Well currently I'm working with Ed at FICMrepair, and also Bullet Proof Diesel, especially since my FICM power board is just about fully shot, since KOEO is at 48, cranking is hard, and when I finally get it started FICM voltage in between 23 to 30, once warmed up it's at around 25 to 32, the only time I see around 45 to 48 is when the vehicle is above 160 degrees and coasting to a stop or stopped at a light, but when I start moving I'll see the bad voltage of 25 to 32.

Well for a rush since I have to go to work on Saturday and all, still working on getting a power board or with Bullet Proof there FICM. Right now I'm working on keeping the 48 voltage, looking at Bullet Proof and currently running stock injectors would upping the FICM voltage up to 53 volts work with stock injectors?

I defiantly can't wait to get the FICM running better and the truck running in full operation conditions.

 

My current opinion is that if the injectors are good, 48 volts as designed is what you want. 53 or 58 volts puts increased current into the injector shuttle valve coils, which arguably is bad for them and could lead to decreased injector life. On the other hand if the injectors are old and starting to fail due to stiction, then putting some additional current into the shuttle valve coils could delay the stiction becoming an issue for a little while. If you increase the voltage of a stock FICM, you will be overloading the output FET's which won't be good for their life either. I don't know what mod's Bullet Proof does to their high voltage FICM's beyond just changing the Vref resistor. There is no performance advantage to the higher voltage, it won't change anything but the amount of current being used to move the shuttle valves on the injectors.

Brian

 

I'm the other way. The increase voltage won't hurt anything in my opinion. They been doing this on 7.3L for ever. They started with 110 volt from the factory than went to 120 volt from the factory and never changed the coil. The IDM up grade from swamps is 140 volt and I have never heard any bad things from it. It increases pedal response and just makes the truck better. I believe the same with the FICM. You need to do the mods to the alternater that ED recommens. Its not much just extra wirer to the battery and ground. DC power also wants this done. I believe bullet proof diesel uses swamps or did. I'd use them or go straight to ED and do what he recommends.

 

Well just a update, my father who has worked on electronics all is life, including in the Navy during Vietnam, I got with him, I took the FICM apart so that we could check the solder points, the 16 spots needed to be touched up, a couple of the spots some how bled through out of the safe area, luckily we were able to clean it and fix all them.

The four resistors by what we noticed weren't fully soldered, it took us some time and a few words, while getting everything soldered. Once we were done we checked, and right now everything is working fine.

Well this morning, put everything back together, luckily this time the truck was cold, since when I took the FICM out I was doing everything after driving it, so that point everything was HOT, luckily cold is much better.

When I was putting the clips back on, the best way I figured to connect and make sure both sides clicked, was to connect the first connector to the front of the truck, once that was in, I made sure both sides were clipped. Once that first one was connected and snapped together, went to the next on, and yes it started to get tighter, especially when I got to the third connector, but all in and tight.

When i cranked up stayed at 47.5 to 48 volts, the lowest I saw was 46.5 for only a few seconds while driving, but interstate and standard driving was 47.0 to 48 volts.

 

Thats great news. Its always good when you can fix it yourself with a little help.