6.7 fuel injector stuck in head

Wayne · Mar 5, 2016

I've got a 6.7 here with just over 200K miles with an injector that won't come out. There is quite a bit of surface rust all over the truck, so I'm speculating the injector might have rusted with a leaky valve cover seal. Not really sure though. It ran fine and smooth but had an external fuel leak, so customer requested replacement. it's cyl #3. After breaking the rotunda injector removal tool, I tried long pry bars, then when that didn't work, I modified a supply line into a link for the end of the chain on my 12 lb slide hammer (it's a big one) Injector still wouldn't budge, so I had a guy help me pry with a 36" indexing pry bar. At this point, all that's left is the metal injector body. The electrical harness, plastic, and return fuel line are all broken off, so there's a pretty good spot to grip with the bar. Still no luck. I then heated up the injector body red hot (after removing the brand new electrical harness and fuel return line I replaced last week; fuel soaked harness, suspected leaky return line). With the injector red hot, I tried the slide hammer and pry bar trick with no luck.

So the question is, have any of you ran into a similar situation without having to replace the head? Next up, I'm looking at pulling the cab to get more aggressive with the injector. Any insight would be helpful.

UpstateDieselGuy · Mar 5, 2016

That's crazy. I would say that you've given it everything you could! Would a penetrating oil of any sort help? I'm thinking that the head is coming off though.

Jomax · Mar 5, 2016

Man that sucks!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

webb06 · Mar 5, 2016

Had a core engine that had the same kind of thing going on. Using the slide hammer method worked for us though. Sounds like you'll be pulling the head which sucks.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

6.0 Tech · Mar 6, 2016

Ive had that happen too. Flip the hold down over and hit it with a hammer, it will pull the injector out like a heel bar. I use that method when pulling them when theyre not stuck, as its faster than the tool. Usually just takes a little tap, but the ones ive had stick took some decent whacks with a 4 lb hammer.

Wayne · Mar 7, 2016

I'll have to let you guys know what it ends up taking if the guy decides to have me finish the job. I don't know how prepared he is to go from a several hundred to a potentially several thousand dollar repair. ...and yeah. I soaked the injector in penetrating oil with the valve cover seal burned out over the weekend, and still nothing.

Bustedknuckles · Mar 7, 2016

If flipping the hold down over doesn't work try heating it and running a candle around it. The wax will pull down between the injector and head and it should come out.

Frashdog · Mar 7, 2016

Bustedknuckles said:
If flipping the hold down over doesn't work try heating it and running a candle around it. The wax will pull down between the injector and head and it should come out.

Legit!
I was thinking the same thing as I was reading.
I broke a big breaker bar on an axle hub bolt once. The shrapnel that flew off actually cut me through my jeans. We about gave up. I remembered some one telling me about the wax trick. It worked.

As the metal cools it pulls in the wax like capillary action.
I would apply the wax a few times, a few minutes apart as it cools.

Inline6359 · Mar 8, 2016

Post a picture Wayne. Maybe some of us who haven't actually seen a 6.7 injector in the head may have an idea if the above dosent work.

Wayne · Mar 8, 2016

well, the guy opted to do a brand new long block, and all new injectors. I still gotta get the old ones out, so I may just try the wax trick because I don't want to pull the heads off. I will get pics once the cab's off. It'll probably be next week.

Jomax · Mar 8, 2016

Wayne said:
well, the guy opted to do a brand new long block, and all new injectors. I still gotta get the old ones out, so I may just try the wax trick because I don't want to pull the heads off. I will get pics once the cab's off. It'll probably be next week.

Man, and to think just for a stuck injector. That sucks... How many miles on the thing?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wayne · Mar 8, 2016

207k. he has 4.10's, and tows with it for a living. it's also tuned, with a '15 towmax turbo from midwest. reliability is critical for him, and this was the only injector I tried to pull, so who knows how difficult the others will be if/ hen they fail? not a bad move imo.

Jomax · Mar 9, 2016

Wayne said:
207k. he has 4.10's, and tows with it for a living. it's also tuned, with a '15 towmax turbo from midwest. reliability is critical for him, and this was the only injector I tried to pull, so who knows how difficult the others will be if/ hen they fail? not a bad move imo.

Makes sense now. It's a money maker, I would've done the same.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

stacked6.7 · May 14, 2016

I know this thread is a little old. But normally how how hard is it to do injectors on these trucks? Also will they throw a code if one goes bad. My truck seems to idle a tad rough. But no codes on my mini maxx and no check engine light. Thought about having the dealer use their scanner and see how everything checks out.

sootie · May 15, 2016

It's about a four hour job to change injectors worst case.

Wayne · May 16, 2016

It's not too bad. I never got the injector out. Of the hundreds, if not thousands of 6.7 injectors we've removed in the dealership I work at, this is the only one we've ever fought. I could barely twist it in the head, valve cover off, with a pipe wrench, and 3' of bar. Head would have had to come out, and beat it through the back side to extract it. By then the head would probably be junk.

CATDiezel · May 16, 2016

Wayne said:
It's not too bad. I never got the injector out. Of the hundreds, if not thousands of 6.7 injectors we've removed in the dealership I work at, this is the only one we've ever fought. I could barely twist it in the head, valve cover off, with a pipe wrench, and 3' of bar. Head would have had to come out, and beat it through the back side to extract it. By then the head would probably be junk.

It sounds like it galded in place... Probably from a lose hold down bolt. I've seen that happen on a lb7 duramax before. Once that happens like you said the head is no longer usable.

stacked6.7 · May 16, 2016

Wayne said:
It's not too bad. I never got the injector out. Of the hundreds, if not thousands of 6.7 injectors we've removed in the dealership I work at, this is the only one we've ever fought. I could barely twist it in the head, valve cover off, with a pipe wrench, and 3' of bar. Head would have had to come out, and beat it through the back side to extract it. By then the head would probably be junk.

Is it obvious when they are bad? I don't mind paying to have the dealer hook it to the computer. But I'd like to make sure they can tell if one is a little weak.