Should I Use YouTube to Repair My Diesel Engine?
To Rely on YouTube or to Not Rely on YouTube
There’s rebuilding injection pumps at our shop – where we guarantee they are remanufactured to the standards of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM).
And then there’s “rebuilding” on YouTube.
YouTube has given rise to its fair share of DIY enthusiasts – and the diesel industry is no exception.
But, while it’s a great tool in many ways, using the video platform to rebuild or reseal a fuel injector pump or injector is much like Googling your symptoms instead of visiting the doctor. There’s an overabundance of content and no quality control.
At NW Fuel, we’ve had many a customer walk through our doors with a self-repaired (or attempted repair) pump or injector – whether it was done by themselves or by someone else who subscribed to the YouTube school of thought. There are many reasons why this DIY route isn’t the best route to take when it comes to your injectors. More than half the time, they’ve actually made things worse, and made the repair more expensive.
First and foremost, if you’re using the video platform, unsurprisingly, you aren’t guaranteed a high quality product.
When we rebuild at our shop, we take the unit apart, assess its components, and provide a full service and failure report to help the customer avoid future failures.
We then source replacement parts, clean and polish reusable ones, and reassemble following the manufacturer’s procedures, as well as perform a bench test and calibrate it to factory test specifications.
We always rebuild to the standards of the OEM. This means that if we’re remanufacturing a part that’s made by Bosch, we’re building it to Bosch’s exacting standards.
Bosch is particularly strict about this process. In order to be able to achieve this level of standard, our staff has been trained and audited by Bosch, and our shop has received certification to be Bosch authorized. This means we are able to keep the Bosch markings on the parts once they’ve been rebuilt.
Resealing vs. rebuilding
The resealing process accomplishes all of the above, minus the replacement of worn-out parts – it may stop the leaking, but the life expectancy hasn’t been reset. The customer usually saves very little time and money, and receives an inferior product, which is why we promote rebuilding over resealing.
If you are using YouTube, however, you are most likely going to find tutorials for simply resealing your pump or injectors. When you reseal with the same worn-out parts, your fuel economy could suffer, your engine may not run the way it should, and it will cost more in the long run.
Lastly, sourcing parts on your own and assembling à la YouTube means you are often using parts of unknown origin, without validation or calibration after assembly.
If you have any questions or concerns about parts that you’ve bought, or you want to learn more about how to recognize a genuine Bosch injector or rebuilding in general, we are more than happy to help.
We’re only a phone call or visit away, and love when people want to learn more about their parts. We love what we do and we’re keen to share our knowledge to help people do better!
