I was poking around under there checking out my fuel system a couple of days ago - it took me ages to convince myself that those flimsy plastic tubes were the fuel lines! I guess they must be stronger than they appear, I don't think they've ever been touched, and no signs of a leak anywhere. Still, i can't help but feel that plastic is not the best material for this, has anyone upgraded these lines? Or am I just being needlessly fussy?

Chris.

 

I think that flimsy plastic is the best there is, it doesn,t rust basically last forever, vibration doesn't hurt it. On the reefer trailers the fuel line is plastic airline and it last millions of miles.

 

I think the term "plastic" is catch all for a number of chemical compositions. Some definitely better than others. True it doesn't rust but a lot gets brittle due to heat, UV's, etc.

 

Very true but the plastic fuel line composition of our fuel lines is something like the plastic air lines and I have used both my idi and my big trucks anywhere from the southwest 120 degrees to the artic -50 below without any illeffects. With the airline with pressure on it getting a torch or a bb from welding will cause a blowout but very easy to splice permently, not sure if the airline splices are the right size for our fuel lines or not never needed to splice one.

 

Good to know. Thinking of some of the other plastic items, glow plug connectors, dash, to name a few. It would make sense fuel lines being higher quality, from a safety stand point.

 

Yea completely different I don't think the fuel lines are actually plastic just a generic term. I agree wish the electrical connectors were built with a higher quality but I guess there is a need to sell parts and ford doesn't intend for us to drive these things near as long as some of us do.

 

No doubt, all things being equal I wouldn't make an equal swap of my truck for a new one. I know guys who get the new trucks, at around $50K, only to find immediate problems or always getting a tow for one of those (way too many) sensors. Even though this year has been the year of repairs, thankfully minor, I don't think twice about taking an 800 to 1,000 mile trip, as I do at least twice a year.

 

I think the fuel lines and air lines are the same material, which I believe is more like a nylon material.
Strong and great resistance to abrasion.

In air line duty, that flimsy plastic tube will handle over 150 PSI with no problem.

What everyone forgets, figure the new truck payment, property tax difference, insurance difference over a year and then figure out how many repairs you can make and still be ahead of the game.

500 dollar truck payment = 6000 dollars a year.
200 a month cheaper on insurance = 2400 dollars a year.
A couple hundred less on property tax and you are close to 9,000 a year in repairs before a new truck would be cheaper.

I rebuilt an engine and bought/rebuilt/installed a Dana 60 in one year and was only at 7500 in repairs, still had a way to go before a new truck would have been cheaper.
The next year my repairs were under 500 dollars, so that put the old truck far out in the lead again over only two years.

I keep close records on my truck, I maintain and operate mine for less that truck payments would be on a new one.
And the new one would still need registration, insurance and fuel as well as maintained.

 

I agree in principal, but its not truck payments that you need in the equation, its interest and depreciation. You may be paying (for example) $6k/year in payments, but you are also building up equity in the newer truck. A couple year old truck seems to depreciate roughly $2k/year, add interest etc, and I think the figure is probably closer to $3k/year. But that still buys you a lot of repairs on an old IDI!

My problem is I would have a very hard time spending thousands of dollars on my truck, knowing that the resale value (with the salvage title) is next to zero (a couple of thousand at best). If she can just tick over without any major problems for another 20 years, then she'll be a classic and I'll start thinking about painting her candy-apple red and taking her to car shows!

Chris.

 

I'll see you at the shows although I'm hoping to have the original paint . Another approach to the inevitable repairs is to put what would be a portion of a truck payment aside into the truck account every month. It'll add up when you don't need it and be there when you do. And, as Dave said, the hit on new truck insurance ($650/yr for mine) and property tax (registration) is measurable. Funny, being taxed every year for something you own. Not to mention new ones are almost impossible to work on without 10K to 15K in diagnostic equipment. Even the small shops can't work on the newer ones.

 

When you have a truck that the shop proceedure for servicing the turbo or changine injectors requires removing the cab, that right much eliminates all the back yard mechanics and most of the small shops.

Thinking about it, glow plugs are probably on that list as well, I don't think you can reach the back of the valve cover to remove it on a new Power Stroke from up front.

Equity?

Show me a truck you can sell the year after you buy it for what you have in it.
The first year you own a new truck are the most expensive miles you will ever drive.
Highest drop in value.
Highest interest.
Highest taxes.
Highest insurance.

I have a friend that just had a big tree fall on his 04 and total it.
Insurance payout was only 2500 over what he owed.
So the 94 IDI he traded in in 04 was gone, and all of the payment money he paid was gone except for 2500 dollars.

Now that is building equity since his 94 would be worth 2000 dollars today as a trade in and all the payment, tax and extra insurance money would still be in his pocket.
Clean retail for that 94 looking at NADA in my area would have been 3925 today, 1425 over what the payout was on the 04 minus the still owed loan amount.

I personally don't need investments like that.