It's back to stock, Duke. The AF1 is off, Duke.

I should have some answers around lunch EST.

 

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for no bent rods and an injector replaced under warranty!

Duke

 

X2 !!! Along with a complete oil change w/filter....

Cheers
Bubba

 

Word is:

Two injectors stuck open. Also, they claim that the starter went out.

The starter is 'fishy' to me. Is this a 'cheap out'? Those things are STRONG to get the motor spinning and, while I know it could've gone out, the fact that it wouldn't turn over, to me, seems like it could be internal engine rather than the starter.

Thoughts? Is there a compression test that they could run to determine if I have a bent rod?

Lastly, the service writer mentioned to me that it was likely that I'd loose a catylitic converter sometime in the next 1000 miles or so... Why? This happen to anyone else?

Thanks again guys... disaster may be adverted. Not positive - yet.

 

The converter may go out because of raw fuel building in it from the bad injectors. This is the #1 killer of catalytic converters. As for the starter, maybe, if the engine hydro locked and you kept trying to start it, it could overheat and burn the starter. I would think the battery would have died long before that happened.

 

Hmmm ... I for one don't beleive in coincidences - the starter too?

Cats: stuck injectors = running very rich = peckered Cat(s).

Good luck RP.

Cheers
Bubba

 

I've had one shear the bendix off the starter before when cranking with stuck injectors. I ran a fuel injector flow and leakdown test on it, and the stuck injectors stayed open during the whole test filling a couple holes with fluid. Went to crank it and POW! Broke starter.

At this point, they should really run mechanical and relative compression tests to isolate any problem cylinders. A power balance test is standard fare here too - if those guys know what they're doing, they'll be testing all this once they get your truck up and running.

And about the converter, all that fuel had to go somewhere - it either seeps past the rings and into the crankcase, or (more commonly) finds it's way to the exhaust where at operating temperature, the converters are running somewhere around 2000 degrees F. The fuel super heats the substrate material, turning it into a brick and stopping the exhaust up. They can also test for this, once they replace the faulty injectors and the starter, by monitoring the upstream and downstream O2 switch rates. The downstream O2s will start switching like the upstreams in the presence of a chemically dead converter. Also, a back pressure gauge can (should) be installed in the upstream O2 sensor bung to read the pressure on a WOT snap; anymore than 3 psi or so indicates a plugged converter.

 

The oil was definitely 'gassy' smelling. No doubt about that.

Also, as part of this, they should be replacing all my plugs, correct (per the TSB)?

Plugging the exhaust via the cats will be another 'truck is a paperweight' scenario, won't it?

 

Yes, all the plugs should be replaced with PZT-1s and the oil and filter changed.

The converters stopping up...it varies. I had one with stopped up converters that wouldn't make it across the parking lot under it's own power. I've seen them before that drove just fine.

 

Ehh... fantastic.

I guess it's good that I'll be getting new plugs but bad that it may strand me, yet again.

Is it an absolute given that the cats will fail?

 

No, but they'll definitely be compromised from the fuel from the leaking injectors. The life span will be shortened - they may flow just fine, but their oxygen storing capabilities could have problems sooner than it should. The chemical portion of the converter has definitely had it's life span shortened.

 

Hi.

That's it - I'm gonna buy me a set of new injectors.... and hopefully dodge this entire scenario ...

...Once Quintin recommends a specific brand/part # that are known to be problem-free, and where to get 'em that is ...

Cheers
bubba

 

I certainly wish I had gone with something before now myself... this has been a royal PITA.

 

I was VERY skeptical when he said that the starter had failed but, hearing Quintin mention that it had happend to him previously while working on this exact issue... well, it made me feel more at ease about the situation.

To give you guys a little feel on what I think about Quintin -- if he was local, I would've towed the vehicle back from where I broke down and paid the outrageous tow bill to have him work on it... The guy repeatedly shows that he is, indeed, a MASTER technician and contributes above and beyond to the members of this forum. I take great faith in what he says as it being 'gospel' when it comes to the repair of FoMoCo 'stuff'. In short, he's a HUGE asset to us here at f150online.com and he's proven himself time and time again to me by answering not only my questions but, OODLES of others' questions here on the site.

 

200% agree. 'Q' rocks !