How to replace an OBS 94-97 7.3 Powerstroke mechanical fuel pump. This video covers the general procedure required to replace the valley mounted mechanical lift pump, for 1994-1997 Ford trucks with the 7.3 Powerstroke diesel engine.
Owned a euro repair business for 33 years. Most of my family owns euro cars. I love diesels and have a 96 7.3 that I really enjoy. Nice to see a gear head talk plain and simple through a repair video and you can actually see what you are doing. Another reason I love the 7.3, so easy to work on. Cheers for taking the time to make and share all that you do. Thank you!
Just replaced my dad's fuel pump on his 96 today thanks to your video. Awesome video. The only issue I had was putting the banjo nut back on. That thing was a pain in the ballzzzzz. Thanks for posting!!!
1995 f350 7.3. I loosened the fuel filter and it allowed me to move it forward enough that I didn't have to disconnect any of the other lines. Saved a lot of time. Your video is awesome and very well done. Thank you. Parry
Nice video, but two things to note. If you drain or pump the fuel bowl out first, you can save spilling a pint of diesel allnover. Second I would not remove the pressure regulator until I had the fuel bowl out on the bench, there is a plastic ball behind that screen on some models that will fall out and never be seen again.
Can't thank you enough for making this video, had to replace my '97s lift pump because it was fuel starving under load and your video was the perfect guide for getting the job done. Every detail, right down to shorting the starter relay so that you don't fire the injectors. Thank you!
Great video. I learned a lot from this video and now I’m way less confused about how the fuel system works. You have a excellent way of explaining things. Thanks again
Thank you! You were awesome at describing what we needed to do! You’re an example on how to post, how to videos. I just recently bought the exact truck except white. I have a fuel leak weeping out the bottom of pump. I think this is what I need to do to fix the issue.
Very good video on all the steps needed for this job. The only I found a little difficult was taking off and putting on the Banjo Bolt behind the pump.
Hey man, thank you so much for posting this. It really helped me out. I’m replacing my lift pump, all the fuel lines because they are old and cracked, the banjo nut gaskets, and the O-rings for the water/fuel separator. I used a Kobalt wrench and heated it with a welder to bend it, and ground it down to get it off
Great video, talked me into doing it myself and saving a few hundred bucks. Banjo bolt literally took me 35 minutes to get off but less than 5 to to get on new lift pump.
Great video! Never done this type of work before but got the confidence through your video to take it on. Took me a couple hours after I grabbed the tools. The banjo bolt sucks...Saved me some money and taught me some really valuable info. Keep up the videos please! I'll be back to your channel when the next part breaks hahah. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this video! Your description, tips, and excellent camera skills gave me the confidence that I could do this. Thank you thank you thank you
This was super helpful. I was able to get my truck back on the road! Thank you. I ended up having to replace my fuel pump as well. I was only able to build up maybe 40 psi according to my fuel pressure gauge. I was also under the impression that these trucks had a fuel pump in the tank as well. But thanks to you I was able to learn that is no the case. I am more familiar with the gas stuff. This in my first diesel. Anyway thanks again for the help.
Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video. It was enough to push me over the edge into doing myself. I have no idea how much I saved, but I bet it was a nice chunk of change!
Sure thing! I thank you for leaving such a kind comment. I'm definitely glad I could help! It's makes it more worthwhile to hear stories like yours to encourage me to keep filming when stuff breaks down. Cheers!
@@karmevincent I want to say it took me around 4-5 hours to do the whole thing, but bear in mind I was filming the video and working slow to make sure I did everything right. I have no real idea as to how much money I saved by doing it myself, I've never actually taken any of my vehicles to a 'mechanic.' If I were to guess, maybe I saved $200-300 by doing it myself, but hopefully someone else with more experience with that can chime it.
