This guy is a dying breed. Your odds of finding a “deisel technician” at a dealership that knows how to do anything other than read codes is slim and none. Let alone a wealth of in-depth knowledge of how a HEUI engine ACTUALLY operates.
Appreciate the depth of your knowledge and quality of presentation. Quick query to see if there's an opinion. My 2000 7.3 has 508k original miles (I've put 481k of those on it). It runs strong but slightly rough at a coast (probably could use injectors although I did replace the #5 injector two years ago (long story). I did glow plugs a few months ago and it now starts and runs strong. My issue started after an oil service and fuel filter change a month ago. My water in fuel light came on for the first time ever (except at start-up initialization) then the next cold start it started perfectly then about 5 seconds later it chugged and stalled. When I restarted it it seemed to be starved for fuel. I drained the fuel bowl and primed it and started it up again and it was good. Since, at all cold starts it starts strong and hits normal then it'll slow revolutions after 5 to 7 seconds and smoke like it's super cold out then after 30 seconds to a minute and a half it settles back to a smooth idle with no smoke. I pulled the fuel filter and pumped out the fuel which looked like it had a pool of oil in I but didn't detect water. I was thinking injector cups maybe but It doesn't appear that the fuel in the rail can return to the bowl. Also, I don't know if the hpop delivering reduced pressure after start-up and reduced fuel injected would produce the acrid smoke. Any thoughts would be great.
It is very difficult to fix one of these without a good scan tool. I would first want to know what the injector control pressure and ICP regulator percentage are when you start it and when it's giving these problems. That would be a good starting point. It would also be good to check each glow plug because you may have some of those that aren't burning and they open when they go bad. I would measure the current that the glow plugs are all pulling when you first turn on the key. You can do that with a current clamp at the relay. Each glow plug should pull about 25 amps initially and then fade back to about 15 amps. That's a starting burn of about 200 amps that should fade back to about 125 - if you see less than that on either end, you'll have one or more burned out glow plugs - do the math to see how many, then check each glow plug using a headlight bulb wired in series between the glow plug and the positive battery terminal. Most of the issues a 7.3L will have are fairly well known, but you can get in a LOT of trouble trying to fix one without gathering the proper data. Back when I was at the Ford dealer, I'd see some shops lose thousands of dollars trying to guess their way to a fix. Also, you need to check the fuel pressure, which should be more than 40 psi - 55-80 is the spec.
@@McCuistian I appreciate you weighing in and I was reminded that I bought a scan tool back in January 2020 when I had the #5injector issue. I'll hook it up this afternoon and see what values I get.
I really love the info but wish you wouldn't step in front of the screen so much. Lot's of good info but I had to pause a lot to look at the diagrams when they were visible
Do you have any videos talking about failures regarding the injectors? From what I read so far, the reason my 7.3 start billowing white smoke out of the exhaust may be due to an injector being stuck open or perhaps a blown o ring..... I'm gonna check to make sure the injector harness is securely in place, the do the buzz test before I start digging. Hoping it's not a piston or anything like that. I also must admit, I'm about 1200 miles past due for an oil change. Id thank you a million times for some advice.
Would like to ask you a question I have searched powerstroke forums and still have been unable to get the answer on the 7.3 injector I have a 2001 pushing so much air through the lines from the head to the filter header it almost looks like foam but it is in fact air just a lot of it I have been unable to locate the source new pickup tube in the tank new fuel pump I'm thinking maybe an injector but I can't get the answer if the 73 is able to escape exhaust gas through the injector causing the fuel to be contaminated with air. Any help would be greatly appreciated...
An injector isn't likely to be the cause of that - sometimes those copper washers on the injector will fail, but that doesn't aerate the fuel. What is the fuel pressure at the filter head? Aerated fuel on one of those is very unusual - It would seem that the air can't get into the line between the pump and the head because of the pressure - which would cause a leak at the breach. Duramax engines draw their fuel from the tank instead of pumping it, as do the first generation 7.3L platforms. That is a returnless system, which pushes any air in the system through the injectors rather than having small bleed ports in the filter head like the first gen PSD. Sounds like you've eliminated everything obvious, but look carefully at the line connections, banjo bolts and washers, etc. Those are some of the best Power Strokes ever built, but there are fewer and fewer people who understand them. I wish I had a solid answer for that issue, but right now I'm just not sure.
