One thing you must consider about what Diesel O-Rings offers. They are the only vendor to offer these o-rings in a kit format for the community. Bob has done lot's of work to provide the parts and instructions at an affordable price.

The FPR rebuild kit is listed clearly as you state. The rebuild kit is something many people have done with no issues. Breaking the rebuild kit up and offering the FPR kit separately allows the cost to be affordable if you only need to freshen it up.

As far as the blue o-rings go, the drain valve is the most prominent part to leak. The rest of the parts don't usually leak (other than the fuel line sleeves) so using the Fluorosilicone in those components is not needed as much. If you feel the need, do all the research and order up the Fluorosilicone o-rings on your own.

What is still leaking? O-rings are usually pretty cut and dry. I don't doubt there could be a problem with the parts, but I am thinking you would have seen it when you installed them. I am thinking the area wasn't clean or you have a pinhole or something in the casting (this is not uncommon in the fuel bowl). If you can diagnose where the leak is at, I am sure a single o-ring can correct it.

 

Bob, sorry you are having such a difficult time with a simple repair such as resealing the fuel bowl.

There are 2 o-rings in the FPR and ONLY 2 on the 1999-2003 fuel bowl. One that seals the poppet aluminum sleeve into the fuel bowl and the other is the o-ring that seals the FPR housing to the fuel bowl. They are both in the 7-003 kit - O-ring #6 and O-ring #1 respectfully (Check the size-comparison chart that comes with the kit).

The only other part that even resembles an o-ring in the FPR is the actual regulator seat which is a custom formed part, not an O-ring. I have that information posted on both the web page and the instruction sheets.
"NOTE: This kit does not contain the REGULATOR POPPET SEAT. This is a separate kit only available as a FORD kit. The Regulator Rebuild kit can be purchased separately as Part # 7-028 ."

I can post the information but I can't make people read it, just like the downloadable instructions, I can not make people follow them.

The drain valve is the weak link in the fuel system. It is the only dynamic seal, the others are static. With my discussions with the DuPont engineers, they have told me that the regular Viton elastomer with outlive the life of our trucks in the static environment, with a better elastomer for the drain valve, it will last just that much longer. To sell a fuel bowl kit with all fluorosilicone o-rings for $40 would be a waste of money.

Normally if the drain valve does not seal at first, it is because the round portions of the drain valve stem has not been centered in the o-rings during assembly; there has not been enough torque applied to the screws; or you have a screw that is stripping out the bowl threads causing one corner of the drain valve to be loose, putting a twist on the drain valve.

It is rare that you will actually find something damaged in the valve body itself.

 

Well I have to say that is pretty dang good customer service. You contacted me before I got a chance to contact you, Wow! Please understand I was only stating preference in my first post before I explained myself in the second. I apologize if I made that sound like something you were doing wrong. Thank you also for saving us from spending $40 on an all blue kit as that is what most of us do, buy the best you can get. I had no Idea the fluorosilicone was really that costly. I assumed (wrongly apparently) that 1-2$ an oring would be as high as you could really get. I will go and re torque all the screws on the fuel bowl and see if I can stop the weeping that way. It seems like both the heater electrical connector and the drain valve are weeping (much less than before the rebuild). Rest assured I properly cleaned all mating surfaces with a soft scotch brite pad and left no residue from the factory seals and followed all instructions. I am cautious torquing an aluminum housing so we will see. Nothing is stripped as of yet. I inspected everything before I assembled it and found no glaring defects so your posting the list of common problems may help. I apologize for my frustration with the poppet seat. It seems so insignificant a part to include in the kit to make the kit complete and I did not know how specialized a component it apparently is.

You have a loyal following on this forum and I can see why. Good Job! I will let you know when I resolve my issue and post why I still had a leak in the interest of helping anyone with a similar experience. Thank you.

 

Woodnthings, I hope I do not have a pinhole in the casting. Sounds unlikely but this truck is new to me and was leaking for who knows how long when I got it so that's a possibility. I will post my results. Thank you all.

 

Custom tunes are not made in a cubicle, copied, wrapped in a pretty package, and mass-marketed. Canned tunes frequently just throw fuel at the truck, make smoke, get hot, and wow the driver until something breaks. Custom tunes are dialed by somebody who has sit in many trucks, dialed them live, and learned the nuances of these aging beasts. We're not just talking shift points and pressures - we're talking timing, exhaust control, and fueling strategies. Depending on how well the truck breaths and fuels, tuning can make the rig race-ready by bumping the HP by 140 HP and the EGTs by 400 degrees, quiet it down to order coffee, bring the EGTs down while pulling heavy up a hill, warm the truck up faster in the winter, become an anti-theft device, or use the engine as a brake down a steep hill. Tuning flat changes the truck dramatically on your whim. If you're all warm and fuzzy with stock performance, that's OK. If you want to see what really lurks under the hood, tuning isn't a barely perceptable change - stepping on the pedal the first time is a total OMFG moment.

