Does some one make a little adapter that you can screw into the plug hole on the filter canister that lets you use a fuel injection pressure tester? I want to check my fuel pump pressure but don't see a way to attach my tester? This is on a 2001 7.3.
Thank in advance for the information.

 

what kind of tester is it? does it screw to the fuel rails on most cars with the bicycle style valve ? cant spell (schrador).it wont work on these motors. it is a special thread on the filter housing though i had to order it before i could put my gauge on .which was i think 1/8 npt / someone will chime in with size and pitch ive seen it here before, you can get an adapter from several of the vendors here. riffraff diesel // strictly diesel // are two of them and welcome to fte.

 

You remove the allen head plug on the back of the fuel filter housing. It is a o-ring fitting. I believe it is a #4. Then you can hook it to a gauge

 

Does your fuel pressure gauge have bare male threads with an o-ring? If so, it might simply screw into one of the test ports on the back of the fuel bowl.
If you have the Schrader valve type then you need these parts.
Replacement O-rings for Ford Diesel Engines

Here is a photo that shows where the test ports are.
Welcome to FTE!

 

AS I understand it the fuel pump pumps to the filter housing under low pressure then back to the pump where it pumps under high pressure to the fuel rails in the heads, correct? If that is correct where does one check the high pressure side? I pulled the filter and the pump is filling the housing but I have lost all power and am running on, I suspect maybe 4 0r 5 cylinders. This happened almost instantly after I had filled the tank and drove 5 miles, I stopped to dump camper, got out of the truck, left the engine running and when I started down the road again I was missing several cylinders... I have had filters plug before but that usually has always caused a slow decline in power, nothing like this. Before I pull the tank, which is full of fuel, of course, I want to make sure the pump is functional. Do you have to pull the lines off the pump to check pressure? What is the best method? I have a fuel injection pressure gauge that oges to 100lbs that hooks to a Schraeder valve.

 

passenger side of the fuel bowl, port down below, is where i've read MOST members install the fitting for the fuel press. gauge.

 

No. The fuel pump is able to provide up to 100 psi to the fuel bowl where the fuel is filtered and separated from water. The pre-filter side of the fuel bowl has a Fuel Pressure Regulator which bleeds off excess pressure down to about 55-60 psi. The post filter side has two lines that feed the head rails (one line per head). There are two test ports on the back of the fuel bowl, one for pre-filter and the other is post filter. They both should be about the same pressure if the filter is clean.

Assuming a stock system....once the fuel is in the head rails, there is no way for it to return to the fuel bowl, tank etc and must exit through the injectors. The fuel in the pre-filter side of the bowl can return to the tank via the FPR valve where it mixes with the new fuel being picked up at the tank. There is a mixing chamber in the fuel pickup assembly inside the tank. There also are screens in the mixing chamber that have been known to get clogged.

There must be a filter in the housing for fuel to flow to the heads. If you pulled the filter, replace the cap then the housing will fill but the check valve will not be depressed and no fuel will flow to the heads unless of course you removed the parts from the check valve assembly...

Sounds a bit like you filled with gasoline by accident. It is not unheard of for a station to make a mistake and fill their diesel tanks with gasoline....
I also know of some stations that have green handles on regular gasoline pumps, that also catches some people off guard. Is there any chance that you have gas in the tank?

No, you can check pressure at the fuel bowl. You will need that Schraeder adapter that I posted earlier. Fuel pressure alone won't tell you everything you need to know though. You also need to check fuel flow (volume). I have see fuel pressure readings of 60 psi with completely clogged in-tank screens so the engine idled ok but had zero power once throttle was applied. In another thread, we discussed fuel volume measurements and I think we should see about 16oz of flow in 30 seconds or there-a-bouts.

If you suspect clogged screens in the tank, you can get a fuel can with diesel fuel and a hose and plumb it directly to the intake side of your fuel pump. If your engine runs fine, then you know you have a problem in the tank.

Good luck!

 

FYI...
This specific symptom is usually associated with an Under Valve Cover Harness that has come unplugged. Can happen at anytime, anywhere without any warning. If you have an ohm meter, you can check the pins at the connectors outside of the valve covers.

Have you checked this out already?

 

If we were talking about a 95-97 truck, then yes, that would be correct.

I use one of these Kent-Moore tools. It installs under the cab after the fuel filter and has a small schrader valve in which to connect your pressure gauge. It's 5/16" line.

 

Thank guys.
The fuel coming into the housing is diesel so it ain't a gas/wrong pump thing. Wiggled the Under Valve Cover Harness but hadn't checked with an ohm meter. May have to do that yet. What is the IPR in the picture? The retaining nut had fallen off of that and it was just riding on the shaft but had not fallen completely off. The adapter is ordered so when that comes in we should be able to go down this path a little farther. Thanks for clearing up a lot of information for me. Will let you know how it all turns out. Thanks again. Tomorrow is not a work day so it will be me and my Powerstroke, hope we can come to an understanding!

 

I have attached a file that explains how the oil system works so that should be helpful to you.

The IPR is the Injection Control Pressure Regulator. It's a variable position valve that regulates the oil pressure to the injectors. Normal idle will be about 500 psi and up to 3000 ish psi at WOT.

Wiggling the wires at the valve cover won't usually help because the issue is under the cover itself. A lot of us like to test the connector outside the valve cover with an ohm meter for confirmation before we go ahead and remove the cover. However, removing the valve covers really isn't that difficult after you've done it once. The 50cent mod is at the very top of the list of preventive mods that everyone should do. Here is a link.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...ml#post6900483