6.7 Powerstroke Fuel Pump Showdown: Stock CP4.2 vs CPX vs DCR vs CP3

If you own a 6.7 Powerstroke, you already know the rumor about the CP4.2. Here's the part most people leave out: the pump itself is about $1,600. The failure is $10,000 to $15,000, because when it lets go it sends metal through your rails, lines and all eight injectors.

So the real question isn't "is my pump going to fail." It's "what's it going to cost me if it does, and what's the smartest way to take that off the table."

We sell all four of these options and we install them in our own bays in Knoxville. This is the same rundown we give guys on the phone.

Why the CP4.2 Fails in the First Place

The Bosch CP4.2 is a two piston pump that sits in the valley and is lubricated by the fuel running through it. It works fine as long as it always has a clean, solid supply of fuel.

The trouble starts when it doesn't. Run it low on fuel, gel it in the winter, change filters and crank it before it's primed, or let a weak lift pump starve it, and the pump sees a vacuum event. Inside, the roller lifters ride on a cam. With nothing keeping them lined up, a lifter can rotate, the roller skids sideways across the cam lobe, and you start making metal. That metal goes straight downstream.

Water, gas or DEF in the tank does the same thing faster.

Three generations to know:

• 2011 to 2014: smallest factory pump. Fine stock, runs out of room quickly with a tune.
• 2015 to 2019: updated CP4.2 with roughly 15% more displacement. This pump also bolts onto 11 to 14 trucks.
• 2020 and up: longer stroke CP4.2 and a fuel system rated to about 36,000 psi of rail pressure.

Warning signs: glitter in the fuel filter, rail pressure falling behind commanded under load, a P0087 or P0093, hard starts, or a sudden loss of power. If you find metal in the filter, stop driving it.

Option 1: Stock CP4.2 Replacement

Putting a new or remanufactured CP4.2 back in is the cheapest way back on the road and it keeps the truck 100% factory. That's the upside. The downside is obvious: you're installing the same design that just failed.

If you go this route, protect it. A disaster prevention kit reroutes the pump's return so that if it does come apart, the metal goes back to the tank instead of into your injectors. It doesn't stop the failure. It stops the failure from becoming a $12,000 failure. We run two: the S&S Gen2.1 CP4 Disaster Prevention Kit, which is CARB compliant, installs with OE style quick connects and even improves CP4.2 output above 3,000 rpm, and the SPE Disaster Prevention 2.0 Kit, built specific to your year for 11 to 14, 15 to 16, 17 to 19 and 20 and up. Pair either one with a good lift pump and you've cut most of the risk for the money.

Want to compare every kit side by side? See all 6.7 Powerstroke CP4 disaster prevention kits, including the SPE ExoFilter and the No Limit and Smeding bypass kits.

Options we carry:

• Genuine Ford BC3Z 9A543 B CP4 pump
• DDP remanufactured stock CP4, 2011 to 2014 and 2015 to 2017
• DDP brand new stock CP4, 2011 to 2014 and 2015 to 2017
• Exergy Improved Stock CP4.2 and the SPE Enhanced CP4.2 if you want a better built version of the same pump

Best for: a truck you plan to sell soon, or a fleet that needs it factory on paper. Always add a disaster prevention kit.

Option 2: RCD Performance CPX

The RCD CPX starts as a Bosch CP4.2 and fixes the exact thing that kills it.

• Pinned lifter buckets. The lifters physically can't rotate, even during a gel or a starved filter change. That's the root cause of most CP4 failures, solved at the source.
• New feed port so debris from the pump's crankcase can't get into the plungers and barrels.
• Built in disaster protection. RCD CNC machines an internal return path back to the tank, so you don't need a separate bypass kit.
• Keeps the factory pumping strategy. Four pumping events per revolution, timed to the bank that's firing, same as Ford designed it.
• Direct drop in. No new lines, no extra labor, 24 month no questions replacement warranty.

It comes in three sizes: stock output (the 15 to 19 displacement, which is also a great upgrade for a tuned 11 to 14), 25% over, and 40% over for built trucks.