Thank you very much for one of the better (by far) made how to videos I've seen on you tube. We actually got to see what you were doing. And your narrative filled in the blanks. Very informative video for someone who doesn't do it for a living. Subscribed
@@filemonaguirre3039if you are talking about the hole in the top of the block, where the fuel pump plunger goes into…, (depending on how much fuel might have gone down into the block), you should consider doing an oil & filter change. If you believe a large amount went down it, it has the potential to thin out your oil, thus compromising its’ lubrication of all the internal moving parts (i.e., crankshaft, cam shaft, rod bearings etc.,)…
I said the hell with the fuel bowl and did a delete kit from Crude Diesel. Really happy with it. thinking about getting their e fuel kit to convert my OBS to an electronic fuel pump setup Good Video showing how to do the fuel pump. I still have a leak after doing the kit i'm still doing some troubleshooting to see if its the fuel pump.
Just did one of these for the first time, after 25 plus years wrenching it was tricky but doable. It was so stuck in there the bottom snout broke on the way out... Didn't lose anything
This was my first time changing a the fuel pump, and I really didn't know what all I'd have to pull. You know how it goes, you always try take off as little as possible when working on something, if it ain't broke don't fix it kind of mentality. Hope the video helped, and thank you for the compliments!
@@Rnddiesel still a good DIY.. I need to do my own fuel pickup and a tank now.. I'm tempted to cut a hole in the bed of the truck to gain access do you have any suggestions.. should I just drop the tanks
@@tombrady6361 If you can get one set of extra hands, the easiest thing to do is pull the bed off. I pulled my rear tank to drain gas out of it from the previous owner and it was a royal pain. I ended up pulling my bed off for repair and it made fixing my front tank pickup unit super easy. As long as you don't live up north and things get all rusty bed removal isn't bad; it's just 6 bolts that hold the bed on. Pull those 6, and if I recall correctly there's a place where you can disconnect the rear taillights with a single plug so you don't even have to remove the taillights, though I may have had to remove the taillights, it's been a couple years so I don't remember it too well. It's pretty much impossible to pull the bed with only one person though, but if you have the extra hands, it's way easier than dropping the tank!
Wow thank you! It means a lot to me too to be able to help someone out when they may be in a bad situation with their truck, or anything else for that matter. Unfortunately not all of my videos are able to be done in such a manner, you know with a limited budget and time I can only do so much too. I appreciate your kind comment thank you!
Thanx for video I'm diving into my 97 have had low power checking reg screen for shure mine quite running in equipment yard no fuel in filter bowel thanx cheers 🥂 😊
Thanks your a nice vloger, I learned a lot, nice to know about that cam Rod, my truck is a 1997 7.3 fsuperduty 450 ,and my problem is fuel getting leaking into the valley, I’m trying little rubber fuel lines, nice thanks for your expertise, th,BigAl California.
No , my fuel leak was a rotted hose on the high pressure from the bowl on the bottom, But my new problem is 1 somone drilled a hole in my fuel tank, and patched it with the stick of puddly, I don’t remember the name , but it patch the hole 🕳, it was 3/8 hole that the heroin attic Tweaker idiot thief around the corner drilled in it, So my problem 2 I started the truck ,it ran fine for six miles out to the tire shop, ( I made the mistake of flipping the tank switch, will I had junk and. Debris in the bottom of the tank, thats the one that had the hole, and when I switched to the back tank it started missing so I flipped the switch a couple of times , well I had not put any new fuel at this point, and now after putting new fuel filter, and blowing air back to the tank from the Schrader valve on the side ( drivers side next to the little sensor , and I unplugged that sensor but now I can’t find the wire to put back on, ( I’m not sure if that will keep it from starting) , How fast should that pump flow Diesel to the filter, ??!! I have been trying to get started with not starting yet , I have ran the battery’s down , wow your started right up , so my is like it has water or something, but I put new Diesel in the front tank 9 gallons, anyway thanks BigAl California. I know the hose was cracked, if you could, have you watched the fuel rise in the filter canister with the filter top off , how fast will your truck flow fuel into the filter canisters, ??!! Thanks BigAl California.
