Just pulled a set of injectors that looked fine but were dumping fuel after 800 hours

We had a 6.7 Powerstroke in the shop with a rough idle and black smoke. The injectors passed the standard buzz test and the balance rates were within spec, so we almost sent it. I decided to pull them anyway and flow test each one. Three of them were leaking past the needle valve at a rate of 15ml per minute at pressure. The truck only had 800 hours on a full rebuild. The cause was cheap aftermarket fuel filters that let some grit through. It wore the seats just enough to cause a slow drip. Has anyone else seen injector wear this fast from filtration issues?

2 comments

2 Comments

clark.claire16d ago

Isn't it wild how the smallest shortcut can cause the biggest problems? It feels like everything is built just well enough to work, but one cheap part can take down the whole system. I see this all the time with people using the wrong phone charger and frying the port. That grit in the fuel is basically the same idea, a tiny thing causing expensive wear because someone tried to save a few bucks upfront.

cole_patel4116d ago

Totally get what @clark.claire means. Those cheap filters are a false economy for sure. Ruins good parts over nothing.