First let me say I am a newbie posting a question. Second, I have been reading these tech forums for many years and always get valuable insight when ever my 6.4 is giving me problems (never had to post a question). But this one has me asking LOTS OF QUESTIONS. So here it is.

Single owner ford f250 daily driver. 126000 miles. Egr/dpf deleted and tuned for economy. Runs great and had all the usual problems you always read about. I do most work on it, fluids/brakes/electrical (simple stuff).

The truck started burning black smoke at take off and threw a code related to the turbo. Took the truck to the shop and told to repair and replace the leaking radiator (very small leak). Told them since I do ALL maintenance on truck I would like a mechanic to replace all the fluids and filters (just in case I missed something and it was about that time).

Get the call from mechanic saying turbo problem was fixed (a sensor). But that I had metal in my fuel filters and need to replace entire fuel system to the tune of $9500.00. Mind you, the truck is getting 25mpg and running great after turbo repaired. He shows me filter and indeed there is what looks like aluminum dust in bowl. I ask him to only replace fuel pump if he believes that is issue. He wouldn't do it. Said whole system needs replaced. I said I couldn't justify spending 9k on a truck that is 11 years old and running fine.

Side note: truck has a 100 gallon aluminum tank in bed which is what I usually fill up. That tank has a small gravity fed line to factory tank and I install a clear inline filter to see what's going into my truck. I have to replace that filter every 6 months because of junk in fuel. It's a cheapo filter, but kind of lets me know what's going on with fuel. I refuse to do the repair and drive truck home. Truck runs fine, no codes all is normal. I pulled that filter (the cheapo filter I installed) to inspect it (because he didn't) and find it clogged with metal debris and typical junk I always get.

So here is the question for the pro's. What would you do? Truck is running fine. Why replace my injectors. Isn't fuel filters supposed to catch crap before them? Do I leave it parked until I have system repaired or drive it and monitor filters (which is what I am thinking). Is there any other tests I can perform at home?

 

Your Mechanic is right about the repair. However, I'm one to take chances for that price tag.

If I was in your position, I would change the fuel filters, cleaning the bowl out surgically and continue to monitor the performance. If it's running as well as you describe, something is in failure mode and will in the end shut you down, but with the aux tank involved, it could be particle matter from the tank, not the HPFM system. Hard to say. With your statement that the filters are doing the job, I also agree.

What will be your biggest fear is injectors getting a wiff of the metal and staying open causing catastrophic failure.

Check your oil often for dilution, listen and feel for a cylinder dropping out and drive it.

For the price of replacing the fuel system, is it a gamble yes, but unless that truck is in mint condition, I couldn't justify dropping 10k into it.

These days, you can pick up a complete low mileage truck for that price or close to it and have an excellent donor truck.

Your call.

Denny

 

Thank you for rapid response. I am going to start driving it and monitoring all the filters. I am praying it's from the aluminum external fuel tank. I put a magnet to it and its not steel. It is very fine aluminum specs. I wouldn't have even noticed him if he hadn't pointed it out. I did as you said and cleaned the bowl.

 

Just to rule out cause. Put a shut off in line on the aux tank and just run pure pump fuel. After a few hundred miles, check the filters.

Should point to truck side HPFM or aux tank.

Elimination is key.

Denny

 

Make sure your running a lube in your fuel, dose anybody know if the high pressure pump in made from aluminum, personally I would find that hard to believe, I would guess it's a cast steel items that's finished machined.

 

I always thought those "fuel additives" were snake oil. Does anybody have a recommendation? I have used the stuff to prevent gelling, but no other fuel additives. I cleaned the fuel bowl, just got to run fuel from the factory fuel tank and have a new set of filters on standby. Gonna pull the filters in about a week and see whats in there. Hoping nothing.

 

Not snake oil, low sulfur diesel fuel has little to no lubricant in them, that's what the sulfur did, I use optilube xpd, something is definitely better than nothing.

 

WELL, the good news: No metal in fuel filter in last three months. BAD news, I was under truck changing fuel filter and have soot all over tranny. Driver side up pipe is leaking. So here is my question?

I am going to have the up pipes replaced. They will be pulling the cab. While the cab is off, they are going to change the high pressure fuel pump (because of the previous metal flakes), water pump and a sensor or two. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU GUYS WOULD REPLACE WHILE CAB IS OFF? The truck is now at 135000 miles and I would like to keep it for another 10 years.
One last thing, they recommend I get Maryland Performance Diesel up pipes. 750 bucks. Anybody heard of them? Thanks

 

Check the bolts in the exhaust manifolds and pull the valve covers and look at the rockers, check for cracks, tips gone, bent push rods.

 

Sounds like you and I came to the same fork in the road but we each went a different direction. My truck started coughing on acceleration then would run smooth. After evaluating the cost / benefit of a repair, I went with the repair which initially involved changing out the HPFP. While the cab was off, I also replaced the belt tensioners, the water pump, rocker arms / push rods, and removed the EGR. Long story short - I'm ~$8500 into a fix on a ~$16,000 truck. Problem is, it's still not right after replacing everything from the fuel tank forward to the injectors. It's been five weeks and I still don't have my truck back. I gambled and ended up losing my a$$. I should have washed it and drove it to the dealership to trade it on a new one. Still might.

 

That's what I am worried about. I really haven't had TOO many problems with the truck since I got rid of emissions crap. I kind of freaked when they showed me the fuel filter with metal flakes a few months ago and told me it was $9500.00 to fix. The truck was running fine at that time and still is. I am just playing it safe. I just figure if I'm already having cab pulled, I better just bite the bullet and resolve any other possible issues coming down the road. So far, the quote is $4300.00 for the up pipes, HPFP, a couple of the sensors and water pump. I will probably have them pull the valve covers and inspect the rockers if the price is reasonable.
And too cover my butt, I bought a new 2019 Tacoma 4 x4, just in case the truck goes down again.