When i bought my truck it had an air dog fuel system on it running 1/2" fuel line from the tank to the stock pump, the motor burnt up on the air dog so i blocked it off and have been running it as just a filter base i installed the carter helper pump after the air dog quit. Truck has ran fine for almost two years like that. Due to air dog filters being expensive i decided to remove the air dog and install another filter setup using an a fleetguard FS1212 20 micron water seperator and a FF5319 2 micron final filter. Im still running 1/2" fuel line, the filters are installed between the helper pump and stock pump. The truck runs stronger than it ever has according to my fuel pressure gauge its running about 78 psi. The truck had a slight rough idle before but it wasn't bad. After installing these filters ive noticed that the idle is a lot rougher and after driving if im lugging in 4th at 35mph it surges bad. My only thought is im getting air in the system due to having a factory pickup in the tank and going to 1/2" line. Its always had a slight injector tick when cold that goes away when warm but after doing this filter setup the injector tick is alot louder too.

 

Some trucks don't like to run over 60 psi on fuel pressure. There have been reports of symptoms like idle issues or issues while lugging the engine with high fuel pressure.

Did you have the 78 psi before and after the filter install?

 

yes it ran 78 psi before the filter install. In 140 setting i would drop 25 psi before when i stood on it and now i only drop about 8 psi.

 

If this was on Stinky (and it was) I would lower the regulator to about 60 PSI (and I did - I went from 65 PSI to 60 PSI and it quieted my injectors down), put a less-restrictive pre-filter in (the post filter does just "fine" on it's own), and make sure there is no air getting into the fuel line.

 

There is really no point to run that much volume on a 7.3. You don't need 1/2" fuel lines. If you didn't like buying the airdog filters for 25.99ish there were/are other options for 15.99 2 micron filters that AirDog have deemed ok to put on their fuel systems. As far as the motor going out well.... That's an AirDog for you.... Knock on wood because that's what I'm running...

I say you don't need 1/2" fuel lines because the port on the back of the fuel bowl is only 5/16" anyways so anything over that is a waste unless of course you deleted the fuel bowl.... Then again you're not feeding a fire breathing engine either judging by your signature. The factory fuel system is more then adequate for a tuner.

For ease of servicing and simplification get rid of all that you have done to your fuel system buy a OE pump put it back together and be done with it.

 

In support of what JOHN2001 said, Stinky has bigger sticks and tuning, OEM pump (with no helper pump), 3/8" line from the tank to the pump, Hutch/harpoon mod, pre-pump fuel strainer, and 60 PSI (silver) spring in a FRx. That's the entirety of the fuel mods he needed to deliver this (without dropping below 55 PSI):

 

I dont have a fuel pressure regulator . I dont know why the pressure is that high compaired to stock. As for filters and helper pump im going to leave them on there. I did the pump mod based off guzzles write up. As for the filters they cant hurt anything. Should i reduce everything to 3/8 line instead of half inch. Were is the best place to get a fuel pressure reading mine is T in right after the stock pump was that way when i got the truck.

 

No need to change your lines since there already there. There just there serving no additional purposes above stock.
Theres 2 ports on the back of the fuel bowl that if I recall right are Allen heads with orings. There's one port on the drivers side and one on the passenger side. The driver's side is prefilter just like your set-up is now which doesn't tell you the whole story.
You want the port on the passengers side so you know what fuel pressure your injection system is seeing.
I assume since you said it's T'd in you have a mechanical FP gauge and may need to get an adapter to make it work. I recommend full sweep electric when it comes to fluids that could potentially leak and get into the cab of the truck.

 

The fuel line is fine. Reducing the size will have no effect, the same way going from 3/8" to 1/2" will have no effect - 1/2" is just overkill.

The fuel pressure regulator is on the driver's side of the fuel bowl. The spring in there determines the fuel pressure, and it sounds like the PO put in a stiffer spring. I'd return it to a stock spring, but that's just me being me. Elevated fuel pressure does nothing nothing nothing to boost performance on a HEUI injector - this is not a Dodge diesel. So long as the fuel reservoir in the injector is completely full before each injection cycle, that's all you can ask from the fuel delivery system. The book says 45 PSI gets this done, but I like headroom - so I say keep it above 50 PSI. Pressure out the nozzle on a HEUI injector is all about ICP (Injector Control Pressure), and that is the official can of worms on a 7.3L and a 6.0L.

Now... if you have fire hoses for injectors (like 450/400s), a little math is in order.

 

Them "dodge diesel guys".......

 

If it ran before the changes, go back and see what happen. If it didn't start till way after the changes then it could be something else. But if you have the stock fuel bowl you need to check the pressure coming out of there to know what it is to the injectors.