Good video a couple tips. To help unscrew the banjo bolt use a finger and a small flathead to help turn in the tight spot. I didn’t take the bowl out of you maneuver it around it gives you enough room to get the hoses off. Then the bottom hose clamps up when you reinstall to save a future time
You can convert these older PSDs to an electronic fuel pump which was already done to my 95PSD & had a Holley Red fuel pump on the frame rain under the engine. I recommend the Holley fuel pumps because they are easy to clean, they’re pretty good, I’ve had 2 of em & they have seemed to be working well. They are expensive, but you’re paying for the ease of changing filters & if you mess with the fuel system all you have to do to check for leaks is turn on the pump w key. I have converted my current 93 idi to an all electronic fuel system, bypassed the fuel selector & have the rear tank feed the front tank return line w a small electric pump, if you do the mod you need a set of check valves on eBay to make it so that fuel coming back from the engine doesn’t go into the positive line from the rear tank, & the feed from the rear tank doesn’t go backwards if the truck isn’t on, & the rear fill pump is on. There will be a video on my channel on how to do the fix, I’ve done some testing & engineering on it & it seems to be the best viable option available now.
The only difference is, that my 96 is a California truck with a damper behind the fuel pump covering the banjo bolt. I still managed to remove the fuel pump without removing the turbo.
@@Rnddiesel Thank you so much for your video, could you please reference me the Co. to purchase the non Carter fuel pump,and necessary parts that I may need for replacement such as rings on banjo bolt and O rings or hoses for fuel filter. All the best way to confirm leaks. I replaced fuel bowl assembly and pump 3 years ago and started leaking again. Thanks
@@brucebell7623 Here's a link for the fuel pump: www.riffraffdiesel.com/mechanical-fuel-lift-pump/ supposedly it's made by Ford. This is the link I used, and it's still leak free a year later. Also here's for the banjo bolt gaskets: www.riffraffdiesel.com/banjo-bolt-gasket-set/ The gaskets shouldn't be reused. Fuel hoses or you can just buy some cheap stuff at the parts store, that's what I did, and use worm clamps: www.riffraffdiesel.com/fuel-pump-hoses/ and www.riffraffdiesel.com/fuel-pump-upper-hose/ I believe my fuel pump came with one gasket for the banjo bolt, but it takes 2 to complete the job. It's also less than $5 to make sure you have all the parts you need. You should be able to reuse the banjo bolt and the fuel lines, but in case you can't riffraff also has those parts too. I wouldn't be surprised if your fuel pump were leaking again, but you probably want to make sure your fuel lines from the pump to the bowl are in good shape. Those seem to be the weakest link in the system, as in they leak first. Good luck!
Might have to do this job in the future, I’m thinking a dab of assembly lube or maybe grease on the shaft of that plunger to keep it from falling into the abyss.
Thanks for the reply. Yeh I'll hit the forums. Already replaced the low pressure pump and the pulled out and cleaned/examined the check ball that sits right behind the the reservoir. And am still at a loss.
Pretty good description, could use better lighting. Plenty of ad’s; but this is what stood out the most, shoot down brands of pumps that were deemed she it can’s; but never mentioned the brand of the replacement! What no kick back? I am shopping at present and most of all would like to hear opinions on what are good choice’s of pumps..
I have a 1995 7.3. New to this engine, but learning a lot through your channel. Question.... I replaced fuel pump and did fuel bowl and fuel pressure regulator rebuild from Riff Raff. cranks and runs. I drove around until it was up to operating temp and went to look for leaks. When I did, I noticed that the housing for the fuel bowl and fpr were hot to touch. My HPOP reservoir was quiet hot to touch as well. I don't know if this is normal or if it means i messed something up, or possibly indicative of a different problem.
What brand of lift pump did you bye ? I bought $ 60.00 and mine is leaking again. I want little better quality. Thanks for your video, you made it very easy to see everything and you explained things very well. It makes me fill more comfortable about doing it. Great job 👍👍 Thank You so very much
How long did you need to turn the engine over to get it to start? I jumped the starter and bleed the fuel bowl like you showed but I'm not having any luck in starting the truck? Wondering if I have another problem also
Quick question.....my lift pump is leaking at the weep hole. Rather than replace the pump now, can I seal it with a fuel rated sealant so that it stops leaking. I'm not having any performance issues. Can I do that?
I’m having problems with my 97 f250 fuel system. The previous owner put a aftermarket fuel system with a fuel filter. I have cold no start not sure what to do. Replace the CPS and batteries along with fuel pump.
I have all the parts and I'm about to go do this to my 97 F250. If it doesn't go as easy as you make it look, I'll be cussing you. Just thought you should know. No pressure. ;)
Good luck! Yeah I did speed it up a bit with video editing haha. The fuel pump removal was in real time though, just go nice and easy so you don't break off the fuel pump in the block.