The honest take: it's still a CP4 architecture, just one with the known failure mode engineered out. If you like keeping the truck looking and working exactly like Ford built it, and you want more fuel available for tuning, this is the one.

Getting a CPX after a failure? The RCD contamination kit with CPX bundles the pump with new Bosch injectors and what you need to clean it up right.

Best for: tuned trucks, guys who want a factory looking engine bay, and anyone planning to step up fuel later.

Option 3: S&S Diesel Motorsport DCR

The S&S CP4 to DCR conversion (part 6.7F-DCR-1) takes the CP4 out completely and replaces it with a different pump design, developed with PurePower, the aftermarket arm of Stanadyne.

• Pressure lubricated cam and bushings with a patented eccentric drive. The parts that destroy a CP4 just aren't built the same way in a DCR.
• 25% more displacement than a CP4.2 at 1,250 mm³ per revolution, which helps a lot on trucks with worn injectors that have high return.
• Corrosion resistant inlet metering valve with debris protection.
• No calibration changes. S&S matched the CP4 output curve, so the truck runs on the stock tune.
• Emissions legal with CARB EO D 756 7, fits 2011 to 2026 F250 through F750, two year unlimited mile warranty.
• Comes with OE grade lines, so it looks like it came from the factory.

Two things to know. First, the pump has to be timed during install. Follow the S&S instructions step by step or bring it to a shop that has done them. Second, S&S says plainly the DCR wasn't built to add power. It will support more fuel if your tune asks for it, but on its own it won't make your truck faster. And you don't need or want a disaster prevention kit with it.

Already had a failure? Our contamination kit with the S&S DCR is built in house for 11 to 14, 15 to 16, 17 to 19 and 20 and up trucks.

Best for: work trucks, towing rigs, high mileage trucks, and anybody who wants the CP4 gone with no tune and a CARB number.

Option 4: CP3 Conversion

The Bosch CP3 is the pump the Cummins guys ran for years with very few complaints. The SPE Motorsport CP3 conversion fueled by Exergy puts one on your Powerstroke, but the smart part is where it goes.

SPE moves the pump out of the valley and drives it with a belt off the snout of the crank. That matters more than people think. The factory pump is driven off the crank gear, and the 6.7 crank gear is a press fit that can slip on hard tuned trucks. Taking the pump load off that gear removes a risk the other options leave in place.

• Standard CP3 kit needs no tuning, no jumpers, no extra wiring. Factory fuel lines stay.
• Factory vacuum pump stays.
• Service in minutes, not hours, since the pump isn't buried in the valley anymore.
• Parts everywhere. If a CP3 ever needs replacing, every dealer and diesel shop in the country can get one.
• 2011 to 2019 (S100373) and 2020 to 2026 (S100375).

Building big? The SPE stroker CP3 conversion comes with a 10mm or 12mm Exergy stroker pump, and here's the important difference: the standard CP3 kit needs no tune, but the 10mm and 12mm stroker kits do. They move more fuel than the stock calibration is built to handle, so budget for a custom tune. The 10mm is built for 800+ hp trucks, and the 12mm will support builds up to 1,500 hp with the injectors, turbo and lift pump to match.

One honest note: a belt drive system adds a belt and pulley to the front of the engine, and the engine bay won't look stock. Most of our customers don't care. Some do.

Best for: anybody who wants the most serviceable long term fix, and built trucks that need a path to serious fuel.

Going past one pump

At the top end you add a second pump instead of replacing the first. The SPE Dual Fueler with CP3 (without CP3 here) and the H&S dual high pressure fuel kit are for big injector, big turbo trucks. H&S notes their kit does not work on dual alternator trucks.

Horsepower Guide

The pump only supplies the fuel. Injectors, lift pump, turbo, tune and transmission all have to keep up. These are the ranges we spec for each pump with the right supporting parts. Numbers are approximate engine horsepower.

Tuning for 2011 to 2019 and 2020 and up.

