What codes are you getting?

 

I'm getting the dreaded 1316 with 1,4,5 & 8 low to high side open. The only way I knew the second part was paying someone $20 to do the KOEO and buzz test, I counted those cylinders as a problem during the test just by ear as bad before he even told me they were issues. I had already had the valve covers off to check if the UVCH connectors were un-clipped,but not too far unplugged. Luckly none of the connectors had any signs of arching; cleaned, dielectric on and the quarter mod on both sides. Was hoping that was the whole issue but not. During the time under the VC I did have my son start the truck so I could observe the injectors oiling then unplugging them one at a time to see their contribution. When I got to #8 it was not oiling and no difference when unplugged, just dead. Even though #8 coil is different (an AE) than the others, swapped 8 with 6 coils and the problem stayed at 8, and even though all the coils ohm'd from 4.0 - 5.1 ohm's from the 42 pin connector I thought while I had it open why not try it. That is the time I started to look for a similar problem on the forums and found this one, but I had already had the VC's back on and a Swamps IDM on order. I have not gone back in to swapped the entire injectors 6&8 but a diesel mechanic today I should not do it because of 8 being an AE but I figured a quick test couldn't possibly hurt it.
Before all this I have never worked on a electronic controlled diesel, the days I worked on semi's there were no electronic controls and the pump did everything. This has been a crash test on this engine the past few days. Since I am putting the modified IDM on it I would change out all the injectors and glow plugs of which 6 are bad and the fact of all the performance mods I am running it wouldn't be a bad idea. Heck, I don't think I would have found the problems if it hadn't been for a #8 being totally inop. I just pray the IDM is bad but it wasn't the case in this particular forum. Any advice from ANYONE at this point would be accepted before I put in a $335 IDM but I now have a couple Ford diesel mechanics state it more than likely is the IDM. Last thing I have done is a continuity test from the mail side of the 42 pin connector and the IDM connector and to ground. I have not done a Megger test of the wires from the IDM plug to the valve cover gasket plug to check for a high voltage system leakage, may do this while waiting for the IDM or check the voltage drop across the #8 coil or the HPOP pressure.
2001 F350 4X4 with Banks Big Hoss, six gun tuner OTTOMIND programmer, strait back 5" turbo back, Banks charge air cooler.

 

First, let me say you have done a very thorough job of troubleshooting.

I have experienced a stick not shooting oil out the spout (bad injector), but I did not have the trouble code with it. If the actuator plate clearance is below a certain point (I think I remember something about 2 thousandths), that stick will not fire with Hoover dam supplying the voltage. You may want to isolate whether this is mechanical or not before spending money on a fancy IDM. Have you pulled the IDM to clean the connector, run a continuity test to the sticks, and refresh the dielectric grease?

 

Yes, I have checked continuity to each injector at 3 separate places, the connector going to and through the VC gasket, the 42 pin connector and the IDM connector through the coil packs. I have also checked all 10 wires to ground from the IDM plug; the two high voltage supply lines and the 8 injector lines. Like I stated, I have not done a megohm check on all those lines, and yes when checking for ground faults the individual injector connectors were unplugged/isolated. One thing that keeps coming back to my brain is the physical injector actuator plate gap/clearances, and until I check those I have not done a complete troubleshooting job. It wouldn't take that much time 'Ha' to do that since I am probably going to have it opened up again checking at least the 4 cylinders that were showing the low to high open. BUT, since I have no plans getting rid of 'Grizzly', the investment of new injectors could be justified for future reliability if I can find a GOOD set and I do need 5 new glow plugs. I'm not even against overhauling the injectors myself but would like to have new coil packs on top.This is the first time the truck has ever given me any issue in regards to the engine (have changed the clutch and ball joints) and need that reliability when out in the sticks hunting with my 24' tow hauler in tow. I have seen troubleshooting by my avionics guys on our planes when they start throwing boxes at problems and it perturbs me to see that kind of troubleshooting.
One other thing I am not sure I said was when I was unplugging one injector at a time, some of the other cylinders didn't drop the RPM as much as some others did but I didn't write them down.
Lastly, the truck is lifted an sits on 38-13.50-20's so working on it you're knees are living on the batteries, so when I get up there I want to get as much done as possible.
I have got to go to my brothers to help him at his ranch today but will check back tonight to see if you have anymore ideas for me. This is greatly appreciated.
Thanks again.
I checked all the pins and receptacles for damage, corrosion and for any pins that may be being pushed back when plugging in and for cleanliness, all looked good.

