That time in Billings I learned the hard way about injector cups

Got a call to do injectors on a 6.0 at a ranch outside Billings last November. Everything was going fine until I pulled the #3 injector and the cup came out with it. My heart sank because I knew I didn't have the right puller tool on my truck. Ended up having to drive 45 minutes back into town to borrow a kit from a friend at Cummins of Montana. Now I always keep a spare cup tool set in my box just for those older Powerstrokes. Has anyone else had a cup come loose like that or was I just unlucky?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_charlie2d ago

Man you know what, I used to think that whole "cup coming out with the injector" thing was just tall tales from guys who didn't know what they were doing? Like maybe they just yanked on it wrong or didn't clean the bore right. But after hearing your story and seeing how it went down, I'm changing my tune completely. That's the kind of thing that makes you second guess every job you do on these trucks. Honestly it sounds like you handled it better than most would have. Driving 45 minutes back to town to borrow a kit beats trying to rig something up and cracking the head. I bet every time you pull an injector now you've got that tool sitting right there just in case. Lesson learned the hard way, but at least you know for next time.

sam172d ago

...and you had to drive 45 minutes back to borrow a tool from a friend? Man, that's rough. I've worked on plenty of 6.0s over the years and never had a cup come out with the injector like that. Figured it was one of those things that only happened if the engine had been overheated or someone messed with it before. Seems like you were just unlucky, but at least you know now to keep a spare puller kit handy. I always tell the younger guys, when you're working on a Powerstroke, expect the unexpected. Might save you a long drive someday.