Getting closer.
Here is what I found…
For salvage fuel pressure regulator: mostly unavailable, and hard to find. There is a salvage yard near Tampa, about sixty miles from here, that has a salvage fuel pressure regulator for $150. None of the more local yards had this part available. This would finish the project, but would still be a 25 year old regulator.
For new regulator: Ford part is obsolete. There is no availability of any equivalent fuel pressure regulator with braided line attached to the regulator. The new part must have: a similar sized slip in fuel rail connection and o-rings, a vacuum control hose barb pointed straight away from the top of the regulator, fuel rail bolt holes spaced 1 5/8” on center apart, a bracket on the outside of the diaphragm (not welded around the middle of the diaphragm), and a fuel line connection opposite of the vacuum control hose barb. Of course, it must have similar pressure specifications.
Bosch units are not available. GP Sorensen has a fuel pressure regulator sold through Auto Zone , but the unit listed in the Auto Zone computer is not correct. The necessary part is GP Sorensen 800-521. (I hope). Thank you,
@J_C. Hopefully, the research has already considered fuel pressure specifications.
If you want to use a new part, which will not have steel braid line, you will still need to make a connection between the truck fuel line and the new part. The steel braid line is incredibly strong, but has no ability to stretch or flex over a hose barb.
There is a suggestion on the Internet to cut the steel braid away from the braided fuel line, and the slide the exposed rubber fuel line over the hose barb for the new part. This seems VERY dangerous, as the rubber section of the braided fuel line, by itself, looks thin and fragile. (
Pictures to follow). To make matters worse, this appears to be the high pressure side of the fuel system, rather that lower pressure return line. Be careful not to turn your truck into a bomb, or a monstrous fireball.
To safely hook to existing high pressure fuel line, you could remove about six feet of braided steel line and go all of the way back to hard line under the front of the driver‘s side fender. Then double flare the hard line and replace the entire section of steel braided line with fuel injection (high pressure) line. It would not seem safe to attach any rubber fuel line to hard line without flaring the hard line, especially on the high pressure side. I have never used a flare tool, do not know if they are available as loaner tools, and would prefer to keep the OEM steel braided line, if possible.
Another option is to disconnect the braided line at about the three or four foot length, using the existing in-line quick disconnect hardware. You could then recreate the section of fuel line between the new fuel pressure regulator and the quick disconnect. However, I could not locate any AN fittings for the braided line in Ace Hardware or Home Depot. There do not seem to be any DIY connections to steel braided fuel line. Further, none of the local hydraulic shops could make this connection.
Fortunately, there is a high end hydraulic fabrication shop about 20 miles from here that believes that they can make this new section of line using the existing fuel disconnect fitting and the new fuel pressure regulator. So I will try that route.
Still hoping that: 1). The Auto Zone GP Sorenson part arrives and fits properly, 2j. The custom hydraulic shop can in fact make the line, and 3). The Fuel Pressure Regulator is the source of the problem!!!