 

Yes, I have put new dielectric grease on the connectors before reconnecting them, the IDM is removed.

 

Did that make the problem move?

 

While I'm not there to see this for myself, my gut says the 50-cent mod ain't cuttin' it. I have actually experienced a 50 cent fail, so I took a picture of it:





Giving up on the mod approach, I eliminated the problem by installing new OEM UVCHs that I bought from Riffraff Diesel.

On another note, a member had the passenger side up and die - and it turned out to be the valve cover gasket. The issue wasn't painfully obvious like some of the forum photos I've seen, but there was some signature melting around the base of the center pin:

 

No, the problem did not move/follow when swapping the coils. One question I have; knowing the #8 injector is different, I have heard it called an AE or knock injector, and also being told that you should not put #8 injector in any other hole, do you think I could swap #8 with #6 but keep the coil/solenoid at the original positions? I have already swapped the coils from those two cylinders and #8 worked on #6. I have read that the difference is in the coil but am wondering if the physical injector may be different. Does anyone know?
When I found the UVCH connector unlatched but not unplugged on both banks I inspected both the plug and receptacle for signs of arcing, corrosion or heat damage either sides. they actually visually looked perfect. I read allot of forums prior to doing any sort of troubleshooting and was praying the problem was as simple as the UVCH's since everyone was talking about this problem. I was praying that would have been the problem.

 

Those are great pictures, the one showing the mod failing is really interesting, I might pull out the .020 safety wire and safety them on (somehow). I am opening up both banks again today and will be awaiting an answer about the diffrence between 8 and the others. While I am in there I will shoot some pic's of the UVCH plugs.

 

Wasn't the IDM, Injectors pulled waiting on fresh ones today. Changing GP's too, 5 were throwing codes. I do have another problem the last GP I took out (#8 the cylinder that the injector wasn't working) came apart and left the electrode in the head with 3/4" stub sticking up. I read where there is .040" clearance from the tip to the piston at TDC so that's where it sat over night with Berryman B12 soaking around it. I sure hope this will come out without a head removal. It would have to happen on the worst cylinder.

 

Awww crap. Are they Autolites? I wonder if the tip is magnetic.

 

Damn that sucks. Hope you can get it out without pulling the head.

 

making a slide hammer out of a pair of needle nose vise grips but up against the firewall is really iffy. Will let ya know.

 

Update; Got it out without removing the head. I would like to express what all I did to retrieve the GP core/heater element hoping to help even one person. I went out and bought 2 new pair of needle nose pliers so I would have the best grip possible, I fiddle farted with it for 6 hours when a fellow aircraft mechanic called and gave me the name of a diesel mechanic here in the OKC area he uses, That guy told me this has happened to him 6-7 times and what he does is put the shell back in and bend the stem over the housing (if you have enough) to keep it from falling into the cylinder. and figured my prayers had been answered but when I went to bend the stem over the housing there wasn't enough to do it (keep in mind it's #8) hard to work on. It appeared the housing actually pushed the the core in as I was threading the shell into the head so I decided to unscrew the shell again, This is when I had it unthreaded the shell would not come out but noticed the stem was rotating with the housing, (the first time it had moved at all). I took my short vice grip's and was able to barely get a hold of the stem and pull, the stem and housing came right out. I KNEW then my prayers were answered. So soaking in B-12 and PB blaster for 24 hours helped but by threading the shell back in and seating it actually pushed the core back in which broke the carbon loose. I also learned that if a GP gets hard to turn when removing it, tighten it back up and leave it in the head inoperative unless you want to risk this happening to you what happened to me. This GP was on the cyl that was dead, causing it to coke up and believe it would probably have burned off in a few hundred miles and then blown out. One more thing, I had to take a couple rocker arms off to get any sort of visual on this GP stem without a mirror.
The injectors and GP's came Thursday afternoon and was able to get the left bank together last night and will finish today.





Element of the one that was stuck





How it finally came out





Stem sticking up out of head.

 

Thanks for reporting back.