Hi all. 1999 early F350 7.3 with 145000 miles. Bought truck not running. Put new starter and batteries in it and got it to fire up. Ran rough, brought to reputable shop and diagnosed as 2 bad injectors.(1,5). Shop said compression was good.

Brought back home to do work myself. Ordered remanned injectors, and installation went well. Got truck to fire back up, ran a little bit better.

Heres where it gets tricky. I let it idle for 1/2 hour or so while putting everything back together. Took it around the block to bleed air out of the system. 100 yards down the street I lose virtually all power, and it was all I could do to get it back home. Gas pedal was floored and only got up to about 4 miles an hour. Get back home and it dies. Crank it and nothing.

Here is everything I noticed/checked:

HPOP level is good, about 1/2 inch to the top
All connectors, UVC etc are good
Fuel pump is pumping, fuel bowl is filling
Removed and reinstalled injectors i replaced, all o rings etc looked good
engine oil is new and level is good
I had a spare IDM and swapped just for giggles and no change
RPM gauge goes to about 100 to 200 while cranking
All fuses are good

Unfortunately I dont have any diagnostic equipment at my disposal. Cant afford to take back to a shop!


When I crank motor, oil pressure gauge on cluster takes about 5 seconds to go to "Normal". Motor will not hit before that. After oil pressure build, motor will fire and ALMOST start for about 2 seconds. Continue cranking and it will no longer fire off at all. Wait 15 minutes with same results.
Once the oil pressure builds, I can hear a tapping coming from passenger side(almost like a loose valve tapping). Im assuming those are the injectors opening/closing?

I only messed with the passenger side. Oil is coming out of injector oil spouts, but it doesnt seem consistent or as high of volume. When the motor fires for a second or two it seems more oil comes out.

I have done about 20 cranking sessions over the last day. Nothing is getting better.

HELP!! I have 2 buyers lined up to look at the truck and need to get it going ASAP

Anything is appreciated!!

 

Update: Just reinstalled both old injectors. Truck now consistantly fires after about 15 seconds of cranking. Still no start

About 10 seconds after tryiong to start, I hear a gurgling sound coming from the valley and a hissing sound coming from fuel bowl.

Is there a possibility I have exhaust gases getting into fuel system?

 

Put a hose on fuel bowl drain. After emptying bowl, turn key on and observe fuel flow rate. You should get about a quart before pump times out.

Is the fuel filter installed properly? There is a valve that prevents fuel from going to the heads if filter is not installed.

Gurgling and hissing? Doesn't sound normal to me... Are you sure injectors are seated properly?

 

I drained the fuel bowl and cycled the fuel pump, filled the bowl and then some.

Right now the truck is firing and wants to start but just wont. Seems to be firing on half the cylinders.

Afterwards, there is an audible gurgle/hiss.

Right now it is the closest to starting it has been with the old injectors back in

I am positive the injectors are seated. I put them in, gave them love taps until I felt them seat, then tightened bolt. Also retightened after a few more taps

Thanks for your reply, Im at a loss here!

 

It'd be nice to see ICP right now.

I love the little ScanGauge II for stuff just like this. This $160 tool can monitor almost everything that AE can and displays (4) parameters at once.

http://www.veggiegarage.com/categori...=21981&type=pr

 

I disconnected the ICP sensor and no difference

After 15 seocnds Il get a few puffs of black smoke but thats it

No check engine light

Id love to have a nice scanner, I just cant afford one

 

Can it buzzinjectors?

 

No. Reads and clears codes, but only codes that set SES lite. I keep the SGII in the glove box and use it all the time on other people's rigs - anything OBDII!!! I often plug this in before AE on the PSD's.

I have Aeroforce Scangauges in both my PSD's and it WILL do Buzz Test and Cylinder Contribution Test as well as display any parameter the PCM monitors. It also has 'aux' inputs for Fuel Pressure and EGT if ya wanted all that in one gauge! It displays (2) parameters at once, but will scroll thru up to (20) if ya wanted to. I hardly ever break the AE out for my own rigs.

