DAE remember when you could just tap a stuck injector with a hammer to free it up?

I had a 6.7 Powerstroke in the bay last Tuesday where the whole rocker box had to come off because the injector was so seized, a trick that worked on my dad's old 7.3 twenty years ago just isn't enough anymore.

4 comments

4 Comments

mianelson3mo ago

Man, I feel old now.

valc911mo ago

Hold up, I gotta disagree a little. That 6.4 injector story is rough, but I still keep a 3 pound sledge and a set of torches in my truck for half the jobs I do. There's something to be said for knowing when to use the brute force method, even on new stuff. I think a lot of guys give up on the old ways too quick and jump straight to the specialty tools and chemical warfare. Half the time a little patience and a good whack in the right spot will break a bolt or free a part just as good as it did 20 years ago. You just gotta size up the situation instead of assuming everything is too delicate now.

laura_chen413mo ago

Last month on a 6.4, I soaked a stuck injector in penetrating oil for two full days, then used a slide hammer with a custom adapter. Even then it took some heat. @mianelson is right, it makes you feel old. The metal and the tech changed, so the old hammer tap just doesn't cut it now. You need a whole new bag of tricks.

the_piper3mo ago

Totally get that feeling. It's like the old school methods just turn into a waste of time now. You can't just muscle stuff out anymore, you gotta be smart about it. The new alloys and tighter tolerances mean you're basically fighting the part on a chemical level. So you end up needing a whole different set of tools, both physical and mental. Kinda miss when a big hammer and some cuss words were a valid repair plan.