SteveS

I haven't tried one on a head yet. They are on the way out to you. Tony, I will assume that the "w" in your street address is a typo. Steve

I was thinking that with a piece of heavy duty hose and a brass 5/16 barbed to 1/8 FPT you would have the tool in Bruce's pic. Did I miss something in his pictures? I use Fluke pressure transducers with quick couplers like in Bruce's photo. Are you guys using mechanical or electronic gauges?

Well, I have a surplus of banjo fittings from Cummins/Dodges (don't ask why I have them, it is an evil satanic aftermarket modification). The hose size is 5/16"(8mm in Canada, eh), banjo bolt is 12mm and the thread pitch IIRC is 1.50. They look like this, although the length of the pipes may differ and some of the bolts have the schrader valve test ports. I'm willing to send one to anybody that gives me a mailing address (no salesman will call). If someone knows that the bolt will not work please say so, I can send just the fitting. If I run out it is only a matter of time till I get more. Steve

I like it! The next time I do this test I am doing it like that!Steve

Thanks for the responses, guys. Mekanik, that is a good one to keep in mind, I can see that being a real headache. I ruled that out without thinking about it; we have a dyno and I duplicated the problem while it was strapped down, no acceleration G-force. I ran it hard until the problem occured (didn't take very long) and then went underneath to look at my clear lines. I considered being under it while someone else ran it but I didn't have the guts. Never saw any air in the clear lines after it started running bad so I pretty well crossed off poor pickup at that point. I got a little more background on the truck and apparantly it has had injector(s) replaced, so my guess is that it has loose injector syndrome. At this point I have it on hold while the customer contemplates what he wants to do (like there is a choice?) I think he does not "need" the truck and doesn't mind if it takes a while. I'm reasonably sure that the next step will be removing the valve covers, I'll keep you posted. Steve

We had a dispatcher that was a 2 finger hunt & peck typist, couldn't remember where any of the keys were without looking. One of the guys swapped all the keys around. Somebody installed Brittney/Madonna in "The Kiss" as his wall paper. He had it for a few months because he didn't know how to change it.

DUH!!! I forgot that the balloon test article was there! And I forgot to look in Articles! This is what happens when the weather gets above about 75* in the Pacific Northwest, the heat gets to me (I grew up in Pennsylvania, so I have experienced HOT & HUMID and didn't like it). I had the empty secondary filter symptom also. Even with cycling the key 3 times it did not fill up. I found a piece of crud in the air purge orifice and cleaned that but still didn't get it to completely fill until I connected the return line to the HFCM to the line to the tank and bypassed (& plugged) the HFCM on the return side. Then a couple cycles of the key, remove the filter lid and it was full. I guess the recycle valve in the HFCM was sending the air back to the secondary filter. I don't know the whole history on the truck, so I'm not sure if the injectors may have been touched before. Looks like the next step will be to get in there and find out.

Thanks for the help, I'm going to keep going in that direction (and hope there is not something stupidly simple that I overlooked!) Steve

So this is the sort of symptom that occurs? (I haven't yet experienced the injectors that leak combustion pressure) I'm hoping that this truck is the motivation to step up on the IDS (at least then I'll get some satisfaction out of it.)

I have a 2005 that is driving me crazy. The truck has a Banks 6-Gun that is currently disconnected, so the power level is stock but still has bigger exhaust, CAC and washable air filter. The truck starts and runs well as long as it is not pushed hard. If you floor board it from a rolling start it only gets most of the way through 2nd gear before starting to loose power and misfire. If it idles after that it has one or more cylinders misfiring. If it is shut off or idles about 10 minutes it smooths out again and is OK until run hard. OK, Bruce has been convincing me that we need to step up to a better scan tool and this truck is really driving the point across; I don't have a good way to cancel cylinders or look at misfire in real time. However, it has set codes for almost all the cylinders at one time or another. Sometimes just one cylinder balance code, sometimes up to 3 different cylinders on the same acceleration run. To me it feels like it is getting air in the fuel, although I am not seeing white smoke when the symptom occurs. Supply pressure dropped to as low as 49 psi on initial acceleration when the engine was running on all 8, runs about 56 psi at idle. Minimal suction on the inlet side of the HFCM, so I'm not suspecting that there is restriction in the tank. I have clear lines on the supply to the HFCM and the return to the HFCM and don't see bubbles in the supply fuel. I suspected that the injectors were allowing combustion gas to enter the fuel so I tried GregH's method of filling the secondary filter canister and cranking the engine. I used 15 second crank cycles, on the third time a bubble came to the top. Every crank cycle after that produced a bubble or 2. So I removed the lines from the canister and ballooned them but didn't really see the balloons swell. I am wondering what drivability symptom you guys see that leads you to the balloon test. Aren't there check valves at the connection to the heads that would prevent this test from working? TIA Steve