I have a 95 7.3 changed the fuel pump seemed to be fine acted like the high pressure side of the fuel pump was bad so I replaced it started and ran fine(cleaned the fuel tank out because pickup sock was blown apart haven’t replaced yet) but today coming home it died thought maybe it was low fuel because the pickup broke off so I went to get 5 gallons of diesel and put it in the tank cranked and cranked and cranked but no start I could hear injectors firing but sounded dry the fuel bowl fills but fills kinda slow kinda like there’s either a clogged line or something but I blew through the lines and got air back to the tank ran completely out of fuel and the injectors started running dry so I shut it down no fuel pressure at the regulator but when it started up after fuel pump it had decent fuel pressure at the valve on fuel bowl but now I get a little hiss of air but no fuel i unplugged glows and tried some brake clean to see if it would start but couldn’t get enough to start it but it started puffing smoke tailpipe doesn’t have smoke unless fuel is manually added I’ve racked my brain trying to figure it out any insight helps cam position sensors good ipr and icp are good has oil pressure and oil at hpop has a tac reading glow plug light cycles and no check engine light fuel pressure regulator spring is stretched a little and kind of bent could that cause no pressure
Nobody is going to be able to talk you through a repair on one of those you're just going to have to figure that one out because there are too many moving parts in the equation.
I have a 95 e350 7.3. my problem is loss of power, i/e goes up hill at 1mph no power. if I cycle the key it will run good but the start to miss, is the a valve cover gasket problem. I have a P1211 CODE
That P1211 usually points to the IP Regulator, but it can be other things as well - with the mileage you have on that one, it may need a LOT more than just the regulator. And pay particular attention to the wire terminals where they plug into the IPR.
@@McCuistian ok looks like I need some exlax for constipated fuel system. I enjoyed the teaching style SBG sludge cleaner type stuff it is...! I hope they are safe on the seals.
@@McCuistian Thanks for the reply. Do you know of any knowledgeable mobile mechanics in Houston? My T444E has 0 fuel pressure at the Schrader valve... but I can see fuel getting to the bowl and when I crank with the fuel drain open it come out steadily. I cleaned the fuel pressure regulator spring inside and the valve the part that slides... still 0 fuel pressure. ... Have a lovely day.
I have a 2002 7.3 powerstroke. It's sucking air from the tank into the supply line causing it not to start. I've replaced the in tank sending unit , fuel pump Ipr valve and cam shift sensor. I hooked a clear line from the pickup on the sending unit to the pump and can clearly see air in the line, causing the pump to cavitate. All I can figure is there is air coming from the return line back to the tank, and the pickup foot is getting that aerated fuel. I don't know where the air is coming from. Thoughts? I am lost on this.
I did; they were clean, and the valve in the pick-up foot was out in the bottom of the tank. I reinstalled that and tried it again. Still pulling air from the tank with it being half full. So I replaced the whole tank sending unit, thinking it had a hairline crack that I couldn't see. That didn't work either. Still pulling air.
@@josephvasquez2705 The professional diesel shops will use another regular electric fuel pump they've rigged up to pressurize the fuel system between the tank and the frame mounted pump (connect just outside the tank) and see if fuel leaks out anywhere. If there is any kind of leak between the tank and the pump it'll show up that way.
@@josephvasquez2705 glad u found it im having a hard starting problem and thinking its air also. Were the air bubbles in the clear line you hooked up clearly visible? How did you find the little crack in the fuel bowl? Bet thats wasnt easy!!!
This guy is a dying breed. Your odds of finding a “deisel technician” at a dealership that knows how to do anything other than read codes is slim and none. Let alone a wealth of in-depth knowledge of how a HEUI engine ACTUALLY operates.
Literally all of this information is what I learned in 2 to 3 weeks of googling and research. Very good info all in one place
This was part of an 8 hour class I taught in Fort Worth back in 2003
Thank you for posting! Really enjoy learning about the direct injection 7.3 liter turbo diesel
Very informative. Thanks for posting
Thanks for posting!
