian

This is how I installed my fuel pressure gauge sensor.
2005 Ford F250 4x2 - Fuel pressure gauge

There's an adapter in the filter body and two 90 degree street elbows to turn the sensor down.

Some people don't like having the sensor unsupported but I haven't had any problems yet.

Be VERY careful tightening the adapter into the filter body, it can crack! (I found a replacement on eBay.)

I installed the Isspro gauge and sender using the M12 to 1/8" adapter straight into the regulator, no L's, no hoses and there is plenty of clearance to the rad hose.

http://m2.i.pbase.com/o2/54/66254/1/...C.IMG_0250.jpg

http://ic2.pbase.com/o2/54/66254/1/1...N.IMG_0251.jpg

Sorry for the :-hijacked
Misky6.0,
Where did you find that single gauge pod?

Sean :-drink

Do you have a pic of your install jsm180?

It's the autometer single-gauge pod for the F250.
I also bought the matching paint to paint it.
I'll check the receipt when I get home for P/N and supplier.
I had to do a bit of trimming with a dremel tool to get it to fit my pillar.
It is a VERY tight fit.

Sure, I added them to my original post above.

Thanks for putting the pics up. Do you have a link to the vendor for the adapter and gauge?:-drink

isspro.com for gauges, pick the the style you want then search the part number for a vender. I used http://www.thoroughbreddiesel.com/is...-black-red.htm but they only had the fuel pressure in stock, oil pressure was drop shipped from the factory in OR. The adapter came from glowshift.com.

Don't buy the Autometer adapter, the hex is too big for the regulator. The glowshift and isspro are much smaller.