@@Rnddiesel it went well. My wrench fit the banjo bolt so it was no big deal. Getting it back in and the seals lined up was pretty awkward. Just something you have to breathe deeply and take your time with. My filter housing was full of sludge, which was hard to get out of there because of the heater. The whole job was a lot easier than I had imagined, and thanks to your video.
I'm here because my mechanic just quoted me $1500 to do that job. And of course mine is missing the cover, so they want to replace that. I'm not losing power as best I can tell, so I'll be doing the job myself in a couple weeks. I hope I don't drop that tappet. I wonder if there's some way to be sure it doesn't fall out? Thanks for the excellent video. I hope it's as easy as you make it look.
Sure thing! It sounds like your mechanic is charging a bit of a steep price. I think there's some way you can see the pump push up as the engine rotates over to make sure you don't drop the plunger, but I tried that and didn't really see any movement. It might work if you break the pump loose first, then it'll be free enough that you can watch the pump push up as the cam comes around. Best of luck with the job!
Great video, helped me out a lot today since I was doing the same thing. I do got a question, once mine started I let run for a but to see if there was any leaks then I drove it around. When driving I noticed I had very little power in accelerating and when parked if i revved it up around 2000rpm it would almost die when I let off the gas. Could this be an issue with air still in the system? I did prime it like you said maybe just not long enough? I got a 96 7.3
Once the system is running it should naturally bleed any air out. It sounds like you've got a low fuel pressure issue. Definitely check to make sure that there aren't any fuel leaks that would cause low fuel pressure. If you have access to a fuel pressure gauge that'll read up to ~60 psi or so, you can check your fuel pressure to make sure you're making enough. To run properly the truck should have at least 45 psi of fuel pressure. On the side of the fuel pressure regulator there should be a Schrader Valve, it's the exact same type of valve you find on tires. That is where you put the fuel pressure gauge. I have a cheap fuel pressure gauge that I use, but I have heard of people buying cheap tire gauges that might last just once, but it'll help to make sure you have enough fuel pressure. If there's any air in the system it likely won't make any fuel pressure at all. It could be just air getting in the lines somewhere, or a clogged fuel bowl screen, or a bad fuel pressure regulator. Let me know if you find anything out, best of luck!
@@Rnddiesel well I tried everything that I could think of decided to take it to a mechanic he scanned the computer and turned out there's two bad injectors and the cam sensor is bad. So that explains loss of power and it dying. But I'm no longer leaking fuel anymore thanks for the video that helped out a lot with the fuel leak!
@@ftbl74 Sorry to hear about the bad injectors! At least the cam position sensor is an easy fix, heck I keep a spare one of those in my glove box just in case, no joke. Maybe it's a good time to upgrade to bigger injectors? I'm glad to hear the truck is no longer leaking fuel, glad I could help you out with that part!
where did you put your screwdriver to prime it without ignition? i gotta replace the high pressure line and dont wanna try priming by turning the key. super helpful and detailed video tho thanks!
Glad to help! I just used the screwdriver to bypass the starter solenoid. It's on the passenger side inner fender and has 2 large studs, and 1 or two smaller studs on it as well with wires running to them all. Basically just use a screwdriver to short circuit the solenoid between the two large studs with thick wires running to them. Be careful though, you're sending hundred of amps through your screwdriver in the process. Don't use a good screwdriver either, bypassing the solenoid welds the end of it a bit! It's also a nifty trick if your starter solenoid ever goes out! Just make sure the ignition is off when cranking during priming
Carter is the ODM for motorcraft/international/alliant. Dieselorings sells the pump with the upgraded internals to deal with low concentration biodiesel. The pump you installed is a carter, check the part number on the side on google.
Remans are the problem for longevity usually. Riff Raff sources those pumps from diesel o rings, they have some parts that they sell from Bob over there and he sells some RDP stuff in his store. Amazon has them for $42 but I know mine from DieselOrings was new, I would spend the extra $20 again if i had to to be sure
Thanks for making this video, hoping it will make this job easier. What brand pump did you get? And has it lasted? I can find Carter, Alliant, and Delphi pumps but I would prefer to replace mine with OEM if I can find it.