Appreciate the depth of your knowledge and quality of presentation. Quick query to see if there's an opinion. My 2000 7.3 has 508k original miles (I've put 481k of those on it). It runs strong but slightly rough at a coast (probably could use injectors although I did replace the #5 injector two years ago (long story). I did glow plugs a few months ago and it now starts and runs strong. My issue started after an oil service and fuel filter change a month ago. My water in fuel light came on for the first time ever (except at start-up initialization) then the next cold start it started perfectly then about 5 seconds later it chugged and stalled. When I restarted it it seemed to be starved for fuel. I drained the fuel bowl and primed it and started it up again and it was good. Since, at all cold starts it starts strong and hits normal then it'll slow revolutions after 5 to 7 seconds and smoke like it's super cold out then after 30 seconds to a minute and a half it settles back to a smooth idle with no smoke. I pulled the fuel filter and pumped out the fuel which looked like it had a pool of oil in I but didn't detect water. I was thinking injector cups maybe but It doesn't appear that the fuel in the rail can return to the bowl. Also, I don't know if the hpop delivering reduced pressure after start-up and reduced fuel injected would produce the acrid smoke. Any thoughts would be great.
It is very difficult to fix one of these without a good scan tool. I would first want to know what the injector control pressure and ICP regulator percentage are when you start it and when it's giving these problems. That would be a good starting point. It would also be good to check each glow plug because you may have some of those that aren't burning and they open when they go bad. I would measure the current that the glow plugs are all pulling when you first turn on the key. You can do that with a current clamp at the relay. Each glow plug should pull about 25 amps initially and then fade back to about 15 amps. That's a starting burn of about 200 amps that should fade back to about 125 - if you see less than that on either end, you'll have one or more burned out glow plugs - do the math to see how many, then check each glow plug using a headlight bulb wired in series between the glow plug and the positive battery terminal. Most of the issues a 7.3L will have are fairly well known, but you can get in a LOT of trouble trying to fix one without gathering the proper data. Back when I was at the Ford dealer, I'd see some shops lose thousands of dollars trying to guess their way to a fix. Also, you need to check the fuel pressure, which should be more than 40 psi - 55-80 is the spec.
@@McCuistian I appreciate you weighing in and I was reminded that I bought a scan tool back in January 2020 when I had the #5injector issue. I'll hook it up this afternoon and see what values I get.
Awesome
great video
I really love the info but wish you wouldn't step in front of the screen so much. Lot's of good info but I had to pause a lot to look at the diagrams when they were visible
Fantastic thanks
Do you have any videos talking about failures regarding the injectors? From what I read so far, the reason my 7.3 start billowing white smoke out of the exhaust may be due to an injector being stuck open or perhaps a blown o ring..... I'm gonna check to make sure the injector harness is securely in place, the do the buzz test before I start digging. Hoping it's not a piston or anything like that. I also must admit, I'm about 1200 miles past due for an oil change.
Id thank you a million times for some advice.
Would like to ask you a question I have searched powerstroke forums and still have been unable to get the answer on the 7.3 injector I have a 2001 pushing so much air through the lines from the head to the filter header it almost looks like foam but it is in fact air just a lot of it I have been unable to locate the source new pickup tube in the tank new fuel pump I'm thinking maybe an injector but I can't get the answer if the 73 is able to escape exhaust gas through the injector causing the fuel to be contaminated with air.
Any help would be greatly appreciated...
An injector isn't likely to be the cause of that - sometimes those copper washers on the injector will fail, but that doesn't aerate the fuel. What is the fuel pressure at the filter head? Aerated fuel on one of those is very unusual - It would seem that the air can't get into the line between the pump and the head because of the pressure - which would cause a leak at the breach. Duramax engines draw their fuel from the tank instead of pumping it, as do the first generation 7.3L platforms. That is a returnless system, which pushes any air in the system through the injectors rather than having small bleed ports in the filter head like the first gen PSD. Sounds like you've eliminated everything obvious, but look carefully at the line connections, banjo bolts and washers, etc. Those are some of the best Power Strokes ever built, but there are fewer and fewer people who understand them. I wish I had a solid answer for that issue, but right now I'm just not sure.
