Is your Snap-to-Connect Fitting in danger of failing?
The High-Pressure Oil Pump (HPOP) is the backbone of the fuel system in your truck. This makes things that much more complicated when the Snap-To-Connect (STC) fitting that feeds oil from the HPOP to the branch tubes may malfunction or fail.
The factory STC Fitting on your 2004.5-2007 6.0L Powerstroke is prone to fail sooner than it should due to its two-piece design. The ring inside the STC fitting can become weak from the constant pressure of the oil passing through the fitting as it sends oil to the branch tubes.
If gone unchecked or unnoticed, high-pressure oil leaks can occur. These oil leaks can potentially lead to a complete engine failure, where the snap ring fails and the STC can cause catastrophic failure to your engine.
How can you tell if your STC is in danger of failing?
Signs that your STC could be in trouble include hard or no-start issues, however, there are a few tests you can run to diagnose even further.
Performing a shop air test can be a good way to take out some of the guesswork in the diagnostic process. With the compressed air connected to the HPOP System, you may hear air noise that’s not directly coming from one side of the engine or the other around injection areas.
Another way to check things out is to do a visual and physical inspection. The STC fitting should be secure. Some fittings can be loose or jiggle, this doesn’t mean the fitting is failing. However, a loose fitting can be a sign that issues are on the horizon.
When is the best time to upgrade?
Don’t wait until it is too late or you end up stuck on the side of the road with a mountain of repair bills. The XDP STC HPOP Fitting Upgrade Kit can help you to avoid catastrophic failure in your 6.0L. This kit helps to solve these issues by replacing the unreliable factory two-piece unit with a one-piece solid mount fitting.
What’s the best time to do an STC Fitting replacement? The most convenient time to upgrade your STC Fitting would be during any repairs to your EGR cooler, an oil cooler replacement, or when replacing your head gaskets. All these jobs give access to remove the cover to inspect the HPOP to diagnose or replace your STC fitting.
Installation
Once your HPOP is removed and you are ready to upgrade your STC Fitting.
You will need:
- 1” open end wrench
- 15/16” crowfoot adapter
- Torque wrench
Start by putting the HPOP in a secure vise.
With a 1” open-end wrench, remove the high-pressure oil branch tube adapter and jam nut fitting from the high-pressure oil pump.
Discard the factory high-pressure oil branch tube adapter.
Unbox the XDP STC fitting update kit and lay it out onto your workbench.
Locate the new 1-piece high-pressure oil branch tube adapter and apply clean engine oil to the threads and jam nut.
Install the high-pressure oil branch tube adapter into the high-pressure oil pump. Thread it 5 complete turns to set the proper depth and orientation.
If the high-pressure oil branch tube adapter cannot be threaded on completely, back the jam nut off one turn. Complete threading the high-pressure oil branch tube adapter jam nut to the high-pressure oil pump.
Install the alignment tool/jig using the supplied plastic bolts and wing nuts from the kit. Align and position the jam nut fitting. Tighten plastic bolts and wing nuts by hand, do not overtighten.
This tool ensures the high-pressure oil branch tube adapter is installed at the correct depth to prevent high-pressure oil leaks.
Tighten the jam nut with a 15/16” crowfoot adapter and a torque wrench. Tighten to 49 ft-lb.
Remove and discard the plastic bolts, wing nuts, and holding tool.
The XDP STC HPOP fitting update is now properly installed. The HPOP can be now removed from the vise and reinstalled.
What’s Next?
Now that we’ve given you all the information on how your STC can fail and how it can be replaced. Don’t risk failure when you’re counting on your truck most. Be sure your snap-to-connect fitting on your high-pressure oil pump is safe and reliable! Keep your high-pressure oil system working its best in your truck with a fresh STC HPOP Fitting Update Kit at XDP.com.
For more info, check out this Q&A and installation video on our YouTube Channel!