Bear with me, please...I'm new to this!

[unclehoser]

Man, what a great website! I finally registered, after lurking a bit and drinking in the wealth of knowledge and advice available here!

My story: I have never owned or worked on a diesel vehicle. Never. Ever. In my 61 years on this planet, I've only driven gasoline-powered pickups/cars or motorcycles. Now, as luck would have it, I bid on an old 'company truck' at my place of employment and took it home for next to nothing. Ford F250, 7.3 IDI, E40D trans, 1991 vintage. As far as I know, it's been sitting in the Arizona sun for the last 15 years deteriorating. I've seen it move from point A to point B on the property maybe twice in the last 6 years. The interior is mostly dust, but that's another story.

So far, I've replaced the glowplugs...they were all toast. Starts really quick, but dies really quick, too! After looking around here, I know why! I noticed a bit of fuel weeping from the #4 injector fitting, and ordered up a fuel return kit (caps, o-rings, hose, clamps - you know the drill) to alleviate the air leakage.

This is where I need a bit of advice: In order to replace all of that hardware, will I need to completely remove the 'hard' fuel lines from the pump to the injectors, or can I cheat a bit and leave them connected to the pump in the process? Is there enough 'play' to remove the injector fittings and replace caps/o-rings/etc. like that? I'd rather not disturb anything that I don't have to disturb and risk causing even more trouble down the road.

I know the GURUS here have the answers, so I'll leave it at that. Thanks in advance, from a total novice!

Cheers...

 

[typ4]

You can flex them out of the way gently. Hope you got a quality return kit.

 

[TahoeTom]

If you remove the line clamps there will be enough play to get the return lines in. Don't leave the line clamps off or you will crack lines due to vibration.

 

[IDIoit]

x2 on the QUALITY return line kit.
cheap caps will have "casting flash" on them and can cut an o-ring when installing.

while your at it, address ALL of the rubber parts in the fuel system.
extra attention to the "olives" randomly in the fuel feed and return system.

 

[unclehoser]

Thanks, gentlemen! I hope I got a good kit, too...bought from a local fleet service shop based on their recommendations. It's what they use every day, and being totally in the dark, I have to rely on others' advice!

I sort of figured that those hard fuel lines would be easy enough to get out of the way after removing the clamps that gang them together, but wanted to hear it from experts. And, yes, I did get the fuel line "olive" seals in the package! I hate doing an incomplete job. While I'm by no means a mechanic, I'm a cabinetmaker and finish carpenter by trade, so details and completion to perfection are in my DNA!

I appreciate the quick replies, and I'm sure I'll have more questions down the road with this project...and I know where to go for answers now!

Cheers...
Dave

 

[icanfixall]

Welcome to the forum. Congradulations on purchasing one of th best easiest trucks and engine to keep on the road.
When I do a return line replacement I do not need to remove the injector hard line clamps but it does make it easier on a first time user. As already posted. Those clamps MUST be installed or the fuel pulse vibrations from the injection pump will crack the lines. These clamps and a very tuff nut and bolt to fit back in place. What I did was replace the bolt with a longer one. I think its a 3/4 inch long bolt of the 1/4x20 thread. Please hand tighten the lines back on the injector. Otherwise cross threading them is a high probility. If they wont fit easily just use a 5/8 inch wrench on the nut to bend them ever so slightly till they fit nicely to the injector. As it always goes the farthest lines are the last to fit and hardest to get to. Make the lines at the back of the engine the first you fit up. For no good reason on my enine the number one injector hard line is the most difficult to thread back on. It is located at the fuel filter area and has that fitting between the hard line and the injector. Thats an old Ford Rotunda timing fitting that nobody uses any more. I do not think any timing meters are available for them either. On this injector to ease tightening the hard line I loosen the timing fitting so I have some movement in the fitting and the line nut. You will feel it out as you go.
Now some information about the return line kit. I hope you purchased a good quality kit. We have 2 differant kits. the kit with the green clamps is the small line kit. the red clamps is the larger line kit and you can't mix or match these as one kit. Both kits will work but you have fittings that these kits fit so do not think you can force kit a small kit on the large fittings or vise versa. The olives are not the easiest to install or remove either. they get hard as rocks with age. I use a dental pick to remove them but digging them out is what you have to look forwards too. Some try burning them out and some soak them in brake fluid over night to soften them. The location of them is easy but again if you never did this you may have issues "finding them. Look at the fuel pump supply line to the filter. /See the brass fitting. That has the 3/8 inch olive seal in it. then the feed line from the filter to the injection pump has the smaller 5/16 olives in each end of that. When you remove these olives please push them back down on the fuel lines enough for the line to fit deep into the female fitting. then slide the nut forwards and begin tightening till it is snug. you DO NOT NEED THE BRASS NUT TIGHT. Again its a feel type job. It needs to be tight on the line to keep the fuel from leaking out.
Asking for help on this forum is what some feel is the only way to learn. I agree with that. When I purchased my truck many years ago I had "others" replace injection pumps and do return line jobs for me. It was a costly lesson. you are way ahead of me doing this yourself.