 

Bob,
If you are using one of the aftermarket fuel filters that have the element as part of the cap, make sure that it is not the lid gasket that is leaking. I have come across this problem with many customers using that type of filter element where it is deceiving and will let a very small amount of fuel drain down the back of the housing, making it appear that the heater thermostat and drain valve is leaking.

Take some paper towels and wrap them around the lid tightly and see if any fuel begins to appear around the seam.

 

Thank you Tugly. I understand the parameters that are adjustable by tuning but what strikes a chord with me and sold me from the first mention is custom tuning. I do not see a lot of 550s in the private non commercial sector but can only assume there is a ton of commercial trucks with tunes for economy and power finding harmony between performance and longevity. This is where I want to be. Who has the best tunes for my big truck. Also some one mentioned 550s are different some how even though the power train is the same. In what way?

 

Thanks Bob, I do not use that type filter but any seal can fail and I will test as you suggest. I remember only getting fuel at the element connector at first but now its on the drain as well. You know as well as I do how the fuel migrates so I need to do a serious cleaning to isolate the leak if it re appears after re torquing. I will report back. Again thank you for the support.

I genuinley apologise if I came off more accusatory than I intended to. I think I have made myself clear in my later posts but even I do not like how I came off in the beginning.

Bob

 

If you are sure that it is coming from the heater thermostat, unplug the connector and dab a Kleenex on the end. The thermostats can leak fuel through the electrical connections when they fail. It is nearly impossible to have that unit leak around the o-rings with new o-rings installed. It seals very easily.

 

I will check that. It would be very much my luck that it is the unit being sealed vs the actual seals. By the way do you have a favorite tool for servicing this stuff in the truck? I had a "SkewDriver" tool that was handy in this department but destroyed it finally. Great tool though, I will be getting another

 

OK. I'm never really sure of the knowledge level of the OP, so I play it safe and put it all out there because, after all, there are others lurking, reading, and learning.

As for the differences in your truck, I am unsure. I know there is a different engine electrical diagram for the bigger trucks, I'll share that in a PM.

 

I have never once seen a commercial F450/550 with non OEM PCM calibrations. I can't imagine there is a fleet manager anywhere who would put their job on the line by running anything but OEM calibrations on vehicles that belong to their employer. I know our fleet manager would be looking for a job if we discovered that he installed tunes in any of our company vehicles. The factory calibration is a masterpiece of programming when it comes to engine reliability.

That being said....I do believe there is a fair amount of performance left on the table that can be tapped by aftermarket calibrations. When driven responsibly, that extra performance can be used without a noticeable impact on economy and reliability. However, you hit the nail on the head by saying it's all about finding your balance or harmony between the various things that are important to you. You can't add power without affecting something else...it's just not possible.

IMO, I think you going about this the correct way, by asking lots of questions and challenging everything.

Mechanically only the chassis is different. The 4x4 models are not available with ESOF. For automatic vehicles, the PCM programming is quite different with respect to downshifting. A F450/550 truck will downshift through the gears when coming up to a stop sign, even if your foot is on the brake pedal. A pickup will usually unlock the TC and let the engine drop to idle as soon as you put your foot on the brake. There are a few other programming differences as well...

 

Hey Bob,
I drive my 550 every day. It used to be an old govt mule, now it my mule. I live full time on the road and drag my 18K 5th wheel around the country. I believe you'll be hard pressed to get 20MPG out of it. I run a US Gear OD and I can't get that. PHP is who gets my vote for tuning. Bill really understands these trucks and has live and dyno tuned mine. He does tune differently for the manual trannys. It affect tuning and fueling and etc. The 550 does have a slightly different PCM code. If your tuner doesn't know that he will get you tunes that work but not as well. Rickson wheels offers 19.5 wheels in 6in, 6 3/4 in, and 7 1/2 inch widths They will also build special if you have the coin.
You won't need the wicked wheel. save your money for a 38R turbo. its a drop in and works really well. Lose the EBPV and use the PAc brake.
that's all I can think of right now.
welcome to the "big truck" club.

Barney

 

Thanks Shakenbake. I was not referring to fleet vehicles, more the independent car haulers or the like. You know, the one man show where the owner of the truck is the boss. You tend to drive more responsibly and would not over do anything that will cost more money in the long haul. Also remember my truck is a manual tranny.

As far as leaving power on the table goes... The rumor is ford de tuned these things to avoid excessive warranty claims on the auto trannys. Just shop talk but you know there is a hint of truth in every lie.

Lastly I would never have an electric shift on the fly transfer case. Had one fail and leave me in a scary position on a side hill. Never again! Also I love 2wd lo range for trailer maneuvering. At least Ford did the right thing with the automatic hubs and left the manual components there in case of failure.

 

Thank you Barney. I know I can not get 20 mpg real world driving but if you are in no hurry you can get 17+ without an overdrive. Speaking of O.D. I hear U S Gear is far superior to a Gear Vendor unit but they do not make them anymore. Congratulations on having one. Looks like you have a pickup bed on your rig. Is your 5er for business or pleasure?