This is my first post. I'll do my best to keep it short.
I'm having issues with my 1997 powerstroke (205,000 miles). The truck is basically stock except for my DIY 6637 intake, 3" DP to 4" straight exhaust, and gauges (pyro, boost, tranny). The truck came with a Superchip programmer, but I rarely use it.

Recently it's fuel ecomony is poor (10-11 mpg) as well as the power. Driving around town I can't really tell there's a power loss, but when I'm pulling it's definately apparent. Also, if I punch the throttle the RPM's will climb steadily until 2,500 RPM, then shudder for a second, then continue to increase to over 3,000 RPM. When it shudders at 2,500 it also puts out white smoke from the exhaust. I took to a local shop and they ran a diagnostics. The codes indicated I had 4 injectors acting up (2 on each side).

I've recently performed it's 5K oil change and fuel filter, but my problems occured prior to this routine maintenance. To my suprise my fuel filter was nasty with what appears to be oil covering the filter and housing. Am I correct understanding this is due to the rings going out on my injectors? Furthermore, am I correct in understanding that this oil is now clogging my injectors, thus affecting my performance and milage?

Basically, I have a few questions that I hope you guys can assist me in.

1. Is there anything else that I need to be checking. Is there another screen or prefilter near the fuel filter that should also be checked? They checked my HPOP and it's operating properly.

2. If I really do need injectors, do I take care of all 8 or just the 4 giving me problems? One shop told me to only worry about the 4, but that doesn't make much sense to me. Two other shops say that all 8 will need changing as they are as old and worn as the 4 acting up. I'm thinking that replacing them all at once makes more sense to me. Except for cost.

3. What brand of injector should I go with? Alliant is what i've been told to use, but would like to hear from other folks as well.

4. Stock injector VS Stage 1? From what I understand, Stage 1 will supply more fuel, but decrease my milage. How much does milage drop when going to stage 1 from a stock injector with everything else stock? My plan is to eventually do some light mods to it like a TW tune, intercooler, possibly a turbo upgrade if it ever goes out...and definately a larger trans. radiator! But do I need these upgrades now if I plan to go with stage 1 injectors?

I know this post is long and I'll cut it off now. I'm really looking for some good advice and I know this is the place to get it. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

Are you sure the filter has oil? Diesel can develop algea that is thick and black and can screw with you fuel system. get a can of bio shock or some algea killer and run that through. There is a small screen on the side of fuel bowl housing. Looking inside the bowl with the filter out half way down on the drivers side. Gently clean it with a q-tip. Also check your fuel pressure at the schrader valve on the side of the bowl and see what you got. 60-70 is ideal. the fpr can be shimmed with a bb to raise pressure.
Which injectors are "bad" Have you checked the pins and connections at the valve cover? two connectors per valve cover, each one does 2 injectors. The pins can sometimes burn killing the injectors.

 

Thats pretty good life on the stock injectors. Could be the harnesses that fire them also. This kind of stuff is above my pay grade at this point.

Welcome to FTE!

 

I hope you never go to any of those shops again. None of them know what they are talking about at all. It's almost a certainty that it is just the injector O rings. Not the injectors themselves.

When the HP oil o ring at the top of the injector leaks it goes one of two ways, or both. Oil goes into the valve cover or into the fuel. It always causes driveability problems and you should feel a real difference in the truck once you replace the o rings.

The cost for a complete set of O rings and new glow plugs which I recommend replacing while you are in there should be around 100 bucks total. It's a huge difference compared to replacing even 1 injector.

Oil on your fuel filter is one of the first signs of those o rings going bad and it's pretty common knowledge among anyone that knows anything about powerstrokes.

 

Thanks guys. This definately helps me out. I'm going to give my harness a good look through and run some algea killer through the tank. I've already put in some Lucas injector cleaner. Would it be ok for me to put the algea killer in with the Lucas stuff?

I think I'll also go ahead and replace the injector o rings as well as I do have some glow plugs out anyway. 100 bucks is chump change comapred to what I thoug I was going to have to spend yesterday! Thanks everyone.

 

Take a look at DIY-injectors . com
DIY-Injectors.com

His name is Jim Rose of Rosewood diesel. Mostt everybody here will tell you he does great work and at a great price. Also you can do them yourself if you want.

To answer your last question; if you do Stage I's you don't necessarily have to do these mods. I will however suggest a TW or DP chip because with the bigger sticks you also need programming to really make them work properly. An intercooler would be nice if you tow but not absolutely necessary at first. You will eventually need one for towing or high performance driving.

 

Thanks for the info. Neal. I'll get with Rosewood about the injector rebuild kit.

I have another question. If I want to install say a Tru Cool Trans. cooler, would i still have enough room for a intercooler down the road? Or is there a certain tranny cooler I should go with if I want to keep enough room for a intercooler down the road?

 

Definately check the wiring harnesses for the injectors. I just had both on my passenger side go out so it was only running on 4 cylinders. If it smells like burnt wiring then that's probably it. And if you pull the valve covers you might as well put new glowplugs in if they havn't been changed recently.

 

You can have a larger tranny cooler but it is tight in there. My brother just installed his 6.0 cooler and was able to get a bigger tranny cooler in there. I believe the intercooler should be installed first since it is largest then you will be able to find room for the tranny cooler.
Mine is a 5sp so no cooler but if you want I have a few pics of my cooler install in my sig in H2e install.

 

i would stay away from the lucas injector cleaner. to make a long story short, its not too good lol. for the long story, read here- http://www.johnfjensen.com/Diesel_fu...itive_test.pdf

 

I wish I would have seen that study a while ago. I have been using that Lucas injector cleaner, believing it was helping the life expectancy of my engine and fuel system components only to find that I was not only wasting money but I could be doing damage to it as well. Thank you for the post.

 

Yeah thanks Phillips91. I'm going to run everything past the experts at FTE in the future! It's an awsome feeling having information overload instead of just wondering...

 

redone1,
This is a great place full of alot of very helpful people. Stick around even when you don't have problems it gets fun around here.

 

UPDATE: After checking my wiring harnesses they appear to be in good condition. I've put some more miles on it and it seems to be getting back to itself. My last milage without towing came to 14 MPG. It's not great, but it's better. It still has some hesitation at the 2,500 RPM range, but it's improved somewhat. I've emailed Jim Rose and I'm contemplating of doing the DIY injector rebuild. Maybe stage 1's...Just need to save a bit more money.

 

no problem. i was just passing on some info that had been given to me by another member. i had bought some lucas and was going to use it in mine till i saw that study.