pump & injector O/H, replacement benefits ?

[AltaPowder]

Hello all & thanks for all the intel on here. I am 2 years into my 'diesel education' with a 92 E350 4x4/Sidewinder with 182k miles.
It is my Lake Powell tow vehicle (from SLC) and puts up with big summer heat and climbs up to 7300 feet. On my biggest climb
(20 minutes) I can see 10 psi boost and 1100 degrees. If I slow to 50/55 boost drops to 8 psi & temps reduce to 900/950 and I am perhaps more comfortable there than the truck. This passes the 'smell test ' for OK to me. I've overhauled the cooling system, PS system, replaced a single glow plug and controller and had the local Ford shop build up a billet torque convertor transmission for the job at hand. I installed a new TPS as a precaution. It's a 12mpg machine but 65 to 75mph is the rate of travel. I use OptiLube to add lubricity and do an annual oil change, (3k miles +/-), non synthetic. The fuel filter access on this is a unbelievable PITA . . .

It looks to me, based on the patina of the engine and fuel delivery components to be original - - is this possible or probable?
The van is a pretty nice conversion van with it's previous life (& miles) in Nevada. I think it was a people hauler with perhaps light towing. Would the pump OR injectors been replaced with the Sidewinder installation ? If so I can determine a time & mileage 'fencepost' from Banks I suspect.

I am considering a O/H of the fuel system this winter and ponder at what benefits I can expect as well as what pitfalls exist. The
van starts, runs, tows and drives fine. I have what looks light light blue 'oil burning' at start from cold and the bluish tint to the exhaust diminishing as the van increases in temperature. In park, warmed up a had romp on the throttle it will produce a brief output of bluish smoke with the rapid throttle reduction. When I am towing I have no visual evidence (out the mirror) of bluish 'oil smoke' and I get acceptable black smoke relative to how much of a lug (3 to 5 psi of boost) is at play.

I do not want to sacrifice any reliability but I would like to optimize it's capabilities. I have read about BB Injectors and Moose Misters
and increased capabilities of Injector Pump rebuilds. I want QUALITY work and do not want to do this job more than once.
Does anyone know of a aftermarket (NEW - aluminum ?) radiator that fits this van. A reduction in heat is always a benefit.

This engine compartment is unbelievable in it's 'busy-ness' and I would prefer to do the removal and reinstallation myself. I have found little enthusiasm to work on this van/7.3 combination. There is a eBay Seller that offers a 'overhaul' of the existing Glow Plug Harness with New (improved) connectors, wiring repair and abrasion/heat shielding for $40/50 - this seem like a worthy consideration for sure.

I welcome any and all advice.

Regards, David

 

[icanfixall]

Welcome to the forum. Most here will recommend Mel @ Conestoga Diesel Injection of Pa. He does the Moose Pumps and Moose Misters. They are top of the line and he is a stand up guy. In all my years buting with Mel I have NEVER had any issues not have I read anywhere of others having problems with what he makes and sells. You can buy cheaper but guess what your getting... Mel is a member in good standing here too and has been for nearly a lifetime.Russ whose name here is typ4 is located in Oregon and will stand behind what he sells just like Mel. Russ does about the same modes as Mel. Most here will tell you to stay away from rebuilt injectors. Thats true but not when its refering to both Russ and Mel. Both can modify your turbo for more hp and boost.in

 

[snicklas]

David,

Welcome to the forum.

First, congrats on having an E-Series IDI Van. I've had a couple half ton gasser E vans and have loved them. The last one we got rid of had 280,000 well used miles on it. Give it some of the love that it needs, and enjoy it for a long time!!

Now onto the questions/answers.

First, what color are the injectors/pump. If they have gray paint on them, then they are almost guaranteed to be the factory parts. Most on here feel that 100,000 to 120,000 miles is the "useable" life from a pump and set of injectors. Now there are both extremes that have seen much less than that, (a lot of times due to WMO/WVO use) or much more..... there have been a couple of members with almost 300,000 miles on a set. I would highly doubt the pump and injectors at the time of install of the Sidewinder. I would say they adjusted the fueling of the pump, but did not replace it.

As for a good pump, I would recommend getting one from Mel (Agnem on here) at Conestoga Diesel Injection. Mel produces the Moose Pumps. He offers several pump options, from an 100% stock calibrated pump (Mini Moose Pump) to the Omega Moose Pump (130cc pump) that takes many other upgrades to support. I have never heard of anyone complain about a pump they have gotten from Mel. He has a warranty, and will stand behind it if necessary, but I do not recall anyone needing to "cash in" on a warranty on a Moose Pump. I have a VW with an Bosch VE Rotary Pump, and I plan on getting mine rebuilt by Mel.

Injectors. BB Injectors are a good stock level injector. Many on here feel they give the best bang for the buck of all the codes of stock injectors. I believe you can only get BB or G ("emission injectors) at this point. I would get them from either Mel, or Russ (typ4 on here) as not only do they sell the injectors, the price they charge for a set of 8, also includes them being pop tested and matched. This helps give the most power and makes the engine run as smooth as possible (fueling wise) since they all pop at about the same pressure. Moose Misters are a modified BB injector that atomizes the fuel much better due to the nozzles being modified. They will work on a stock or hotter pump, but they do add power since there is a more complete burn of the fuel due to atomization. We had a member that did a dino on a different type of injector that is no longer available and then switched to the original Moose Misters (they design has been improved since that set was made a few years ago) and there was an immediate power increase with no other changes done to the truck. They are a good injector, however, due to the modification process, they are a bit more expensive than a stock BB injector.

Radiator. I would check with Champion or Rodney Red. Not sure if either one of them has an Aluminum radiator for the E-Series.

Glow plug harness. Many on here have said the blue bullet connectors work well to replace the factory plugs if necessary. If the harness is still good and you are just having issues with the connectors, this would be a much less expensive route.

As for working on an E-Series vs a pickup, there are some challenges in the van, but you get the tradeoff that the back of the engine is much easier to access and work on with the removable doghouse. But the front is more of a challenge.

 

[79jasper]

Vans don't use the same radiator?
Better hurry on the bb injectors. Remaining stock is about to go up, then probably be unavailable before long.
The blue smoke could be fuel from off timing, dribly injectors. Could be oil from valve seals/seats, or even from the turbo.

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