Yeah, I had all my 6.0 tools, and spare parts, but lost all that when they stole my truck last summer. I got all the standard stuff, just need to get my specialty tools.

Don't know it's service history. I don't see any signs of major work, and the fuel filters I replaced looked brand new. While I drove it, all the other vitals looked great, low delta. Usually corporate vehicles get basic maintenance on schedule. I'll see how it goes, maybe I get lucky, as much bad luck as I've had over the last few years, I deserve some.

 

I didn’t read the thread until now Ron. Yes, if you had a code for #2 and the exhaust smelled of fuel, pulling the #2 injector could have gotten you home. It would not have been a pleasant ride. Shaken, not stirred.

IMO, tips usually crack from water in fuel. I’d be checking for that on the way home, over and over.

 

Once it went into the hydrolock situation (engine not turning over), it pretty much put you in the position that you need to clear it before moving on, at least IMO anyway. Sorry for all the troubles.

 

Thanks, Jack. You may have hit on something. When I changed the fuel filters, the two wires that lead to the bottom of the fuel pump are hanging loose. I didn't know if those are pre-heating the fuel or operating the water separator. This Eseries pump is different and doesn't have the drain hole on the side. There is a drain on the bottom of the fuel filter housing that I initially assumed just drained the fuel from the housing before you remove it, since on these pumps the filter loads from the bottom, like the oil and trans filters hanging upside down. Now, I'm thinking that, somehow, that lower section of the filter housing is the water separator, and that drain empties the water. If so, could it be that those loose wires are rendering the water separator useless, causing water in the fuel? Or, do the wires simply report the water level to a dash gauge?

 

That would also explain how come they didn't drain the water - if those two wires report to the dash, they didn't get the alert for water and kept driving. I couldn't tell from looking at the wires how they connect to the filter housing. I assume there's supposed to be a connector on the end of them that plugs into the filter's connector hole, rather than manually plugging each wire onto the little pole inside the filter's connector, but they're just two lose wires right now.

 

Could those wires be to the fuel heater that is no longer used? If it truly is to the WIF sensor, it may be that it was giving false signals because of trash and/or corrosion and the previous owner just didn't want the annoyance. Instead of fixing the issue, then just disabled the "messenger".

The WIF light is just a warning. Best practice is to ALWAYS drain the water chamber when changing fuel filters. Even more frequently would be ideal. This probably didn't happen with the previous owner. The benefit of the WIF sensor is to catch a batch of bad fuel as quickly as possible - and that certainly is an important feature..

 

I definitely have always done that on my truck. I posted the first time I changed the filters in my current shuttle asking where the water separator was on this Eseries.
Finally assumed that's it on the bottom of the canister/cap, but, come to think of it, I've only been draining it when changing the fuel filter. Looking at the pics of the pump online, I think the heater is higher up and another connector. I'm assuming there used to be a male connector attached to the wires, not sure it they cut it off or what.

 

I'm going to be real surprised if all my glow plugs on that side still work. The wires don't seem to be broken, but the convoluted tubing is sure mangled, and that one plug broken off at the head, but the wires still going down to the GP. Seems like I always break something trying to fix something. One step forward, two backwards, then three forward again, if I'm lucky.

And, I'll certainly be lucky if that injector seals without being torqued accurately, and that piece of the injector doesn't carve up my cylinder. And I'll be lucky if those bald tires make it home. And if the FICM on my other bus doesn't quit on me before I can get home. I'm Lucky like a three-legged blind dog.

 

OK, back together and seems to be running fine. Smoked for about 30 minutes while idling, then all the fuel burned out of the exhaust and it was good.

Not sure what I've done, but it wouldn't turnover with the key. Thought I might not have gotten the starter wire connected good - it can be hard - but seemed OK. I also had a wiring harness connector that broke a clip and doesn't want to stay together - thought maybe that was it. So I turned the key on and hotwired the starter wire (It can't reach the battery in this Eseries), and it cranks just fine. Started up on the third crank.

