My 6.0 has had injector issues ever since I got her new. She presently has 223K miles. I have been running for the last few years with 1 or probably 2 injectors not working. Only putting on a few thousand miles a year. At least I did regular oil changes every 5K. Yep, gutless wonder, I know, but it just costs too much to replace injectors. I'm tired of doing just the bum ones and then having another one go out a few months after that, so since I could not afford fixing her, I've just been running like it is.

Well, now I think I popped a 3rd one. 40-45 MPH is about max speed, and local uphills end up at about 15 MPH. She just started really pumping out grey smoke after a popping sound (I was gunning it which would help it sometimes). I just finally saved up enough to change the shocks for the first time, had to also replace the alternator and was driving her back home when it popped. Now that I finally have nice shocks and a non-milkshake blender ride, she has no power. But the FICM is good, lol.

I'm at an impasse. New full set of injectors are around $3,500 installed so my mechanic tells me. Don't have that either, but I am going to have to find some things to sell somehow. She's just not driveable like this anymore and we need a vehicle.

I have heard rumors that I would be better off not installing the same 6.0 OEMs. Some say to use the 7.3 injectors. I've been told that they will work and that the issues with the 6.0 injectors was fixed in the 7.3 injectors. Is this true? Anyone know for sure? Anything I need to know to do this? Anything extra that would also need changing at the same time?

Or should I stick with the 6.0 injectors?

Any brands that are known to be good injectors?

Are remanufactured something to avoid or should I consider them?

What should I expect for a warranty? 1 year? 2 years? Parts and labor or just parts?

I watched a few videos and learned that I should also change the oil and filter, along with changing both fuel filters, too, when the injectors are changed. Another video said to do the blue spring replacement.

Anything else I need to know or any other options or suggestions you experts can think of? I'm a female pushing 70 with no family except hubbans, so I'm not going to be doing any of this repair work myself.

Thanks for your thoughts and input guys.

 

Honesty, with the price of used cars these days, IMHO, its time to just sell the Excursion. A 6.0 is a finicky engine that will absolutely drain your bank account if you can't do the work on it yourself. The 6.0 has a terrible reputation for reliability as a whole, although there is a dedicated cult following/ diehard few that love the thing (I'm not one of them). Do a few google searches about the 6.0, you'll see its been problematic since its release ( heck it and the 6.4 that followed it, almost bankrupted Ford).
...

 

7.3 and 6.uh-oh injectors are not interchangeable.
I agree with Anton on everything he said.

 

Pull the whole set and send them off to Holder's Diesel. He will bench test all 8 and see what the issue is. Rykan knows these injectors well and can tell you if it's a fuel pump problem or just the manufacturer.

He offers a service to reman the whole set for a fraction of the price for them new. I've done this for several of my customers and even my own 7.3 injectors and haven't had anyone come back. They're always impressed with how much more powerful their truck is.

While the injectors are off for inspection, drop the tank and make sure you don't have sediment sitting at the bottom. A new HFCM never hurts either.

 

I appreciate your input. My dilemma is that with the current blowing smoke state and 223K miles, I do not imagine I will get much for her. Whatever I might get for her would be my budget for buying a used vehicle. A new vehicle is out of the question (retired, fixed income, cost of insurance and registration on a new vehicle, etc). I cannot imagine what kind of problems I would be buying for my budget.

I do not want to buy someone else's old problem that they sold off, only to be dumping money into it to keep it running safely. I also do not want a car that is full of electronic crap that likes to just go out on you all the time, plus monitoring devices at the bequest of insurance companies, and Lord knows what else electronic crap it has. I like plain and simple. I'm an old you-know-what kicker.

At least with my Ex, I know that with the exception of the fuel injectors, she's been a good vehicle. Change the oil, change the tires, I just changed the alternator after 223K miles (and sadly, the shocks, too), I really cannot complain about anything else with her. I figure that if I go with remanufactured injectors, probably Holder's Diesel as suggested by @Toreador_Diesel , add the blue spring, change both fuel filters again, flush the coolant system and maybe even install the aftermarket coolant filtration system, she will probably last longer than I will.

After all this research that I have been doing, I feel like I much better understand that I quite possibly largely contributed to the fuel injector issue. She's never been in the snow but one day, always instead just the 115F - 120F desert heat, running long and at 80 - 85 mph. Apparently heat, and also the effects heat has on the oil, are big contributors to injector failure. I did not know that until the last week or so.

Sorry I'm so long winded.

 

@Toreador_Diesel Thanks for Holders name and info. I notice they have a basically short 6 month warranty vs others that sell sets with 1 to 2 year warranties. I have just asked them for more info on this.

As for the HFCM, I would hate to think that I need one of them, too, as they are quite costly for just parts. I had to google it to find out what it is. It is just ridiculous how much these parts costs anymore.

 

You're welcome

This is why you either clean or replace the HFCM


You don't have to worry about the condition of the pump or the cleanliness of the HFCM.

Customer complaint was that the truck seemed sluggish so she wanted the truck diagnosed and fuel and oil filters changed while we had it.

 

Oh that's just gross!! From the little research I did just then on the HFCM, I thought it had some sort of computer circuitry in it. That area in your video clip was just loaded with junk. How much time is the typical charge for a clean out of it, do you happen to know?

Thanks again!

 

That was just what I could see. There was way more sediment and gunk behind the hose connections.

To clean and reseal an HFCM,I charge an hour of time plus the seal and brake cleaner. It's entirely doable in your driveway, just make sure you have the HFCM cover seal before you start. Even then the fuel pump has an expected 150K service life, so if you're well past that point, consider the whole HFCM.