Blue Spring....Issues?
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 1,665
Likes: 180
Blue Spring....Issues?
Hi all,
So, I completed the blue spring mod on my 2003 6.0 X last week. Following the swap, I noticed a weird noise coming from the area of the fuel conditioning module at idle. Can only hear it at idle, while sitting in the truck. This morning, after turning on the key and while letting the glow plugs run their cycle, the module had a whine to it. Does the blue spring mod cause some sort of back pressure on the system, or make it harder for the module to pump fuel? Or is it a coincidence? Anyone else had this issue? 256,xxx miles on the truck. Thanks!
So, I completed the blue spring mod on my 2003 6.0 X last week. Following the swap, I noticed a weird noise coming from the area of the fuel conditioning module at idle. Can only hear it at idle, while sitting in the truck. This morning, after turning on the key and while letting the glow plugs run their cycle, the module had a whine to it. Does the blue spring mod cause some sort of back pressure on the system, or make it harder for the module to pump fuel? Or is it a coincidence? Anyone else had this issue? 256,xxx miles on the truck. Thanks!
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 3,910
Likes: 18
From: NW IA
That would be enough for an audible difference on a pump.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 1,665
Likes: 180
So, with the age and mileage on the pump (to my knowledge, it's never been changed), am I shortening the pumps lifespan by keeping the blue spring? Not sure if I should be able to tell a difference with the mod, but I can't. I tend to think the $60 kit isn't worth a $500 pump.
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 6,545
Likes: 13
From: Virginia Beach VA
But $1600 worth of injectors need pressure over 45psi when at WOT.. what the blue spring is designed to address. The truck needs the kit.
It's a damned if you do and damned if you don't. Low pressure for injectors is bad, high pressure output of the pump wears the pump.
It's a damned if you do and damned if you don't. Low pressure for injectors is bad, high pressure output of the pump wears the pump.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,589
Likes: 20
OP, to answer your question, yes the more backpressure you put on the pump the louder it will get. Several years ago I did the BB mod. That drove the pressure up, if I remember correctly, to about 55 psi and the pump got a little louder. Pressure not high enough, so I bought the GDS spring. It drove the fuel pressure to 105 psi. So I called GDS and they said Navastar said the 6.0L fuel system was good for 120 psi. Ford I believe recommended not to exceed 85 psi. I believe they do that to protect their ***. The throttle response and power increase at 105 psi was very, very noticeable. However, I removed the GDS spring because it is not needed when I installed my AD2. I run that at about 70 psi idle. In 138K never had an injector problem. Of course having an Ed Steffan updated FICM with the Atlas 80 tune does not hurt either.
Ed
Ed
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2017
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Thanks for the responses all! Seems that the benefits outweigh the noise I'm hearing (which, incidentally, has all but gone away). I'll keep an eye on it and if I have to replace the pump, so be it. Better that than a new set of injectors!
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More Turbo
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 670
Likes: 13
From: Nampa, ID
Like you said, if the pump goes, not that big of a deal. You're over 250k miles on the stock fuel pump? I'd say thats a pretty good lifespan. It's also pretty easy to replace.
In the 3rd gen cummins world, the lift pumps only put out 10-14psi and rarely last 200k miles. They are also harder to replace, because you have to drop the fuel tank. The original pumps for the 03-04 were mounted in the engine bay and rarely lived past 50k miles. It was dodge protocol to update them to the in tank pump when they failed under warranty.
In the 3rd gen cummins world, the lift pumps only put out 10-14psi and rarely last 200k miles. They are also harder to replace, because you have to drop the fuel tank. The original pumps for the 03-04 were mounted in the engine bay and rarely lived past 50k miles. It was dodge protocol to update them to the in tank pump when they failed under warranty.
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Fleet Mechanic
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I was kind of wondering if I could just swap the motor out...just hadn't gotten around to checking it out. Thanks!
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