 

Another update:

Replaced fuel filter just in case-no difference

Disconnected Passenger side UVC- No difference. Motor fires exactly like before. Checked continuity through valve cover gasket and UVC harness. All is good. No signs of burnt connections, chaffing, etc

This is leading me to believe that miraculously all 4 injectors on that side suddenly got fried, or that side for some reason is not getting fuel.

I am leading toward fuel because I am getting some oil out of the injectors when cranking. I am also getting a clicking sound when cranking which I think means injectors are opening/closing, just no fuel is getting to them.

Any advice on where I should go from there?

 

I think with KOEO you should see 1v from the IDM to each injector - lemme try to look that up.

I almost nuked my poor truck one time over a bad VC gasket/UVCH. It had continuity, low voltage conductivity, etc, etc - but failed to pass buzz test. After many, many hours and long after I pulled out what little hair I had left - I swapped VC gasket with an old one. Damn thing cranked right up.

Here's some stuff to look at, but these are things that throw a code.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/722561-idm.html

 

With key on engine off I am getting power at glow plugs, approx 11.xx volts. An injector spec would be awesome

A also read that a bad injector solenoid can wipe out the whole bank, so I tried to start with each injector disconnected and the other 3 connected...no difference

I took the fuel bowl apart and cleaned it. Blew a little air through the two lines on passenger side exiting fuel bowl going to heads. Put back together....

AND...Boom!! After 10 seconds it started!! For a second. And then died and wont restart.

Should their be fuel coming out/going into these two lines? With key on engine off and while cranking their is none...

 

Those are the lines that supply the heads with fuel.
If you have no fuel coming out of them or going to them for the first 30 seconds or so of key on engine off (koeo) then there is your problem...

 

^^Yup. Dropping the tank now. Fuel pump is running, but when I dsiconnected the suply for it there was a lot of vacuem built up.

Whats strange is that it was filling the fuel bowl before, but I just checked again and there is nothing.

I think I might have a few different problems going on, we will see!!

Stoked to be making some progress!!

 

This is a MUCH better test than 'filling the fuel bowl'. Besides quantifying pressure/volume to some extent, many have found the filter gasket swells after exposed to ULSD and will not seal when re-installed.

How much fuel is in the tank? Perhaps the 'umbrella' is cracked or fallen off??

If more than 1/2 tank, try running a hose from a can of clean fuel to the pump - then do test above. If it flows good, you may need to do the in-tank mods. If you have help, its probably easier to remove the bed than drop the tank.

I hate to say it, but its possible those injectors were throwing codes due to low fuel pressure. The filter in the tank didn't get clogged while you were workin' on it...

 

I really wouldnt mind if it was a fuel pump/pickup issue..Ive always wanted to learn how to do injectors on the 7.3, it would just be a bummer becasue I have now done injectors like 3 times on 3 injectors hahaha.

I decided to drop the tank becasue I knew the fuel was old. I had added some Atf and marvel mystery oil to it when I first got it, so it was kind of hard to judge condition. i figure Im doing all this work I might as well have a clean tank.

So I dropped the tank, the pickup is clean and in one piece. Drained fuel(about 15 gallons), and went to reinstall tank. I couldnt get the damn cover to screw back onto the frieking tank..got dark and I gave up.

Right now it looks like I have a fuel pump that always cycles like it should but is only pumping intermittently...

Any tricks for the stupid quick release fittings on the fuel lines? I dont have the special tools for em...

Also the connection on the back of the fuel pump to fuel tank line...Seems like that would be a good spot for air to get into..

I will redo the fuel bowl test when I get to that step.

Food for thought/question...Why was the driver side firing but the passenger side wasnt?? Is there that much residual fuel in the heads? I guess I will findout the answer once the fuel pump is squared away...