Thanks for the input! Bruce I especially appreciate that you have had the opportunity to operate and demo the tools at an instructional level. DUH! I thought about it later and realized that the old module on the NGS is white; I am remembering that the CAN module (that plugs in the bottom of the Tee body with the cable attached) is black. Maybe it is blue and the memory is fading again. I was not aware that the Ford Self tests were part of most scan tools. My other experience has been with the Snap On 2500 that would run all the tests and a little unit the Mac salesman had that would not run any self tests, couldn't read many 7.3 codes and only about 3 or 4 PIDs. I guess if it has Ford specific programming then it should have full 7.3 capability. Is there a website that you know of for a virtual tour of the IDS? Are the updates included with the tool, avaliable for fee (per use or subsription) or only available to dealerships? And if it is available to me (Mr. Independant Repairshop) does it have the bulletin or boradcast message that goes with the reflash or revised procedure? I would assume that the IDS would have generic CAN scan tool capability, but what about the Chrysler specific program that (I think) the Modis has? What tool would you use for heavy duty truck applications? If I am going to attempt to sell the idea of upgrading I'll need as much info as possible. Thanks a lot for the help (I'll bet that now you wish that you had just told me to buy the OTC). Steve

I couldn't get past the part about buying Mexican beer when you guys have all that good beer up there! ;-) Steve

Thanks for the feedback, guys. We have the white module for the NGS for Ford CAN. So far we've been using the Modis for Chrysler CAN and have the CANdi module for the Tech2. We are an aftermarket shop and have been sending trucks to the dealership if reflash is needed, would we ba able to get the latest programs if we had the tool to install them? I have been resisting taking my laptop to work as I don't have a good place to keep it. If it weren't for that the AE scan tool adapter would be a higher choice. My boss bought the Modis about a year ago (BIG BUCKS!!) and I believe that he feels it is under-utilized (probably very true on an investment/pay-off basis). I think that he is stinging a little from it, although it has been our primary heavy duty scan tool (mostly Cummins powered motorhomes). He has some remodel/expansion projects going right now and I don't see him wanting another expense at this moment. The bulk of our Ford work is still 7.3 DI but the tool needs to have the same capability for Demand, Buzz, & Cyl Cont tests and PID readout as the NGS to be worth it. OBD1 capability would be helpful for IDI and early Dodge transmissions, and we still work on GM 6.5L. I believe that the Mentor is the same as Genisys, isn't it? What limitations for a 7.3 did you encounter with that tool?

I am thinking of having my own scan tool. The shop has NGS, Tech 2, DRB and Modis, so there is pretty good coverage, at least up to the advanced tests on the 6.0L. But you know how it goes, there are times when half the shop needs the same scan tool. Since we work on Diesel pickups from all 3 manfacturers I'd like to have coverage in one package. I am not expecting miricles but am wondering if anyone has experience with the Nemisys. Will it do the same self tests as the NGS? Will it display all the PIDs? A couple guys at the shop bought the cute little code reader from the MAC truck only to find that it does not always work (I suspect that it only reads Emission related codes). I have seen the Nemisys new with 2006 level software for as low as $700, so the price would fit my budget and one unit that will cover all pickups would fit in my tool box. Has anybody used one? TIA Steve