 

[unclehoser]

Thanks so much for the tutorial, sir. As I said at first, I can use all the help I can get!

I have the parts in hand, and I guess I'll be a "diesel mechanic ******" come Tuesday morning...well, maybe not a complete ******...I DID replace the glowplugs a couple weeks ago, and with amazing results!

You guys are really great. I can't imagine what I would have done in the days before the 'internet experience', except spend countless hours at the local library. It's just so easy in this day in age to get what you need from the world's largest library, and a pool of experts willing to share their knowledge.

I'm jumpin' in with both feet...can't hurt!

Thanks again
Dave

Welcome to the forum. Congradulations on purchasing one of th best easiest trucks and engine to keep on the road.
When I do a return line replacement I do not need to remove the injector hard line clamps but it does make it easier on a first time user. As already posted. Those clamps MUST be installed or the fuel pulse vibrations from the injection pump will crack the lines. These clamps and a very tuff nut and bolt to fit back in place. What I did was replace the bolt with a longer one. I think its a 3/4 inch long bolt of the 1/4x20 thread. Please hand tighten the lines back on the injector. Otherwise cross threading them is a high probility. If they wont fit easily just use a 5/8 inch wrench on the nut to bend them ever so slightly till they fit nicely to the injector. As it always goes the farthest lines are the last to fit and hardest to get to. Make the lines at the back of the engine the first you fit up. For no good reason on my enine the number one injector hard line is the most difficult to thread back on. It is located at the fuel filter area and has that fitting between the hard line and the injector. Thats an old Ford Rotunda timing fitting that nobody uses any more. I do not think any timing meters are available for them either. On this injector to ease tightening the hard line I loosen the timing fitting so I have some movement in the fitting and the line nut. You will feel it out as you go.
Now some information about the return line kit. I hope you purchased a good quality kit. We have 2 differant kits. the kit with the green clamps is the small line kit. the red clamps is the larger line kit and you can't mix or match these as one kit. Both kits will work but you have fittings that these kits fit so do not think you can force kit a small kit on the large fittings or vise versa. The olives are not the easiest to install or remove either. they get hard as rocks with age. I use a dental pick to remove them but digging them out is what you have to look forwards too. Some try burning them out and some soak them in brake fluid over night to soften them. The location of them is easy but again if you never did this you may have issues "finding them. Look at the fuel pump supply line to the filter. /See the brass fitting. That has the 3/8 inch olive seal in it. then the feed line from the filter to the injection pump has the smaller 5/16 olives in each end of that. When you remove these olives please push them back down on the fuel lines enough for the line to fit deep into the female fitting. then slide the nut forwards and begin tightening till it is snug. you DO NOT NEED THE BRASS NUT TIGHT. Again its a feel type job. It needs to be tight on the line to keep the fuel from leaking out.
Asking for help on this forum is what some feel is the only way to learn. I agree with that. When I purchased my truck many years ago I had "others" replace injection pumps and do return line jobs for me. It was a costly lesson. you are way ahead of me doing this yourself.

 

[icanfixall]

No matter what you "see" on u tube viedos.. Never remove the injection pump with said pump connected to the housing. Doing this will loose your cam gear to injection pump gear timing. Many here can help you "fix it" but.. Its so much easier to remove the injection pump the CORRECT WAY the first time. What happens is when all these parts come off the top of the engine you have no SURE way of seeing the gears line up when you re install it. One tooth off either way is really going to mess up the timing. You can't move the injection pump enough to time it correctly. Hers a pic of the gears lined up correctly.Notice the DOT and the Y marks on the cam gear. You do not want to mix those up. Oddly the engine will run when you make the Y & Dot marks line up but it runs very badly cause its 180 degrees out of time.

