Question - Do the fuel pressure regulators on E350 version 6.0's use the plastic "fixed orifice"?
I'm working on a 2004 E350 with a 6.0 L diesel, just purchased it a couple of weeks ago, and am trying to work through maintenance issues.
It needed a belt tensioner, fuel filters, etc., so I decided while I was there I would upgrade the fuel pressure regulator spring (the "blue spring kit.")
The kit comes with a white piece of plastic with a tube extending from it, and an o-ring around the tube, which is apparently called the "fixed orifice." Most web how-to's show the plastic "fixed orifice", but they are all F series trucks being worked on.
When I took my regulator cover off (and yes, it is very different from F series 6.0 L engines,) I did not see the white plastic "fixed orifice" under the cover when it came off (I'll admit, I was more focused on the spring). It wasn't on the fuel bowl, and I never noticed it fall out. Looking at the fuel bowl, I do not see a channel for the white plastic orifice to go into. It looks like the cover has no room for it, either. I checked the service manuals, and they do not show the plastic orifice. So the question is, while the F series engines use the plastic fixed orifice, do the E350 version 6.0's use it, or not?
Any help appreciated.

Carl

 

IIRC not all the regulators are exactly the same, even on the trucks, but I think one of the kits contains parts to do every type of regulator and you will not need every part in the kit.

 

Much appreciated. They're definitely not all the same, especially when it comes to vans!
The fact that the E350 service manual doesn't show the plastic fixed orifice is what makes me think that maybe the vans, which use a different cover, didn't use the plastic fixed orifice. This is an early (for vans) production 6.0, which adds to the possibility of differences. Kind of worried about trying to fire up the truck without it, but I'm having a hard time coming up with what problems would result. As its a real bear to get to the fpr on a van . . .

 

I would just replace what you already have in your FPR now with the new spring and anything else that matches from the kit. AFA that goes you could just use the new spring (and gasket) and probably be OK.

 

I took a picture with a digital cam of the fuel bowl assembly (my heads not that big, and there was still no way it was getting in under the cowl, and yeah, the vans have the fpr pointing straight to the side, instead of towards the front), the fuel bowl does not have the channel that the F series engines do, and there is already a small hole drilled through to the fuel bowl itself, so at least this 6.0 doesn't use the plastic fixed orifice.
Now, if the rest of the work would just go as well. Put a new radiator in (old one had 100k on it), finished all the re-assembly, started pouring coolant in, only to hear a splashing sound. Looks like the brand new Ford radiator has a pretty big leak. Doh! Time to start over . . .

 

Man that sucks sorry to hear of the bad luck.