2011-2014 Ford 6.7L Powerstroke Fuel System Parts

Fuel System on the 2011-2014 Ford 6.7L Powerstroke

Ford's in-house 6.7L Powerstroke moves fuel in two stages. The in-tank sender feeds the electric low-pressure pump inside the Diesel Fuel Conditioning Module, or DFCM, on the frame rail. That module also holds the 10-micron primary filter and the water separator. Fuel then passes the 4-micron secondary filter on the engine and reaches the Bosch CP4.2, which charges two common rails to roughly 30,000 psi. The rails feed eight Bosch piezo injectors with 8-hole nozzles. The 2011-2014 trucks carry the first-version CP4.2. For 2015 Ford gave the pump more stroke and flow, revised the injector nozzle and improved the fuel pressure sensor, which is why injector parts split at that model year. Ford approves ULSD and biodiesel blends up to B20, and fuel that has sat in the tank more than a month should be flushed.

What fails and why

The CP4.2 is the weak point. Aerated fuel or fuel with low lubricity lets the pump wear, and the metal it sheds travels through the rails, the injectors and the return. Diesel Hub notes that domestic diesel can fall below the lubricity this pump needs, and failure can come at any mileage. The warning signs are a long crank or hard hot start, a rough idle that smooths out with rpm, sudden power loss, a P0087 low rail pressure code, or metal in the fuel filter. After a pump failure the repair reaches the pump, both rails, all eight injectors, every high-pressure line, and a cleaning of the tank and low-pressure lines.

Not every P0087 is a dead pump. A restricted filter, weak low-side supply, an air leak, an electrical fault or excessive injector return can set the same code, so test low-side pressure and inspect the filter first. Injectors also fail on their own at high mileage, with a rough cold idle, P030x misfires, white smoke that smells of raw diesel, or fuel smell on the dipstick. On 2011-2012 trucks, Ford TSB 11-10-10 covers P1291 and P1292 codes from an internally shorted injector, which DEF-contaminated or gelled fuel can cause. Finally, the plastic engine-mounted filter housing turns brittle with age and can crack and weep fuel.

Stock replacement vs. upgrade

If the pump and injectors are healthy, stock maintenance does most of the work. Change the Motorcraft FD-4615 filters every 22,500 miles under normal use, or every 15,000 miles, 6 months or 600 hours under severe use, and drain the water separator at each service. Add a lubricity additive; Diesel Hub recommends one as CP4 insurance. If you are cleaning up after a failure, fuel contamination kits with or without the pump are built for that job.

The upgrade path is about protection and supply. A CP4.2 bypass kit like the S&S Diesel Motorsport unit, which carries CARB EO D-756-1 and needs no tuning, routes the pump's bottom-end flow back to the tank and filters so a failing pump cannot feed debris to the rails and injectors. It does not stop the pump from wearing. A lift pump adds supply pressure, volume and filtration: the Fleece PowerFlo replaces the in-tank sender with a dual gerotor pump making 65-70 psi at idle, while FASS and AirDog systems add their own water separator and particulate filters ahead of the DFCM.

What we carry

For filtration and supply, you will find FASS Titanium Signature Series systems and filter packs, AirDog Raptor pumps and replacement filters, Fleece Performance Engineering PowerFlo kits and an engine-mounted filter assembly, SPE Motorsport billet filter and drain parts, and XDP fuel tank sumps. For CP4 protection and conversions there is the S&S Diesel Motorsport CP4 Disaster Prevention Kit, Fuel Leak Prevention Kit and DCR pump conversion. Pumps come as new and remanufactured CP4s from XDP, Dynomite Diesel Products and Exergy Performance, with install kits from Alliant Power. Injectors include reman units with bolt and line from Alliant Power and XDP plus new and reman sets from Dynomite and Exergy. Rails and lines cover XDP and Exergy fuel rails, Alliant Power injection line and O-ring kits and a MAHLE rail supply line. Alliant Power also supplies a fuel tank sending unit, a fuel transfer pump and contamination kits. Fuel additives come from Hot Shot's Secret, Lucas Oil, Exergy and XDP.

Fitment notes

This page covers 2011-2014 F-250 and F-350 Super Duty pickups, including dual-rear-wheel F-350s, plus the F-450 pickup. Watch the year splits. The 2011-2014 pickup injector is not the 2015-2016 pickup part, though 2015-2016 chassis cabs stayed on the 2011-2014 pickup injector. The fuel filter kit is FD-4615 through 2016 and FD-4625 from 2017. Fleece PowerFlo kits come in short-bed and long-bed versions, and tank sumps are specific to the tank and bed length, so know what you have. Frame-rail lift pump kits differ on whether they keep or bypass the DFCM; read each kit's notes. Check CARB EO status on any alternate-pump conversion before you order it for a truck registered in an emissions-controlled state. When in doubt, verify by VIN.

Frequently asked questions

Does a P0087 code mean my CP4.2 is finished?

Not by itself. A restricted filter, weak low-pressure supply, an air leak, an electrical fault or too much injector return can all set P0087. Test low-side pressure and inspect the filter first. Metal in the filter is the sign that points to the pump.

How often should I change the fuel filters on a 2011-2014 6.7L?

Ford's schedule for the FD-4615 kit is 22,500 miles under normal use and 15,000 miles, 6 months or 600 hours under severe use. Drain the water separator in the DFCM at each service. Trucks from 2017 on use a different kit, FD-4625, so double-check the part number.

Will a CP4 bypass kit keep my pump from failing?

No. The S&S kit routes the pump's bottom-end flow back to the tank and filters, so if the pump does fail, the debris lands in the filters instead of the rails and injectors. The pump can still wear. Clean filters, good fuel and a lubricity additive are still the first line of defense.

Do I need a tank sump with a lift pump?

It depends on the pump. Frame-rail lift pumps use a sump to gravity-feed from the bottom of the tank, and sumps are specific to tank and bed length. The Fleece PowerFlo replaces the in-tank sender and uses an active fill bucket, so it does not need a sump.

Can I replace just one bad injector?

Only if the fuel system is clean. Replacing one injector in a contaminated system just leads to the next failure, so check the filter for metal first. Any high-pressure line you open is one-time-use and must be replaced, and the new injector's IQA code has to be programmed into the PCM.

Not sure what fits? Call the shop at the number in the header, or use the fitment checker on any product page. We install everything we sell.