Hi All,

I've finally put back together this 2001 7.3 after replacing up pipes, fuel system, turbo wheel, leaking pedestal o rings, etc. Aside from a couple leaks that need to tightened up- it all seems good.

But when I checked the oil- it looks like a lot of fuel got into the oil. Its way over the line on the dipstick. I have a feeling that the injector o rings are bad. From what I have read, when the o rings go bad, oil will seep into the fuel because of the higher pressure on the oil side. One of the symptoms of this is black fuel in the bowl- which was the case on this motor. But since I replaced the fuel system- I had the truck off and ran the pump at 60 psi to check for leaks for about 10 minutes. Is it possible that since the engine was off, and no oil pressure, the fuel could have drained passed the o rings and got into the oil? I've searched the forums and it does not seem common for the diesel to leak into the oil it is usually the other way around.

Also- if I am going to dig into these injectors, should I just replace the o rings and the cups or have them serviced? Or just buy remanufactured ones? Its a 20 year old engine and it looks like one of them has already been replaced. Just want get an idea from others' experience with these.. so far every part I've come across in this motor is either bad or leaking which is understandable but its a job I dont want to do twice

Edit- just got a quote from a local shop 265.00 each to rebuild- ouch

 

It all depends on your budget and goals for the truck. Just doing external orings for $90 is way cheaper and much faster tho.

I had a black fuel filter after my diesel gelled this winter. I opted for quality rebuilds from 1 of the only 2 injector builders anyone on here would recommend vs just re-oringing them and crossing my fingers. Or playing whack a mole for slightly cheaper rebuilds from the multitude of questionable rebuilders.

Mine came out to 174 each, and I upgraded to single shots. The 265 each you mentioned is the cost you should expect to pay for brand new virgin injectors, no way stock rebuilds should be that high

 

Right- thats the thing. Replacing the o-rings is cheap, but requires the same amount of work (or more) than just buying a reman set. I had just rebuilt the fuel bowl a couple months ago- and immediately after driving it just a couple miles it already had black fuel in it- so I know the injectors o-rings are bad at least. That and the truck has vibration issues which you would think tires/suspension, but can also relate to the injectors.

I just looking for minimal gains and reliability. Is injectors direct a good source? They seem to have the better prices. What are the recommended suppliers?

 

We can build you a set of stock or modified injectors if you have 4 weeks.

 

Thanks- I am not sure if they are bad or its just the seals. The truck starts up fine and does not smoke. Do you offer testing?

 

We do offer testing. How many miles on your injectors?

 

the deal is , having them tested will cost you as much as putting a good remans set in, Bitter Root will be who i go with when my time comes!

 

Thanks- I just emailed your site.

About 200,000 on these. By the looks of them- it seems that one has already been replaced. I was wondering if replacing the seals is included in the service, and if they test bad, does the cost of the testing go toward replacements?

 

Testing is just testing. Time and material for anything beyond.

 

So I drained the oil completely yesterday and I dont think that it is diesel in the oil- it looks more like water. About 4.25 gallons of gray milky oil came out of it. I know the first thing to think is head gasket- but the truck shows no other signs of those issues. After reading around, the oil cooler is known to leak and also the dipstick tube. I did pressure clean this motor several times due to it be covered in sludge. Could some of that water got into the oil via the dipstick tube?

The coolant level is fine on this motor and it does not smell of diesel or oil. And the oil that was removed does not smell like coolant either. Are there any other ways water can get into these? I currently have the ccv connected to a hose venting under the truck (just for now I guess) and I notice there is a lot of condensation and dripping water coming from it just from running it for minutes at a time. Just for more context, the truck has lived its 20 years all here in south florida so yes it is humid in case that has anything to do with it. And it has been sitting and seldom used for about 3 years before I started digging into it.

 

Milky oil can cause great damage to the oil sides of the injectors.

 

Thanks- I guess I better get the fuel and oil issues fixed before replacing the injectors

 

If it were me I would get some rebuilt injectors from Bitterroot. If the oil cooler hasn't been serviced it would be a good idea to do that anyways for preventive matinance. I had to do oil cooler r/r and injectors at around 175,000 miles. Head gaskets rarely fail on these trucks but anything is possible.