 

[Cruiseomatic]

What about installing a pump that is new to the engine? About to have that "fun experience" this week if the deal goes through...

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Like icanfixall said, just leave the housing and gear on the engine. Changing an injector pump can seem intimidating to someone doing it for the first time, but it's not really that bad. Personally, I'd much rather change an injector pump (on a N/A engine) than the lift pump on the side of it. When you look at other injector pump, you will see three bolt holes and a slot on the part that mates to the gear. That slot needs to be lined up with a dowel pin on the gear. I try to line them up as closely as possible before I try to install the pump. You can use a small screwdriver or pick to reach through the holes in the gear to make final small movements. Also if your pump doesn't want to slide all the way forward into the gear, don't use the three nuts that hold it to the housing to force the pump into place. I've been told that this can damage the pump. If you have the bolts started loosely in the pump, just wiggle the back of the pump up and down and it will slide into place.

 

[icanfixall]

The pumps can be tuff to slide into the gear housing because of the o ring. But some wiggleing helps this fit easily. I have a video here somewhere showing the simple easy way of removing the injection pumps. Once the pump is disconnected from the injectors, the gear housing and the gear. you push the pump towards the intake manifold. Move it towards the drivers side a little bit. Then the back end is free of the housing. Then shift the rear end of the pump to the passenger side and lift it up and out between the 2 mounting studs on that side of the housing. The throttle cable bracket must be removed and the fuel feed line from the filter must be removed.. But all the hard lines can stay on the back of the pump.

 

[gandalf]

Ahhhh, a diesel ******, new to the site and this type of engine, ready and willing to soak up knowledge. Beautiful. There are lots of very knowledgeable people here who have loads of information and a desire to share it.

I'd suggest that you start by reading through the Tech Article section, located at the top of this forum. There is a wealth of information there. Since you're thinking of changing out the injection pump start with the Fuel System Servicing article.

Never be afraid to ask questions here. It's a lot easier to do something right the first time than it is to go back and do it again to correct mistakes.

 

[unclehoser]

Actually, No...I'm not planning on changing an injection pump at all! I'm only looking at the fuel return lines and caps, and associated seals, etc. BUT...one never knows! Who knows how long it might be until I have to tackle that chore!

As far as I can determine at this time, my pump is just fine. The symptoms I've experienced all point directly to a failure in the fuel return caps/lines, and I've just acquired the parts to fix all that. All I'm lacking is TIME...but we'll get to it. It's a project truck, not a must-have means of transportation.

Anyhow, I've learned so much lurking about on this site that I think my head may explode. I'll keep suckin' it up, but if you find blood & guts, it's probably mine!

Thanks to all...
Cheers!
Dave

Ahhhh, a diesel ******, new to the site and this type of engine, ready and willing to soak up knowledge. Beautiful. There are lots of very knowledgeable people here who have loads of information and a desire to share it.

I'd suggest that you start by reading through the Tech Article section, located at the top of this forum. There is a wealth of information there. Since you're thinking of changing out the injection pump start with the Fuel System Servicing article.

Never be afraid to ask questions here. It's a lot easier to do something right the first time than it is to go back and do it again to correct mistakes.

 

[sgallaty]

My very first work on a diesel engine resulted in my breaking a glow plug into a cylinder. I use the engine for parts, never did manage to get that thing out. I trust this will go better for you.

Also if noone else mentioned it - the cheap return kits have flimsy collars that flex too much, and there's no way for them to snap down.

Just remember to grease up the injectors real well with assembly lube. The collars should snap down.

Fuel delivery is one of the easiest problems to solve on an IDI diesel. You only have three ecosystems. The fuel supply (racor, lift pump, pickup) - which can be tested at the shrader valve, the injector system which can be tested with a mechanic's stethoscope (that's how I did it anyhow), and the fuel return which will happily demonstrate that it's not working by throwing fuel everywhere.

Happy hunting!

 

[Danielle]

Welcome aboard!

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