It's been a while and I don't fully remember what brand it was. I remember doing my best to stay away from a Carter since I'd heard they weren't so great. The one I purchased came from Riffraff Diesel, and I think the unit they have now is an International Navistar OEM unit. I've been happy with the pump so far. Quite frankly from my experience, anything you get from Riffraff is as good as it gets. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase whatever pump they currently have for the OBS 7.3. After about a year and a half it's still leak free (knock on wood).
@@Rnddiesel I ordered the one on Riffraff a few days ago, just waiting for it to come in. Now I just have to pray the tappet from the old pump doesn't break off and fall into my engine lol
@@nicksnell5429 Best of luck to you! As long as you don't pry the pump sideways, you should be good. Try and use the two screw drivers like I did and work it back and forth very gently and pull it straight up. The pop metal housing isn't exactly known for its strength. I hope the Riffraff pump work out as well for you as it has for me!
I can not for the life of me get the actual pump out. I took the fuel filter out so I have enough room to try and pry it off but it won't budge. I took out all the bolts holding it down. Any other ideas on how to get it out?
Great vid. 1 have a 1997 7.3 in a f450/ superduty. If i let it sit for a couple weeks the hpop reservoir bleeds off also there is no oil pressure at the gauge at the dash. It runs and drives fine. Just wanna fix the issues so i can sell and clean out my yard. Any suggestions wouls be appreciated.
I think the HPOP reservoir draining may be attributed to a the check ball in the HPOP reservoir itself. Though with you pointing out a lack of oil pressure on the dash, that leads me to suspect your low pressure oil pump is losing its prime and may need replacement. You may want to go browse online forums like Powerstroke Nation before you commit to that hefty task. There are guys on there who are far more knowledgeable than I am. I'd be willing to bet someone has had an issue just like the one you're describing in the past. Best of luck!
My dad changed the fuel pump on his truck before he passed and im trying to get it running. There isnt any fuel coming from the strader valve on the side of the water separator after turning it over multiple times like you showed. What is the recommended next step. It may need the ignition control module changed but wanted to make sure the fuel pump was doing as it should before replacing it and not need it.
I'm sorry to hear about your Dad! You may want to start by making sure the fuel tank is well over 1/4 full. The internal pickup tube/filter may have fallen off in the tank, so it cant reach fuel at the bottom of the tank. Other than that check that all the fuel lines are connected, and there are no major leaks. You may also want to try removing the Schrader valve to ensure it's not seized shut or anything like that. The fuel pump is all mechanical and tied directly to the camshaft, so even if it's going out, you should still have some fuel flow to it.
Hi, I watched your video it was very helpful. I'm trying to order a part for my truck. It is the little piece that has the screen on it in the fuel pressure regulator. Do you know what that's called?
I'm glad to help! I don't know exactly what the part is called, I just refer to it as the fuel bowl screen. Here's a link to one on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B000NS4PM8?tag=powerstrokeinsert-20
I don't know how valid my opinion is, I've only changed out this one pump. From the research I did, I heard Carter pumps were not so good, though that may have been just a bad batch. The one I got came from riffraffdiesel.com. I believe they now carry an International brand lift pump now, which is the same manufacturer as the 7.3, so I figure the OEM, or as close as you can get is the best, at least for this case. I don't know for sure if mine was the International or not. Either way, I've been happy with my pump. It's been almost a year and it's still leak free!
Quick hopefully easy question.. my truck (97 f350 7.3) unfortunately has a breathalyzer in it, in order to prime it I don't think bridging the solenoid is an option (I'll probably get locked out due to the device) how would you recommend I prime it with the ignition? Just turn it over a bunch until it starts?.. doesn't sound great but I'm not sure what else to do, going to be undertaking this project tomorrow morning..
@@goysb4jays566 went fine, I ended up priming it the way he did, got locked out but didn't have to pay the fine because I informed them what I was doing prior!
Also the reason I want to change is because I want to make my truck run in veggie oil and my idea was to buy another bowl for the veggie so it will heat the oil right before to enter the engine plus of course I will put a heat transfer on the thank as well
