Injectors life expectancy, durability
 

Can I get a few thoughts on how long injectors should typically last before they would need changing?

Thanks,

Andy

it really all depends on your engine, most people will probably tell you 150-200K. Pull them and have the pop tested....

Engine has 313k on it but i purchased the car at 196k and have no idea when the last time they were changed. If they get pulled, being this is my only commuter car presently, I'd need a set in there for driving, so most likely I'll just purchase a new set. Thoughts on price and where to source?

They should be pulled and tested every 100k miles or so, they only need replaced/repaired if they fail to spray correct or pop at excessively low/high pressure.

The better the fuel filter, the longer the life. Other than that, it's just a matter of how much fuel has gone through it, city miles use more fuel/mile than highway.

As FI mentioned, they should be tested periodically. My local guy cleans/tests/adjusts for IIRC $25/ea, then they're all balanced and known-good. Usually this is all that is needed, but they can wear out also.

edit: Some fuel problems will also kill them, an example being fuel conditioners that suspend water in the fuel, can cause corrosion if water/fuel solution is left in injectors when parked (hint: buy good fuel and let the filter do its job of separating water).

Just curious, where is your local guy located?

I recently rebuilt my injectors with Monark nozzles and could not believe the difference it made in smoothness and power. It was not a difficult job at all. I did not have them pop tested as I don't have access to a test unit. I have a non-turbo 617.

Dave's Diesel in Angola, IN, about 80miles from you (10miles from the MI line off I-69).

I believe that they have another store in IN also, just not sure where.

I rebuilt my injector nozzles with Monark. I also bought a hand-powered pop tester. The improvement in performance was very dramatic.

If you run B100, you will have to clean / (rebuild if needed) your injectors every 50,000 miles. If you use homebrew B100, you might get 30,000 miles between clean / rebuild.

I don't do it, but word on the street is that with WVO and SVO you have to clean / rebuild injectors after 12,000 miles.

Unless you installing new injector nozzles, you've got to have a pop tester and brass tools for cleaning.

Save yourself some time and use anti-seize compound on the injectors.

Two questions:

1. What are the signs of injector problems?

2. How often should the plastic inline filter and screw on filter be changed?

1. Injector problems are indicated by decreased power and less-smooth acceleration.

2. If you use regular diesel fuel from a good source, you should change both filters at 12,000 miles. The primary filter is a screw-on thing like an oil filter. With alternative fuel I have had to change at 6,000 miles, and one secondary filter lasted about 20 miles before being destroyed by B100.

Very dirty filters will significantly diminish performance. Replace them first. You will probably notice a big difference.

If you still don't like the performance, then look into the injectors. You can buy new injector nozzles and a set of injector shims, and rent the pop tester from the rental section. With that many miles on your DT the injectors could be pretty ugly. Monark injectors are much better than the original ones.

I believe that the fuel filters are a 36,000 mile item on the 603 maintenance chart.

FSM says pop test at half that.

Unless you have done a few injectors or have an experienced person looking over your shoulder, its far easier to get it done by some one who knows what they are doing. I know a diesel service guy that loves guys coming in & buying all the bits for a DIY, most of the time they come back needing him to fix them properly & pay for their trouble.