I have a 2005 F350 dually that I use to haul a gooseneck trailer weighing approx 17,000# from MD to FL twice a month. Starting in March at just over 99,000 miles had an injector explode (literally!). Injector, head, rod and piston were replaced. 3000 miles later another injector went (did not explode, just locked open). 3000 miles later the third injector went. Burnt the valve, "washed" the cylinder. Ford is replacing the block and the head. I bought this truck with 44,000 miles on it in May 2009. We have changed the oil every 5000 miles. The fuel filters every 15,000 miles. We put in Ford's cetane boost and performance improver in every tank. We fuel mostly at large truck stops. Any ideas on what is causing the injectors to fail? It has been suggested that it might be water in the fuel. We do not currently have a separate water/fuel separator, but am considering putting one on. What else should we do to maintain this truck and make it reliable?

 

This would be a good topic for the 6.0 diesel forum. Interesting question I think.

I don't know of anyone running a separate water trap. The one on the truck is pretty good, and is called a Horizontal Fuel Conditioning Module, or HFCM for short. But it does require specific patented filters with an aqua-block membrane, and if you use any aftermarket element you may have problems. I'm pretty sure Ford would have checked that before they honored your warranty, but maybe not. The aftermarket "will-fit" elements are not good at separating the water, and it is true that water will harm the injectors.

You may have been using OEM filter elements, but previous owners might not have.

Drain the water trap every month or 5,000 miles. Change the fuel filters every 10,000 miles, or sooner if they are coming out dirty.

At this point, you are running out of warranty. And Ford is only going to replace the injector that is currently failed. You are probably lucky they are even doing that without hassleing you. If it were mine, I would work out a deal with the shop to replace ALL the injectors, and charge me the difference. This is because, as you know, the damage that can be done if another one fails. Even though they don't normally bang things up as bad as two of yours have.

 

All the work has been done by Ford, including the oil changes and fuel filter changes. So I assume that they have been using the correct filters. We have purchased the extended warranty, so Ford has been pretty good about it. Although, after the second injector failed they did ask for the records for the fuel filter changes.
So you don't think that they are being caused by anything, just bad luck?
Thanks

 

I am not a technician. That is why I suggested you visit the 6.0 forum. But if this is just luck, then it is really bad luck. Not so much that the injectors failed, that is common enough, but you had two fail catastrophically.

So, I don't know what caused that. But typically injectors fail due to some common issues, including incorrect fuel filters, water, running the truck almost out of fuel, low fuel pressure, incorrect engine oil, low high pressure oil. Just to name some off the top of my head.

If I were you, I would worry that whatever damaged 3 injectors might also have done some damage to the other 5, plus the fact that they are 99k old, so replacing them all at once makes sense to me, IF you plan to run the truck for a while.

 

Have they checked your fuel pressure at idle and WOT? Low fuel pressure will kill the injectors in the 6.0.

 

Not being a diesel mechanic and being new to diesels in general, what is WOT? Thank you.

 

That is exactly my concern, which I have voiced to Ford several times. I don't want to damage the new engine, which I am afraid will happen.

Thank you

 

I went through 3 sets of injectors on my 05 6.0 before 70,000 miles. Now I have a V10!

 

Wide open throttle.

 

Unfortunately Ford will not help you here. If you want them all replaced, it is going to cost you. Hopefully the dealer will work with you on a fair price.

Not helpful, but thanks for playing.

 

to me it sounds like you are doing everything right with the except of the fuel filter changes and draining the fuel/water separator month or every 5K Stay away from bio fuel too.

 

It now seems evident that we should change the fuel filters every 10,000 miles, although it is ridiculous that that Ford recommends 15,000 miles and our mechanic has been telling us the same thing, but now that we are having problems they recommend that we change every 10,000 miles. Why didn't they just tell us that in the first place! I appreciate the info. Why do you recommend to stay away from biodiesel?

Thanks

 

bio diesel has less energy, so you make less power, also produces more soot so you regen more frequetly it too also requires that you follow the severe service schedule, I believe in part because it is less refined.

 

1. Are you running tunes / any mods at all?

2. Are you using biodiesel?

If yes to both, all bets are off.

Biodiesel is the biggest boondoogle out there next to the Toyota Prius.

There is virtually no quality control on what qualifies as "biodiesel" --- even if you bought "name brand" you can never be sure what the retailer put in the tank.

You basically have at least 10,000 (my guess) backyard operations gathering up things like used restaurant grease, bacon fat, cow fat, tallow, used motor oil, you name it, and "processing" it to turn it into "biodiesel".

When you can take a waste product and turn it into a product that sells for $2 or more a gallon wholesale, the incentive to scam is ... nearly as good as the incentive to make moonshine.

There are "accredited" producers, like these ones listed that claim to do better:

Biodiesel.org - Producers&Marketers

But the reality is, most of the producers figure that once they mix it in with regular diesel (whatever they have lying around, including way substandard stuff), they throw it into a tank, who is going to know?

Especially if it is B85 --- they figure no one will catch them.

Take a close look at retailers too --- and note the dominance of certain ethnic based groups that... um... smiles... nevermind.


So until the situation stabilize with the emergence of high quality, beginning to end integrated biodiesel firms that guarantee the quality ---- don't ever touch the stuff.

 

I have heard that biodiesel is supposed to be more lubricating for the engine. Do you think that this is accurate?