SOLVED! Post 2853 Leaking Injectors, Dealer Techs Rock! Extended Cranking after Engine Swap 3.4L 5vz

Maybe I missed it, but did anyone take a smell test of the exhaust when you had the hard starts? I would think the exhaust would smell very fuel rich if there was a badly leaking injector.

As for the fuel smell, you should not smell gasoline unless you over filled the gas tank and you spilled some down the side of the box.

 

Yeah! Crack in the ground, out in Christmas valley! Worth the trip, fort rock is kinda cool I guess, same area. Definitely some sweet water falls around here! Two of em here in prospect are 170 feet and the other is something like 240! And they are only like couple hundred yards apart! Lots more too! A lot of people love Ashland! Its not my cup of tea, while a small town, still too big fur me(I graduated with 10) and way too liberal. My GF is from there though...

 

Just got word guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Neighbor called, said guy had trouble hooking up his fuel pressure gauge this morning cuz the place you normally hook it in was stripped?!?!?!?!

 

So he hooked it up near the tank somehow, and has a strong suspicion of what he thinks it is, but is currently repeating the test to be sure, should hear from in within next 1/2 hour...........drumroll please.............

 

Looks like I'm making a SHIT TON of cookies!!!!!!

 

Check valve in fuel pump!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Who wants to fly to Portland and help us drop a fuel tank? Pretty please with sugar on top?????????

 

Ahh! Pump the whole time! Stinkin thing!

 

Wait hypox, I saw that post, where'd it go????? Seriously, ya think it could be leaking there instead of/in addition to the damn pump valve?

 

I have no idea what you're talking about...






but if it were leaking there, I'm sure your guy would have seen it.

 

OK, if check valve is confirmed when the dude calls, Knuckle is the big winner. Yeah, yeah, lots of you called that also, but he instantly called that from the very first post I made about the hard warm starts. And it wasn't a maybe kind of a call, it was a definitely kind of a call.

But, in addition to Knuckle, cookies will be coming your way, Bama and Kigmob.

Hypox, you cheated! You tried to switch bets after the stripped gauge thing was revealed......not fair! No cookies for cheaters man, sorry!

Mod, you were too late with your bet. Although you have been here from day 1 with quite a lot of posts supporting us, so hmmm, what do you guys think? Does Mod deserve cookies? He placed his bet AFTER I said no more fuel pump bets. But he seems like a good dude.

Tell ya what Mod, how bout you can come to Portland for your cookies and save me the shipping costs, since you live in Washington. By the way, we might coincidentally be in the middle of swapping fuel pumps when you show up, you weren't going to be in a hurry to get home anyway, right?

 

I think if it were me I'd just have your new guy drop the tank and swap pumps while he's already at it. I bet he'd do it in a fraction of the time you guys would be able to for your first time...idk..just a thought...good learning g experience though I guess.

 

I'm gonna wait until the check valve/fuel pump is changed before I get on the celebration wagon. I'm rooting for you for this to be the cause, but the sceptic me compells me to wait.

By the way, my guess is there is nothing in your tank except gas and a bit of sand/silt in the bottom.

Kirk

 

OK, time to gather a plan if dude confirms it is indeed the pump....

Guys, help, seriously. Should I be asking him every question under the sun as far as whether he checked all other possible stuff too? Meaning, what if we have a bad pump AND some funky wiring/ECU issues? Know what I mean? That would potentially change our decision to fix the pump issue.......

Also, my buddy Matt said you can take the tank to a radiator shop and have them clean it for like $50 usually if rust is found.......anybody heard of that?

Knuckle, you said look on Ebay for the other 3 parts (sender gauge, bracket, lead wire) if they turn up f'ed too. But anyone have ideas on where to find OEM of those brand new, other than dealer? Just makes me nervous to put used ones on, now that we've gone this far with all other parts replaced being OEM brand new. Seems like those are pretty important parts.......

 

Trust me, that's our gut feeling right now.......no matter how many Taco World buddies tell us it's super easy, working with parts that have to do with fuel just doesn't sound fun. Period.

Will definitely be asking him for a quote on him doing it.

Can't believe this - I literally asked my engine mechanic at least 10 times was he ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN WITHOUT A DOUBT that it wasn't the pump. His answer was "ABSOLUTELY" every time. Coupled with an annoyed attitude that I kept bringing it up. Not very happy right now. And now we owe this new guy for diagnosing it.

Wonder if we even needed our $300 fuel pressure regulator. You guys think we did? Is there any way to find that out now?

Also, if fuel was leaking into oil (the fuel smell last night was coming from somewhere), what do we do about that? We're supposed to leave the special bearing oil in there til 500 miles, and we're only at ~300 now (90% of which was driving back and forth to engine mechanic to beg for diagnosis).

Is it normal for the place where the gauge hooks in to be stripped? Is it the fuel rail, that all the injectors are attached to?

 

Seriously guys, any help you can give me on my questions in the last two posts, please!

Also, I still don't understand how a dying fuel pump could produce beautiful cold starts??? Can anyone explain that to me?

Another one - husband said he thought we could reuse our fuel pump bracket, since it's just a metal piece, no matter what. You guys think we could count on that? Could it get warped over time if it was getting too hot in there?

 

I knew you were gonna be pissed about the old mechanic tellin you the pump was a non issue...I would be too. That's the problem I have with shops working on my Taco's too. Seems every mechanic will have a different theory or idea about one thing or another, and if they're wrong it can be a shit ton of funds for nothing!!! I feel your frustration. I've been there with a power steering issue I recently had.

 

Probably didn't need the FPR. But I did the same thing. I got that first and replaced it since it was easier. Now that its on there I'm not gonna take it off though. At least I KNOW the FPR is in good condition. So thats your call. Would you even be able to return it since its already installed?

Not sure on the fuel leaking into oil thing. I doubt it though. I used to smell fuel every now and then on my truck, but never really worried as long as it didn't get worse. I would just run it and look for any leaks near the filter (under the truck) and along the fuel rail (specifically where the guy said its stripped).

I've dealt with the fuel line in the locations where the gauge is to be installed and its not too fun. The bolts that hold the fuel rail crossover pipe to the fuel rails is pretty tight. Also they can be hard to access. So it's possible whoever messed with that part of the fuel line last could have stripped the bolt. Like I said, if it is stripped I would check for fuel leaking there.

And yes it is located on the fuel rail which is connected to the injectors. There are two fuel rails on each side. They are connected by a small crossover pipe that connects the two rails. Where this pipe bolts to the rail is where the gauge is usually installed (per FSM).

 

I would not worry about the bracket. I would just replace the pump and strainer.