Sand Blasting Fuel lines when installing new injectors?????

[lduguay]

My 2003 Chevy Duramax/Allison is getting a new set of injectors installed. The Service "advisor" calls me and says the tech recommends "Sandblasting the fuel lines"..........

Anyone heard of this??

I am getting employee pricing on the injector job at this dealer and they would charge $85 PER line (8 total) for the "sandblast"!! I asked for a benefit and "advisor" said "it gets rid of the corrosion." The truck has 160k miles and is "clean".....not a "northern" truck with corrosion issues.

I really don't care if it looks "pretty"!! Just curious if anyone has heard of the technique and IF there is a benefit the newbie "advisor" missed telling me. Sounds like an "add-on" to me.

Here are the pics he sent me:

 

[Jimmy]

They may be talking about the "inside" of the lines where gunk and trash builds up...

 

[mrcomer]

I have gone through this. I recently had all my fuel injectors replaced under warranty, at about 99,900 miles. The dealership called me to explain that they needed to send these fuel lines out to have them blasted otherwise they would not seal properly. Well as it turns out the fuel lines were too pitted to use so they replaced all of my fuel lines that attach to the fuel injectors. My extended warranty paid for those. I really got lucky on this one. But I also realize that my fuel injectors actually have a 200,000 mile warranty from GM. So yes I have of this and only know what the dealership has told me. I did see the fuel lines after they were blasted and they looked terrible. Could have been poor workmanship of the person who blasted them but I'll never know.

Hope this helps,
Mark

 

[lduguay]

Jimmy, I was thinking the inside too......but the pics the service "adviser" sent are both external?? With ALL the cleaners I have run through this system trying to do the "poor man fix" those internal lines should be SPARKLING!!! I am waiting for him to call me with more details.

Mark, was your "blast" external or internal? Did you see a work order with pricing for the replacement lines?.........at $85 each for the sandblast, I am wondering how much a new line cost!!??

Thanks for the input!!

Lance

 

[mrcomer]

The blasting only had to do with the flared ends that seal when connected. No other blasting is necessary. Look at this picture.

 

[Bob&Patty]

Sounds like great idea. Get some grit in a new injector. Never heard of this "idea" before and worked at a Chevy dealer.

 

[Jimmy]

I'm more confused about this now, please let us know what the dealer tells you.

 

[Jimmy]

The below is from the Chevrolet service bulletin...


Medium size media glass beads have a cleaning and peening action and do not remove metal. They do not have the quick abrasive action of sharp edged media. Glass beads clean rust, scale and corrosion from metal parts without any damage.
Use an Abrasive Blasting Cabinet, P/N 624-AST-SBC1, (to order, call GM Dealer Equipment at 1-800-GMTOOLS), or equivalent, with a medium size media glass beads to clean the high pressure lines and fittings.
Black plastic electrical tape or equivalent will protect the fittings outside coating from being removed with the media. This must be done to all sixteen high pressure fittings.
Install black plastic electrical tape or equivalent on both of the fittings.

I'm not where I stand on this now...

 

[GOTTOYS]

Sounds like great idea. Get some grit in a new injector. Never heard of this "idea" before and worked at a Chevy dealer.

So did I and I never heard of it either. Could this be the latest in money generating scams? Be interesting to look on one of the Duramax forums and get some opinions from the experts there. I've been out of the car business for several years...Don

 

[GOTTOYS]

Looks like GM has a bulletin on this so it must be real..I'd sure like to know more...Don

 

[moose53]

Silica sand residue in any of the lines would not be good!

 

[lduguay]

Thanks Mark.......hmmmmm, my nozzle (what you circled in pic) looks pretty good to me....kinda feeling like they wanted to get some of the "employee discount" back! And at 85 bucks EACH!!!

I will update when I pick up my smokeless truck tomorrow.......it is gonna be nice this weekend backing into the CG and not looking through a cloud of smoke. Problem now, is that all the "onlookers" will see my relatively new backing up skills!!

 

[brianharrison]

New injector lines (when bought separately) are about $100 (jobber?) --> http://www.merchant-automotive.com/oemlb7fuelsystem.aspx If you bought them as a set it would be less.

As mentioned, it is the corrosion on the flared ends that need to be removed to make a seal - the pressure on a diesel injector is over 20,000 psi (higher on newer models).

In my opinion, if you have to bead blast the end, there is already corrosion and metal loss, typically pitting corrosion and you may not get a good seal anyhow, at least long term. Based on the suggested $85 labor to bead blast, I would request new lines and negotiate to pay wholesale cost, or dealer cost.

Good luck.

Take care,
Brian

UPDATE:

Just found this on line - the GM service procedure.

http://www.dieselbombers.com/chevro...diesel-fuel-system-fuel-injector-service.html

 

[lduguay]

Hey Brian,

Found out the previous pic was NOT mine......they just sent me this pic of my lines. The new lines sounds like a better path......Thoughts? Thanks!

Lance

 

[brianharrison]

Hi Lance,

Yup they look crappy. Check with your dealership on what they will charge for a complete new set (my nickname for a lot of them are "Stealerships"). If they warranty the bead blast job (12 months no leaks?) I would consider it if it was less than half price of the new set of lines, my opinion.

I'm sure the margin to the dealership is much more for the bead blast (ie labor). Secondary consideration is if you "like" your dealership and want to maintain a good relationship. Sometimes it's about maintaining the relationship, if that's important to you.....

Take care,
Brian

PS - based on the fact they sent you some pictures that were not from your trucks fuel lines, I would be suspect.

 

[mrcomer]

I think for your piece of mind it would be much better in the long run to have them replaced, especially since they already have it tore down.

Mark

 

[lduguay]

NEWS FLASH!!!

Brian, the service "advisor" is a newbie who is training and seems to be a nice kid........I just had a clarifying conversation with him on the phone.......yesterday when he said $85 per line for sandblasting.....he meant to say $85 for NEW LINES!!!!!! The sandblasting is only about $80 TOTAL for ALL 8 lines!!!! The pic of all 8 lines are my lines.....the pic yesterday was a "sample" of a new line.

Needless to say.....I said to do the cleaning per the GM bulletin and IF we need to replace a line due to serious corrosion we would.............the tech, who was standing by the phone, thought they would clean up OK!!

Communication.......can be really overrated!!!

Thanks ALL for your help!!!!!

Lance (a Diesel Newbie!!)

 

[brianharrison]

Glad to hear everything worked out.

Take care,
Brian

 

[mnkamper]

Keep us posted after the blasting is done and if the dealership can, include pictures also after the blasting to compare. I would be very interested!

 

[lduguay]

It's a wrap!! I picked the beast up yesterday and we headed to Forest Lakes CG in Advance NC......no more dragon smoke!!

The tech did me a BIG favor.......he blasted the 8 lines....said 3 were bad.....he had 2 "spares" in his tool box that he gave me free....I had to purchase 1. I did not get to see the post sand (glass beads) blast......the first pic I posted was 1 of the free lines he used. It ALWAYS payoff to be nice to your service advisor!!

Whelp, back to relaxin in my reclined under the awning enjoying the rain.........MAN THIS BEATS TENTING!! What took us soooooo long!!??