Hey everyone. What are the normal symptoms of a bad spider? I have heard the horror stories about spiders leaking and trashing the bearings and I want to see if I can prevent it before it happens. I am graduating in December and looking for a full time job, so I don't need this truck failing me. I am not really seeing any real problems other than hard starting at times (when I turn and release the key too fast and it just kicks itself to start or I have to do it again 1 start out of 100). No check engine light or misfires either. I can't really tell if there is gas in the oil. I can't really tell a difference with the smell and the oil color was okay (golden brown). Thanks

 

Super hard to start,long cranks,random stalling,terrible fuel mileage. thats for the most part of it. If you truly wanna keep a eye on it buy a pressure gauge and just do a leak down test once a month..

 

Whoa. Not sure I want to go to THAT extreme. LOL

For the most part, it starts up on the first try within a second of turning the key and it very very very rarely stalls (like once or twice a year if that and never on the road). Gas mileage sucks (10 in town, 16-20 on the highway), but not sure that has anything to do with the spider. Just driving conditions (stop and go, quick acceleration/quick braking). Thanks

 

Mine started fine, had a very slight rough idle, but the biggest thing was a drop in gas mileage. When I took it apart the #5 intake runner was washed clean from the regulator leaking fuel. Switched to the MFI conversion and am happy I did.

 

I had the same question until remove spider and sent to testing and cleaning. No results, millage still around 11 - 12 MPG (town) and 20 (highway). Still, good millage considering I had a 3.73 rear diff; truck had more than 13 years and it is 4WD (extra weight, extra gears, worst millage).
If your have a FWD model, yeah, terrible millage. If not, seam to be pretty normal for me. Also, as far as I understand, if short trips are made (mostly mine case), millage is worst since cooler the engine, gas condensate iat cilinder walls and dosn't get burned.

But if still doubts about spider, just check fuel pressure and check pressure regulator leakage (fuel pressure doesn't drop more that 5 psi in ten minutes or something like than after turning off the fuel pump). If pressure seams to be ok, remove intake cover and check one by one each popet valve o inyector disconnecting the ignition coils and removing the popet valve or inyector (it is better to test it outside engine, but normal people doesn't have the minimun needed equipment, as a square wave generator, fuel pump, fuel connections strobos lamps, graduated glass, ...)

Off course, if you do the spider testing without sending it to a shop, you save money (only need to replace gasket, so buy the specific one or using gasket maker (remark: remember to add oil to one side for easy removal in future)), but remember that during inyector / popet testing you will be dropping gas inside you cilinder and this produce "a cleaning effect" since unburned gas disolves oil...so don't do it often.

There is a poormans guide to clean and repair the fuel lines for CPFI and SCPFI engines, but it is a litlle risky (brake one poppet, you need all newassembly..)

Just a question, When did you tune up your engine for the last time? Are O2 sensors working fine?

Best regards from Chile

 

It is 4WD. 3.42 gears with around the same mileage.I try to let it warm up a couple minutes since I hate driving it when it is cold. I do hear a little bit of tapping noise at idle, but nothing serious. Oil pressure is around 50-60 at speed and 35-40 at idle with 5W-30, so I am guessing bearings aren't it.

When I get some time and if I get any clues, I will run these tests and look at the spider.

Last tune up was in December 2010. All plugs, wires, the cap and rotor were replaced. The cap and rotor have been replaced since then because of corrosion on the cap contacts. No problems noticed with the plugs at the time. The new ones are AC Delco RapidFire 12 gapped to .060. Front O2 sensors were replaced last year to see if I can get some more MPGs out of them and they did improve it by about 2-3 MPG.

Thanks so much for the advice and test procedures. I will investigate it further on a weekend when I am not in class.

 

Sure wish I had some symptoms. On the way to my sons soccer game yesterday morning. Never made it. No warning. Coughed, sputtered, smoke and died. Reaked of raw fuel. $125 flatbed tow home. How the hell does this thing split out of the blue like that? What a mess. Intake fuel fuel, pulled the spark plugs, fuel poored out. Dropped oil, now to order new unit. Sure hope none of this on anyone else

 

Wow, blowout fuel pressure regulator!. What a pitty, Someone had change the pressure regulator before?

If you are in a hurry, drill where screw are up to the other size and put a bolt and nut .That will clamp pressure regulator to the CPFI unit until new replacement arrive...and add some gasket maker "just in case"

Best regards

 

I have never replaed either in the 3 years I have owned the truck. I did consider your advice on the quick fix, but new unit should be in by tuesday. Might as well wait, hurricane on its way anyhow.