injector/fass/smarty jr

[NNovak]

Just had the #1 and #3 injectors go out and leave me stranded @ 130K. Luckily I found a reputable shop with 30 miles of my house to diagnose and help me out. I decided to go with the Bosh 60HP injectors vs the stock 50HP.



They are suggesting I put in a FASS system as dirty fuel and airation are mean to injectors and using my Smarty Jr on Torq or Perf mode can cause the stock fuel pump to not keep up with the fuel needs causing 'dry' fires on the injectors.



Looking for some feedback on with my new set up on what I should do next. I am looking to put another 100K on this truck, I two a 29ft travel trailer for camping trips and one cross country trip during the summer and the rest of time it is my every day driver. I have a slightly heavier foot (so I have been told)



One key concern on the FASS is that I live in WI and the truck is parked outside all winter. When I am home it is plugged in but there can be 6 nights I month I can't plug it in.



Advice please!!!

 

[LNaugle]

My 2 sense... I would deffinetly use an airdog or fass system... . the key is to mount the pump on the inside of the frame rails out of the path of mag-chloride covered winter hi-ways... fass this is not an option... . nor airdog if your truck is a shortbed... you will have to modify the brackets to make them work as we do... every truck that we mounted the pump on the outside of the frame rail had to be warrantied every year after winter. I had asked the manufacturers to get back with me on what they determined the failures were due to but neither would. So i assumed what the problem was and moved all previous customers pumps to the inside of the frame... no more late winter-early spring failures. the benefit of the dual filters is tremendous, as long as you service them you should not have failures due to fuel contamination or not enough pressure as long as capable shop does your install. I also believe that both pumps have a way to plumb coolant to them for freezing temps... i would use stanadyne fuel treatment for those times you know that you are not going to be able to plug your truck in as i have many customers working in north dakota with these systems and none have had starting or gelling problems that they have told me about, and they would i am sure!

 

[cerberusiam]

It depends on what you want to believe and understand but the FASS\AD have some pretty solid benefits around fuel delivery and removal of entrained air. Considering the price of injectors and the potential for damage with an injector failure it worth a close look.

I believe both FASS and AD have an optional fuel heater that can be added. For cold areas I would definitely do that. There is pretty good results form having both heaters running in cold weather and there effects of fuel pressure, even with the stock pump.

Whiule you can get pretty good filters for the FASS that should be adequate these is conjecture that the pressure at the pump negate some of the filtering. Again, its what you want to believe but it has some basis. Rather than 3 um at the pump it is better to do a staged filtration thru multiple filters, 10 um at the pump, 5-7 um at the OE filtering housing, 3 um at the CP-3. With fuel heaters in the OE housing and at the pump and the multi pass filtration you should have a good setup. It definitely costs more to add the secondary filter but not that much given the potential for problems. Same with the water seperation, water is worse than solids in these systems. The more the better.

If you are doing a FASS\AD plan on a new tank cannister and upgrade the lines to the largest that available 1/2 I think. It will make things a lot easier on the pump and negate the draw straw problems.

Like was suggested, further out road crap flow and the more protected the better off the system will be. If it doesn't last its a pain to keep fixing every year.

 

[CKelley1]

the shop is feeding bad info. nothing bad happens from low fuel pressure, in fact you do not need a lift pump. you do need better filtration. the fass and airdog is more troublesome than worth. use a 33406 and 33674 filter cut in as shown for best results
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[cerberusiam]

the shop is feeding bad info. nothing bad happens from low fuel pressure, in fact you do not need a lift pump.

That deserves a hearty C'mon man!! That is total BS and you know it. Bad things DO happen with extend low pressures, FACT! You DO need a lift pump on a Dodge system or bad things happen, FACT! Those arguments have long been conclusively settled.

The FASS\AD has multiple benefits wrapped up in 1 package that are hard or impossible to build out of pieces, thats the biggest benefit. Reliability is always a concern, but, the bulk of the failures are from poor or incorrect installation. Call Genos and ask the boys in the back. They have some failures but a bad batch or components these days is almost the norm. Even Dodge, Cummins, and Bosch are not immune from that.

 

[Regcabguy]

I run the stock pump, a Baldwin PF7977 5 mic stock fuel filter and a GDP 2-mic(disputable) cylinder head mounted filter.

 

[NNovak]

Thank you everyone for the feedback. I do believe that low fuel pressure or volume can cause an issue.



Since WI does like to use salt and chemicals on the highway's and roads so much that our black top roads tend to be white when snow cleared and dry, that finding a good mounting area or building a protection around a system would be key.



Now to recover from the Jet replacemnt bill before making any further decisions.



any other 2 cents is happily recieved, specially if any one has pics on how they "winter' protected their set up.



Nate

 

[DNDracing]

I think issue 76 has write up / tip for protecting the FASS fuel pump using an aftermarket sealed battery box? Going totally from memory, which really can't be trusted... I will double check when I get home tonight, unless someone beats me to it. I'm looking at injector / fuel delivery changes/improvements myself, that is why it caught my eye.

 

[DNDracing]

Sorry, on page 47 in issue 76, they enclosed a compressor in a battery box, not a fuel pump.

Guess you could, although filter access might be tricky.

Told you my memory couldn't be trusted!!

 

[DaveHess]

Just my input here. I am in N. D. and was worried about any and all road junk, not just winter stuff, hitting my filters or expensive FASS system where it was mounted outside the frame. I made two "mudflaps" out of an old rubber bedliner. I attached the front one to the front of the bed bulkhead and custom cut it to match the curve of the inside bed sidewall and to accomodate cables and lines that ran along the frame. The second on hangs just above the front leaf spring hangar behind the pump. This way the pump is pretty well protected from the front tire throwing something back or the rear tire throwing something forward. I am coming up on 15,000 miles on the current filters and the canisters are relatively clean. I am very happy with the protection I have for the pump. I was concerned about heat generated by the pump and this flap system possibly limiting airflow around the pump. This has not been an issue so far and I have been running this system for about 30,000 miles. As for the heating system. I use Stanadyne Performance Formula (I know, snake oil, right?) and have done so for every single tank of fuel I have ever run through this pickup since the day I picked it up from the dealer brand new in 2003. I have run #2 diesel well into January and February here in the Great White North and have never gelled. The pickup sits in a heated shop at night but outside for 10 to 12 hours a day. So, for what its worth, just another idea for you.