I have a 95 7.3 changed the fuel pump seemed to be fine acted like the high pressure side of the fuel pump was bad so I replaced it started and ran fine(cleaned the fuel tank out because pickup sock was blown apart haven’t replaced yet) but today coming home it died thought maybe it was low fuel because the pickup broke off so I went to get 5 gallons of diesel and put it in the tank cranked and cranked and cranked but no start I could hear injectors firing but sounded dry the fuel bowl fills but fills kinda slow kinda like there’s either a clogged line or something but I blew through the lines and got air back to the tank ran completely out of fuel and the injectors started running dry so I shut it down no fuel pressure at the regulator but when it started up after fuel pump it had decent fuel pressure at the valve on fuel bowl but now I get a little hiss of air but no fuel i unplugged glows and tried some brake clean to see if it would start but couldn’t get enough to start it but it started puffing smoke tailpipe doesn’t have smoke unless fuel is manually added I’ve racked my brain trying to figure it out any insight helps cam position sensors good ipr and icp are good has oil pressure and oil at hpop has a tac reading glow plug light cycles and no check engine light fuel pressure regulator spring is stretched a little and kind of bent could that cause no pressure
Nobody is going to be able to talk you through a repair on one of those you're just going to have to figure that one out because there are too many moving parts in the equation.
I have a 95 e350 7.3. my problem is loss of power, i/e goes up hill at 1mph no power. if I cycle the key it will run good but the start to miss, is the a valve cover gasket problem. I have a P1211 CODE
That P1211 usually points to the IP Regulator, but it can be other things as well - with the mileage you have on that one, it may need a LOT more than just the regulator. And pay particular attention to the wire terminals where they plug into the IPR.
@@McCuistian thanks, what about the solenoid on the injectors
So where can I take it to? Its a 95 and the dealership dosent want to work on it
@@billgasior where are you?
@@McCuistian I'm in bridgeville Pennsylvania 15017
5:00.. Hi, what do you do when the tank and filter are sticky and clogged up on a PSD?.. sighs
You have to clean them so they are no longer clogged up and sticky. Using whatever method works best for you.
@@McCuistian ok looks like I need some exlax for constipated fuel system. I enjoyed the teaching style SBG sludge cleaner type stuff it is...! I hope they are safe on the seals.
@@McCuistian Thanks for the reply. Do you know of any knowledgeable mobile mechanics in Houston? My T444E has 0 fuel pressure at the Schrader valve... but I can see fuel getting to the bowl and when I crank with the fuel drain open it come out steadily. I cleaned the fuel pressure regulator spring inside and the valve the part that slides... still 0 fuel pressure. ... Have a lovely day.
I have a 2002 7.3 powerstroke. It's sucking air from the tank into the supply line causing it not to start. I've replaced the in tank sending unit , fuel pump Ipr valve and cam shift sensor. I hooked a clear line from the pickup on the sending unit to the pump and can clearly see air in the line, causing the pump to cavitate. All I can figure is there is air coming from the return line back to the tank, and the pickup foot is getting that aerated fuel. I don't know where the air is coming from. Thoughts? I am lost on this.
Check the 2 filters (in-tank, in the pump) picture at 6:24 in the video.
I did; they were clean, and the valve in the pick-up foot was out in the bottom of the tank. I reinstalled that and tried it again. Still pulling air from the tank with it being half full. So I replaced the whole tank sending unit, thinking it had a hairline crack that I couldn't see. That didn't work either. Still pulling air.
@@josephvasquez2705 The professional diesel shops will use another regular electric fuel pump they've rigged up to pressurize the fuel system between the tank and the frame mounted pump (connect just outside the tank) and see if fuel leaks out anywhere. If there is any kind of leak between the tank and the pump it'll show up that way.
Found it. The fuel filter housing had a hairline crack by the supply line.
@@josephvasquez2705 glad u found it im having a hard starting problem and thinking its air also. Were the air bubbles in the clear line you hooked up clearly visible? How did you find the little crack in the fuel bowl? Bet thats wasnt easy!!!