Help with installing a CFM-Technologies fuel pressure gauge adapter

[austinado16]

Has anyone installed the fuel pressure gauge adapter that CFM-Tech sells?

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So far, I'm pretty disappointed in the part and in their non-existent customer service.

The one I received had a bunch of metal shavings in it where they drilled their 1/8NPT holes and didn't clean up, and the female threads that my truck's fuel fitting should thread in to, seems to have bad threads, or the wrong thread pitch.

I can hand thread my fuel line fitting into the original fitting on the throttle body, but it won't thread more than a couple turns into the CFM-Tech adapter. The last thing I want to do is put a wrench on it and wind up destroying the fitting on the 'burb's fuel line.

I took the CFM fitting to the hardware store and it seems to be threaded 3/8" flare. Is that what our fuel fittings are threaded?

Anyway, hoping someone can shed some light. Did I get a bad CFM-Technologies fuel pressure gauge adapter, or what?

BTW, I've called them about 15 times this week, left 2 messages and one email. Haven't heard from them.

 

[austinado16]

Did more research and learned that the fitting on the 'burb is 3/8's flare. Decided to grow a pair and give the installation another attempt.

Started by removing the coil and getting it out of the way so that the fuel line had more room to move rearward if needed.

With the throttle body unbolted from the intake manifold, I threaded in the CFM adapter. Then I set the TB in position and threaded both fuel lines in to both adapters. The inlet line threaded in kinda stiff, and I was worried, but it continued smoothly without issue. I left both lines just a tad loose so they could twist/flex as I set the TB down onto the manifold and slid it rearward until the 3 mounting bolts lined up.

It took some finesse to carefully work the TB rearward, which was slightly bending the stee fuel lines, until the 3 bolts could be started by hand. Once they were hand threaded in most of the way, I tightened up the fuel lines, and then tightened up the TB bolts.

Cool.....done! But wait, not so fast. The return fuel line was clocked up a bit too high and was interfering with how the vac line routed out the back of the TB. When I loosened the fuel fitting, the adapter turn too. So I put 2 wrenches on them, got 'em freed from each other, and then tightened the adapter. To my horror, the adapter wasn't tightening. It was feeling like stripped threads...even though I'd hand threaded it into the TB and had it tight prior to install. Then all of a sudden it went "soft" and would just spin.

I removed the TB to find the entire area around the fitting had broken off. You'd a thought I was installing it with an air gun or something.

Next came the panic......where am I going to find an injector pod RIGHT NOW and not pay out the a$$ or have the truck broke down in the driveway for a week while I wait for a part. $100 at NAPA for a rebuilt injector assembly, in stock. $49 for a good used housing on ebay, out of TX (3-4 days away). Or, take a chance at the wrecking yard. $60 later I had a sh!tty looking used TBI unit in my hand and was headed for the machine shop to use their soda blaster.

All back together now, and I was even able to put the coil back into it's original spot.

Just tried the fuel pressure at 13psi and it's a little too rich at hot idle. I've backed it off to 12.25 and giving that a try next. BTW, the adjustment is a total PIA. It can barely be rotated in the direction to raise the pressure, and turning it back to lower the pressure is just shy of impossible. What a joke.

 

[Jims86]

Did more research and learned that the fitting on the 'burb is 3/8's flare. Decided to grow a pair and give the installation another attempt.

Started by removing the coil and getting it out of the way so that the fuel line had more room to move rearward if needed.

With the throttle body unbolted from the intake manifold, I threaded in the CFM adapter. Then I set the TB in position and threaded both fuel lines in to both adapters. The inlet line threaded in kinda stiff, and I was worried, but it continued smoothly without issue. I left both lines just a tad loose so they could twist/flex as I set the TB down onto the manifold and slid it rearward until the 3 mounting bolts lined up.

It took some finesse to carefully work the TB rearward, which was slightly bending the stee fuel lines, until the 3 bolts could be started by hand. Once they were hand threaded in most of the way, I tightened up the fuel lines, and then tightened up the TB bolts.

Cool.....done! But wait, not so fast. The return fuel line was clocked up a bit too high and was interfering with how the vac line routed out the back of the TB. When I loosened the fuel fitting, the adapter turn too. So I put 2 wrenches on them, got 'em freed from each other, and then tightened the adapter. To my horror, the adapter wasn't tightening. It was feeling like stripped threads...even though I'd hand threaded it into the TB and had it tight prior to install. Then all of a sudden it went "soft" and would just spin.

I removed the TB to find the entire area around the fitting had broken off. You'd a thought I was installing it with an air gun or something.

Next came the panic......where am I going to find an injector pod RIGHT NOW and not pay out the a$$ or have the truck broke down in the driveway for a week while I wait for a part. $100 at NAPA for a rebuilt injector assembly, in stock. $49 for a good used housing on ebay, out of TX (3-4 days away). Or, take a chance at the wrecking yard. $60 later I had a sh!tty looking used TBI unit in my hand and was headed for the machine shop to use their soda blaster.

All back together now, and I was even able to put the coil back into it's original spot.

Just tried the fuel pressure at 13psi and it's a little too rich at hot idle. I've backed it off to 12.25 and giving that a try next. BTW, the adjustment is a total PIA. It can barely be rotated in the direction to raise the pressure, and turning it back to lower the pressure is just shy of impossible. What a joke.

I wish youda PMed me, I have a spare pod here. I have been known to Helicoil them too!

 

[MrMarty51]

I wish youda PMed me, I have a spare pod here. I have been known to Helicoil them too!

Send Yours to Jim, haveum rebuild it, get it back and install Jims and have a spare for a backup, or to sell on ebayt.

 

[austinado16]

Jim, thanks for the offer of the spare pod. I could have saved the day for less money, but I wanted to get it wrapped up, and I didn't want it "broke down" in the driveway while I waited for a pod to arrive in the mail.

There's no repairing this pod. The entire area surrounding the hole for the return line cracked and fell away. All that's left there is the very base of the hole, where the nylon washer would crush against. Not repairable by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[MrMarty51]

That REALLY Blows.

 

[austinado16]

Ya, you can imagine how mad I was, especially after taking a lot of precautions to not break or strip anything on the pod.