Don't Skip the Lift Pump

Every pump on this list lives or dies on clean, steady supply pressure, and the CP4 is the least forgiving of all. A starved high pressure pump is how most of these failures start.

AirDog: II 5G DF 165, 2011 to 2016 • II 5G DF 165, 2017 to 2022

FASS for 2011 to 2016: Adjustable 140 GPH (2011 to 2012) • Adjustable 220 GPH • Titanium 140 GPH • Titanium 220 GPH • Titanium 240 GPH • No Drop Titanium 140 GPH • No Drop Titanium 220 GPH • No Drop Titanium 290 GPH

FASS for 2017 and up: Titanium 140 GPH (2017 to 2019) • Titanium 220 GPH (2017 to 2019) • Titanium 240 GPH (2017 to 2019) • No Drop Titanium 140 GPH (2017 to 2022) • No Drop Titanium 250 GPH (2017 to 2022) • No Drop Titanium 290 GPH (2017 to 2022) • Drop In Series (2017 to 2023)

Filter housing: H&S upper fuel filter conversion to get rid of the factory housing that's known to crack.

Rule of thumb: stock to mild tune, the 140 to 165 GPH pumps are plenty. Running a stroker pump or bigger injectors, step up to 220 GPH and above.

And change your filters on time. Prime the system before you crank it.

Pair the Pump With the Right Injectors

A new pump won't save injectors that already ate CP4 metal, and worn injectors with high return will make any pump look weak. After a failure, or on a high mileage truck, do them together.

• S&S Diesel Motorsport 6.7 Powerstroke injectors, 2011 to 2019
• S&S Diesel Motorsport 6.7 Powerstroke injectors, 2020 to 2022
• RCD genuine Bosch stock and performance injectors
• RCD billet injector hold down fork kit for built trucks
• All 2020 and up 6.7 Powerstroke injectors

So Which One Should You Buy?

Your CP4 is fine and the truck is stock: add an S&S Gen2.1 or SPE 2.0 disaster prevention kit and a lift pump now. Cheapest insurance on the truck.

You tow heavy, run high miles, or the truck pays the bills: S&S DCR. CP4 gone, no tune, CARB legal, two year warranty.

You're tuned or want more fuel later and like a factory look: RCD CPX. Pick the size for where the truck is going, not where it is.

You want the fix that's easiest to service for the life of the truck: SPE CP3 conversion. Out of the valley, off the crank gear, parts at every counter, and no tune.

You're building for 800 and up: SPE stroker CP3 with a custom tune, or a dual fueler.

Your pump already failed: don't just bolt in a pump. Flush the tank, replace rails, lines and injectors, and put a better pump back in. Start with the DCR contamination kit, the CPX contamination kit, or the Industrial Injection disaster kit paired with the pump you pick.

FAQ

Do I need a tune for a DCR or CP3 conversion?
No. The S&S DCR and the standard SPE CP3 conversion both run on the stock calibration. The 10mm and 12mm stroker CP3 kits are different: those require a custom tune.

Can I run a disaster prevention kit with a DCR?
No. S&S says the disaster prevention kit isn't compatible or needed with the DCR.

Does a CPX need a disaster prevention kit?
No. RCD machines the return path into the pump.

Will a 2015 to 2019 pump fit my 2011 to 2014?
Yes, and it moves about 15% more fuel, which is why the stock CPX is a good upgrade for a tuned early truck.

How much does a CP4 failure cost?
Usually $10,000 to $15,000 once you replace the pump, rails, lines and injectors and clean the tank.

Bottom Line

The CP4.2 isn't guaranteed to fail. But when it does, it doesn't just cost you a pump. For less than the price of one injector set, you can take that risk off the table.

Not sure which lane is yours? Call 865 640 2097 and tell us what the truck does for a living. We'd rather sell you the right pump once.

More guides: 6.7 Powerstroke turbo upgrades • Signs your injectors are failing • Best 6.7 Powerstroke CCV kit • All 11 to 19 fuel system parts • All 20 and up fuel system parts

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