I had cleared the codes, and after I got it running, I checked them again and there's three about the transmission. One was about the gear select, so I'm thinking it just might not have been in Park. I'll mess with it again tomorrow, but we're leaving early headed back to Texas. I'll crank with the hotwire if necessary.to get home.

 

.

 

Nice! Good to hear you got it going.

 

It didn't throw a GP code, which is amazing. Did throw a FICM code, but it shows great voltage at all times. Throws a code about now being able to complete the test (this is on TorquePro). Had several "network" codes. I'm thinking some of the codes were from the way I started using the wire, or how I cranked it a couple of times before I even turned the key on. There weren't any about injectors. I'm going to clear and check again tomorrow.

This wasn't great tech work on my part - even worse than usual. I broke that air intake bracket; then couldn't figure out what it was bolted to it, what it was I pried off of it thinking I was loosening the air intake - it wasn't a wiring harness; it was one end of the GPCM bracket. The GPCM was the last thing I installed, and I was too beat to go back and bolt that to the bracket, so it's not supported properly. Ditto with the nut holding the EP tube to the GPCM bracket, and one of the nuts on the GPCM bracket - it came up missing.

I knew nothing about the batteries. It was idling when I picked it up, and I hadn't tried to start it again. But, it did turn over when I was pumping fuel out the injector. So, I took them to the parts store to get charged up before cranking up. They said they're both bad. So, I had to buy two new batteries. I'll take the old ones home and see if the trickle charger can bring them back over a few days. Only $10 core charge.
I left off one of the rubber washers of a valve cover bolt. The good news is that it's not one of the two hard ones. It has to be one of the front ones, and I can probably get to those by just taking off the intake and CAC tube. At the same time, I can replace the bolt I forgot that holds a small bracket securing the coolant line going to the degas bottle to the vacuum pump - I expect that's aftermarket. I had to go at this from the hood, the doghouse, and from underneath, and so had tools and parts everywhere. Found those bolts at the end and just too tired to mess with it.

As noted earlier - I couldn't torque the injector. I know. That's not good. Nor could I torque the standpipe and dummy plug.

I roughed up the GP harness. The valve cover gasket was cracked and I didn't replace it. Hadn't separated yet, but that's not an excuse. Just didn't like starting my other bus any more than necessary, like for going to the dealership - recall that it has the FICM that's going out. It helps a lot to plug in the heater every night, and I've waited until lunch time to start it, after it's warmed up. The voltage can get as low as 42 at first start of the day before stabilizing with good numbers once the truck is warmed up and staying great all day long. The block heater cuts that low-voltage time down to about 5 mins. But, it's a failure waiting to happen; I only have a finite number of starts left before it quits, so I'm limiting them until I can get it home.

On the plus side, this bus looks like a great buy if the engine holds up. I'm thinking that the low mileage means the block is good, and that I'll just have to replace random bolt on parts. Longer than my other bus, little bit of Minn rust here and there. It has a radio and cup holders!

 

While it definitely went back together easier than it came apart, and it will come apart easier next time, the two lower middle valve cover bolts are harder to put back in than to take out. I could barely reach them with the end of my fingers coming out, and each fell into my hand once loose, but going back, I couldn't get my hand holding the bolt past the exhaust manifold. Had to go buy a swivel ratchet wrench and come at it from under the truck, with my brother pushing the bolt and my wrench down with a long screwdriver so the ratchet would catch and not just rotate back and forth.

CONCLUSION: if I ever have to do this job again, and had the choice of when/where, and the right tools, I'd prolly drop the motor mounts like they recommend for the right side injectors. Just because it can be done this way, doesn't mean it's the best way.

 

To be able to work properly under the passenger side valve cover, you have to lower the engine on the driver side. This turns it slightly towards the driver's side and gives you more room to work. Get yourself such tools for "narrow space". With them you can easily get to the screws on the wheelside of the valve cover.

 

How's your trip going back? I assume you are on your way back or already back home.