Will the injectors out of a 2005 work on a 2003?

 

Yes, no problem there

 

What about the other way around?


Sean

 

You can exchange in either direction but because of the internal and coating changes I've always read that the two versions need to be used as a set, as in all 2003/4 or all 2004+.

 

You can mix them, they still work.
So far as using an 03 injector in an 06 truck. It should still work, but imo there not as good.

 

Not trying to start a p***ing contest here, but years ago Mark posted this on several forums

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...ml#post7299157

and Ford still markets the injectors by the 3 and 4 parts numbers to distinguish between the versions. My career interface experience with Ford is if they can consolidate inventory, especially when the two parts are exactly the same price, they will do so. So I guess I'm confused unless there was a TSB stating they can be mixed. If so, never mind.

 

I would love to know the answer to this one also.
And does anyone know the exact differences between the two units?


Sean

 

Hopefully soon. I have an early 04 with a bad injector and I am finding lots of injectors for late 04 and up for a good price. There shouldn't be any issues with mixing injectors or should be done in sets?

 

Sean,

From what I remember, just what Mark put his the referenced post, plunger and coating. The coating accounted for a slight change in timing, so mixing the injectors would cause a slight firing imbalance between cylinders. Again, it's maybe a decade old memory.

Devil,

This is about missing the two versions. You can replace an injector anytime, but what we are discussing is they should all be the same version.

 

Ford was clear in their early position to "not mix them". They never reversed that position as far as I ever saw. That being said, some time after my posts on it, people started posting up their experience on mixing them.

The main one I remember is Tim - he has done it (mixed them) and experienced no problems in doing so. Sounds like Moe has also done (maybe he did it first - ).

Ford will always TRY TO BE be conservative. That is what I tend to be also. Ford clearly thought that there would be some differences in their performance - enough to cause them to publish the recommendation (and I agree Jack - the fact that they still maintain separate parts seems to be a good indication that they have not backed off of their position). Conservatism isn't a bad thing, just that sometimes people push the envelope and we all learn new things. This one seems to fit that category.

 

I would throw out the idea the reason for continuing seperate part numbers has to do with cores.

Can the early injector be updated to the later, improved style?

If not, for every new reman that is sent out and an early injector is brought in, it would have to be trashed.

Josh

 

That's a good possibility. But couldn't they just tell by the color of the top or has that been eliminated?

What if an 2003 owner came in and the stock room only had 2004 injectors and the parts person said they were the same. The rebuilder would get a 2003 injector back in a 2004 box. That would screw the system of sorting by box number.

 

edit - just a few minutes too slow - lol.

Agreed - that's a good point - whether or not the early ones could be remanufactured to be like the newer ones, it may not be cost justified though. Who knows!

Anyway, unless Ford thinks they would create a shortage of cores if they quit having the early ones (2003 and early 2004) remanned, it still seems like they would migrate to only one part. After all, the new injectors are/were touted as an upgrade to the old ones.

It was after the diamond-like-coating was applied in the 2004 model year that Ford stated that the two injectors had different operating characteristics.