Well, if you guys are old, what does that make me? (I'm counting the anniversaries of my 40th birthday)

Are you still needing to get it adjusted or have you managed to get it down the road? As I recall you put the gauge block (OK, I admit that I use an 8mm nut because it is slightly closer than a 5/16" nut) like the FIPL adjustment and hold the acclerator down till the lever is against the "gauge". Then apply vacuum to the supply side of the regulator (20", I think) and the modulator side should be... (alright, this is where recall is not quite total).... um, should be, ahh... I'm pretty sure that I have it at work and if you still need it I will get it on Monday. I do know that if the supply and modulator lines are reversed it will not work properly (rookie did it, I had to find it). Edit: Seems to me that I did successfully set it by trial and error on the shift points at least once.

About a year ago I was getting a little restless becuase I was not happy with a lot of little things at work (they add up, don't they?). I looked around and found an opening with a transit agency, managed to pass all their tests (with no real Heavy Duty work experience) and was offered the position. When I handed my resignation there was a considerably bigger reaction than I expected; they listened when I talked about my motivations (which surprised me in itself) and came back with an offer that was easy to accept. I think what convinced me to stay was that the company showed how much they valued me more than just a monetary adjustment. In the time since I would have to say that some of the problems have been addressed and some have not but I am more comfortable with the little irrations. However, your choice is considerably different; you are building your family's future (I don't have any kids at home and if really needed my wife could go back to work). It sounds to me that you will have to listen to your gut feeling on this one! Don't forget that the dealership would make business decisions based on the long term.

Do you replace them every time the injectors are removed?

I do my road testing on a 2 lane hiway that leads to a pass in the Cascades, speed limit is 55 MPH. Was testing a truck a couple weeks ago trying to see how well it could pull a 6% grade. I saw 2 oncoming vehicles but didn't recognise until too late that the second one was a Ford sedan, as it went by I did see "SP" in the license number (State Patrol). Glanced at the speedo to see that I was going 70 so I expected to see him turn around, but he didn't. I completed my "hill climb", turned around and after about a mile on the return he was parked along the road; big surprise, as I approached the lights came on. As we were chatting along the roadside he said that he didn't want to U-turn over the freshly painted center line, saw the key number tag in the windshield and assumed that I'd be coming back. Not such a bad guy, gave me a warning. However, if I had been going 85 I don't think he would have been so understanding. Isn't the highest speed limit in Canada 100 KPH / 60 MPH? I am all for trying to solve a customer's concern but on a problem that happens at that speed... I hope that he at least is nice about it. Did you ever get another look at the oil leak?

Sounds like you have a decent boss!

Sounds like you have a decent boss. 3 miles?! I didn't realize that Ford allowed dealerships to be that close.

I worked at a Honda car dealership that had a fairly active coupon program. The Service Director that hired me thought that it was only fair to pay the techs what the jobs would sell for normally, he felt that because the company decided to offer a discount the employee should not have to take a hit. Really a great boss; I had the privilege of working with him for 6 years before he was promoted to GM at a different store. Then came the penny-pinching nickle-nosed bean counter new guy that replaced him. He thought that the techs should "participate" in the discounts. He was great for finding ways to reduce our paychecks. I lasted almost a year with him; one extreme to the other. Are they discounting the parts at all, or just the labor?

As usual, the attorneys wil be the real winners.

I've been using a sealed beam with both filiments burning (it was 8A when I measured, if I remember correctly) for voltage drop tests on electronic stuff. I do sometimes encounter poor connections at the backprobe and try to have an actual pin when posible. In desparation I've done short tests with an inline fuse powering one end of the circuit, purposly shorting the other end to see if it can flow enough current to blow the fuse. The problem with this test when needed for electronics circuits is getting a good connection at each end without wrecking the pins. I'm not familair with "Case Ground in Datalogger"; is that a test option on the new scan tool? I have access to NGS.

I hate that; I know that if I had modified my vehicle and then brought it in to make it work like stock (like the speedo reading correctly) I'd try being a little humble, and ask nicely!