47-55.1 '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!

[dsraven]

if you have the equipment or access to the equipment you could disconnect the fuel system so the injector rails are isolated, then apply system pressure to the rails with the tooling and see if it holds pressure. you gotta have the fittings and a pressure source though. i suppose compressed air would work. same kinda idea as testing a natural gas line to a furnace etc. you gotta know the system pressure but that should be easy enough to find online.

[dsraven]

not familiar with the fitech system. does it have a schrader style test port on the injector rail? if so you could do a quick test by installing a gauge there, then turn on the key so the system primes and builds pressure, then key off and check the gauge to see if the pressure drops. this isn't the best way to check because there are other ways the pressure could drop, but it could give an idea. next up would be to check the area for any obvious fuel leaks around the injectors but, this only really shows external leaks. next up would be to pull spark plugs and look for a wet or sooty plug. next up would be to pull the fuel rails and injectors, leave the injectors connected to the rails. dry the injectors and watch the injectors for leaks while a friend turns the key to on, not start, to prime the system with pressure (again, not sure how the fitech injectors are retained to the rails so this may not work if there are no retainer clips, just the rails being bolted down is enough to hold the injectors in place).
otherwise pull the injectors and have them tested commercially, or replace them one at a time until you think you have the culprit, or replace them as a set.
another thing I have done is to listen to the injectors, one at a time, with a stethoscope or a long screwdriver placed against your ear and the injector, and see if they all sound the same as the engine is running. pull an injector wire connector off one injector at a time and check the engine sound, then plug it back in and try another.

[mobileortho]

Thanks for the advise. I’m leaning towards upgrading them with either Bosch, Delphi or ACDelco. I’m seeing bad reviews on the FiTech and that makes me somewhat skiddish.

[dsraven]

Good idea. Go with proven parts. It would be a sad thing to see another engine disintegrate.

[mobileortho]

Originally Posted by dsraven

Good idea. Go with proven parts. It would be a sad thing to see another engine disintegrate.

Yes it would! My wallet can't take another hit like that! I ended up with a set of Edelbrock injectors and maybe it's my imagination, but it runs better & no more gassy smell or black smoke!

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by mobileortho

Yes it would! My wallet can't take another hit like that! I ended up with a set of Edelbrock injectors and maybe it's my imagination, but it runs better & no more gassy smell or black smoke!

Must say the cost alone lately allows zero tolerance for bad parts or worse, mistakes.

[mobileortho]

Got the engine in finally and it runs pretty good. I’ve got some popping coming from one of the cylinders and a few codes to figure out but making progress!

[8man]

Great progress!

[mobileortho]

Originally Posted by 8man

Great progress!

Thanks! I’ve come to the realization that I’m getting too old for this! I can’t take crawling around underneath this thing like I used too!

[dsraven]

what kind of popping are you getting, out the exhaust, up the intake? possibly a cyl leakdown test would help you to know if you have a leaky valve due to a lifter issue or something like that.
grrrrr, hate that kinda thing, especially at this point.

[mobileortho]

Originally Posted by dsraven

what kind of popping are you getting, out the exhaust, up the intake? possibly a cyl leakdown test would help you to know if you have a leaky valve due to a lifter issue or something like that.
grrrrr, hate that kinda thing, especially at this point.

Not sure. I should have replaced the valves when installed the cam but I wasn’t thinking, I only replaced the seals. I’m thinking it might be a bag plug too. I reused 7 from the 6.0 and stuck one of the old ones off of the 5.3. The 8th one was destroyed when the piston took a dunk.

[dsraven]

if you used the same heads from the donked engine maybe you have a valve leaking. it may be worthwhile to do a leak test on that cylinder if a new plug doesn't fix the popping. you could unplug the injector on that cylinder and see if that helps. no fuel in that cyl will cause a misfire code but may also show that cylinder stops popping because there is no big bang in that cylinder that could be forced through a leaking valve and cause a popping in the intake or exhaust.
put that cylinder on TDC ready to fire. install a compression tester with an airline connection on the end instead of a gauge. connect a pressure regulator to your shop air line and set to very low or no pressure on the outlet. connect that to the line coming from your compression tester hose. slowly increse the air pressure and be ready for the engine to possibly try and turn the crankshaft if your TDC location is not dead on. once it is under pressure with the valves closed you should be able to hear a leak in the intake ot exhaust if a vave is not sealing.

[mobileortho]

No the head was trashed. I used the heads from the junkyard motor. If the spark plug doesn’t fix the issue, I’ll do the leak test as suggested. This will be right up my sons alley, he’s been working at the shop for one of the local dealerships & he’d love doing this sort of thing.