I'll take a look. I spent the last 3 hours running a "simple" errand for some swabs for that very work. After no success (apparently nobody sells 6" swabs on a Saturday in the 8th largest city in the country) I had a visit from the Good Idea Fairy (at least he/she works on Saturday). I'm about to dive in and see what, in fact, is a good idea and what was a waste of money. The goal is to get all 8 cups in by tomorrow afternoon so the Loctite can set until I can get back to it on Wednesday. Once I get the truck closer to buttoned up I'll post all the notes I've been collecting on what did/did not work.

No worries. Recommendations are always appreciated but I know the final decision is mine to bear regardless of the sage advice offered. I agreed that not diving in was the prudent path based on all the indications. Now I know different and will pass that along to others. Whether they agree with it or not is completely up to them but I'm always happy to share my experiences to anyone who wants to hear them.

I only had 1 that looked like a failure (hairline crack) and 5 others had coolant pooling in the bottom (leak by?). I wouldn't say they failed but there was something not right going on in there. The only Loctite residue was on the bottom of the cup. There was no residue/evidence of Loctite on the upper portion of the cup or injector bore...none. That leads me to be more concerned about the sealant than cup integrity. With your postulation and my empirical evidence I would definitely be considering a new cup if it had some mileage on it and I was pulling the injector. Definitely a pressure test at the least to see if the boundary is still intact. Just my .02

 

My NEW answer: "I believe it is a FANTASTIC idea to do all the cups while the injectors are out"

...I'll follow you down this rabbit hole

 

You fellas make me itchy to get new injectors... Just need to hold off until Christmas time or winter so the truck can be in the garage for the work when it is not 100 degrees in the garage.

 

I am VERY glad I did mine when it was colder. I break a sweat walking out to get the mail in this weather.

 

Weather? We're going to have highs of about 70F this weekend.

 

70*? I can only wish. 108* to 110* forcast for today.

 

Come on up, we're only looking at 90 here.

 

Brian, I wanted to start a new thread, but I didn't know for sure you would see it.

Just wanted to know how things were going with your truck and getting it back on the road and smog tested?

Looking forward to an update.

 

No need to start a thread just yet (but thanks for asking). I plan to start a thread soon that will encompass my trials and tribulations since last spring. This way others may learn from my journey and some can provide improvements on what I've done. I will also be able to pull from the brain trust if (when?) it doesn't start.

It's still sitting at the Skills Center on the Marine base. The good part is that they have plenty of special tools and equipment to save me money. The bad news is that they are only open 40 hours a week and they aren't the most convenient for me. I did get my hands dirty on it this past weekend (first time in 2 months) and am on the "downhill" side of things. Biggest thing left to do is install the Racor PS-120. Still trying to figure out how to beef up my standoff idea for mounting it. I would eventually like to use a mounting plate for strength down the line but it isn't in the cards right now (along with a bash plate similar to what Tugly has). I contemplated putting it near the transfer case as others have done but that is a horribly inconvenient place regardless of how protected it is. Since I don't want to drop the tank and replace the line it will be near the fuel tank where I cut the line to remove the spin-on. After that it's clean up my mess (especially in the cab so I can sit in the driver's seat...finally), purge the cylinders again for good measure, put in new glow plugs, install gaskets and harnesses, top off the batteries, and cross my fingers. I've got until the 31st to pay my registration fees so I hope to get it smogged in a couple of weekends from now. Hopefully I've gamed it out enough for my new sticks to pass.

Not only will it be a hassle if I run past my registration due date but every time I pay the the $300 for the monthly stall fees at the Skills Center it becomes a less friendly conversation.

 

Put a beer koozie or two on the Racor until you can get a bash plate or something mounted.

I hear you about the skills center hours. I utilized their services a few times when living on base overseas. A good resource, if you can be on their clock.

 

Good idea about the beer koozie. I remember reading about zip-tying one one there but had forgotten about it.

Back before sequestration the Skills Center was open 60+ hours a week and was a lot more convenient. I'd rather have 40 hours/week than none at all so I can't complain. My truck's become a running joke there. There's a guy working on a mid-60's Mustang and he's the only vehicle that's been in an active stall longer than mine (not storage). It also doesn't help that most of the staff are Chevy guys and I've been driving my dad's Chevy since last spring.

And I still have '05 lights, ATS springs (rear), OUO traction bars, and a Detroit locker still sitting in my garage!

 

I have to give credit to Colorado350 for the koozie idea.

I remember the old fellas working at the tool counter and check in. It was nice to be able to pull into a full service garage and do what needed to be done. Especially when I was stationed in England and couldn't even change a tire in base housing.

 

Started:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post17730343

 

Is the plastic housing on the Racor really that fragile that it needs a beer cozy on it? I'll have to keep that in mind.

 

It is pretty stout plastic, but I can see a perfectly aimed rock at 60+ MPH putting a crack in it, but then again maybe not. The chances of a rock hitting my Racor are slim to none, but stranger things have happened.

A bash plate or some sort of protection is just insurance or peace of mind.