New to this forum but need help!

Let me start off by saying I have read every fuel leak thread on 1/2 a dozen different forums and cant find a similar case.

1997 7.3L stock with K&N intake and Napa 6637 filter.

I have fuel leaking into the well in the center of the engine. I replaced the fuel flex lines running to the filter and that stopped some of it.

Although under further inspection I have discovered another fuel leak. I have checked all the ordinary potential leak spots. I dry out the wells in the v and once it starts back up I shortly have fuel trickeling out from the joint between intake manifold and head (the intake manifold gasket). How does fuel get into the intake manifold? It is coming out of the bottom seam of the driver-side intake manifold below the turbo next to the turbo pedestal. I have a heck of a time starting (probably 3-15 second cranking cycles) than it fires strong. Meanwhile puking unburnt diesel fuel out the pipe. When I first take off I still see smoke coming out the exhaust for about 1/4 mile or so. Than it clears up and doesn't come back. I think this is the fuel pooling in the intake while it warms up at idle. Than once warm the leak must subside.

I don't know the port routing of the fuel in the heads but how can it get into the intake manifold and leak out the gasket? Is it coming from an Injector?

Any Ideas?

This loss in prime is really a pain when starting after sitting Idle more than 10 hours.

Thanks!

 

IIRC there are o-rings that go in between the supply lines to the back of the head. This sounds like the source of your fuel leak. I'm not exaclty sure of the size of these o-rings though.

When you say your getting fuel out of the tailpipe are you getting actual liquid or does it just smell like unburned diesel?

Typically, when injector o-rings go out you get oil in the combustion chamber because of the pressure difference of the fuel and oil.

What ambient temps is this happening in?

 

Thanks for the input. I was referencing bluish smoke for just a bit after a warm up idle period, sorry not fuel liquid, unburnt fuel. Hard starts have happened when ever it has sat for more than 8 hours or so, progressively getting worse. It has never been much over 30 and most of the time it's in the teens. It pikes white smoke while cranking.
My blockheater died (or I thought it did) last winter, so I checked voltage at the heater side of the cable and I had 110. But with a new oem element installed I still am getting no current draw. So now I suspect my cable can't Cary the current, due to corrosion maybe? Or the heater ford sold me is bad? Anyways long story short these are all cold starts.
But before the leaks developed, earlier this winter it definitely started better. This is what leads me to believe I am losing Prime in my fuel passages/lines going to the injectors. Are these o-rings you reference in the head, under the 90's where the supply lines enter the head? I thought those looked like male npt threads on the 90's going into the head. How does fuel get from there into the intake? Wierd?

Thanks again for chiming in!

 

WELCOME to FTE!!!
Here are some links you oughtta save:
1994.5 - 1997 7.3L Power Stroke Diesel - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums
Tips - Idea - Hints
1996 Bronco/F-Series Workshop Manual
97-15A 7.3L DI Turbo Workshop Manual
How many miles do you have?
What is truck used for?...hauling horses?..tow truck?..daily driver to and from work/school?
What kind of mods do you have?
Where do you live?
What kind of recent work has been done to the truck?
a LITTLE smoke is normal after start up.
Your Glow Plug Relay is activated for up to 2 minutes. (the light is a dummy light and does not depict the actual GPR time being on)
Ohm out the plug going through your heater. It should be about 15 ohms.
Don't be scared to ask questions, these people don't judge they just want to get you up and going.
Again Welcome!!!

 

I was just looking at a set of heads on my workbench and I can't figure out how fuel could get inside the intakes. It seems to me that if liquid was in there then you would have locked at least once cylinder by now.
I know when my fuel pump went it was spraying out the tiny weep hole on the right side against the intake and made a heck of a mess. That's all I can think of. It's super hard to see the spray in there without a good light and a mirror. Maybe try that. The weep hole is at the bottom of the pump on the right side.

 

Hopefully the rubber "olive" where the metal fuel line goes into the 90 is leaking making it look like the head is leaking. If not the heads have been known to crack on very rare occasions where the fitting goes in but its usually cause they tighten it too tight.

 

I think the "unburned" fuel is more of a cold start issue rather than a fuel leak.

Are the 90's at the ends of the heads accessible without removing the turbo?

 

Here's a pic of the fitting that Tim is talking about-

 

First, Sorry for the long post.
To all, I posted a picture of the link in my albums under "tech"
Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums - Ropre's Album: Tech
It is a view looking back at the side of the head in between turbo and pedestal trying to capture fuel weeping from intake joint/seal.

RRRanch-
I agree with what you said that it should have hydro locked but what if it only leaks while under pressure. I believe it is not "spraying" from anywhere I have been in there 3 times with a flashlight and a mirror. Can you send a few pictures of the head disassembled maybe one of the inside face where the intake manifold bolts and another of the top with the valve cover off. I have never seen one apart. Although I may soon!

tjbeggs-
Boy I hope your wrong! I don't know though I cant see what else it could be. I will get a mirror and look closely around the 90 deg fitting for a crack. I don't think that fitting could be removed w/out pulling the turbo and collector pipe. Are those thread pipe threads? It looks like it. Is the "olive", as you called it, between the solid line and the fitting? Are these them? Replacement O-rings for Ford Diesel Engines

FARM69-
I agree with you I think I have 2 things troubling me. Last time I checked about a month ago I had one bad injector on passanger side that was open circuit the rest ohmd out between .5 and .6. I will test the GPR relay later today as well as inspect again.

BadDogPSD-
Thanks for the picture I would say my leak is located behind the electrical connector in your picture at the manifold gasket. That is why I had ruled out the connection at the head and spraying fuel from the weep hole on the other side of the pump.

Since the engine is angled down hill I don't think the fuel could wick that far forward before trickling down.

Copedawg-
THANKS FOR THE WELCOME!!!
I will save and study those links.
I have 186k and drive the truck mostly too and fro but I have a '82 mazda diesel truck that is my true "daily driver". I usually haul kids around once a week and take it on trips. Once or twice a year I will haul my mules hunting but this truck has not done that trip yet.

The owner before my installed a shift controller and the auto shifts hard especially at level 2. I usually leave in pos. 1, not the off position because i read it saves the toque converter by not slipping as much. It also has a super chip that I leave in stock untill I get some feed back gauges so I know nothing is getting damaged. I put in a K&N cold air intake but after reading bad things about k&n filtration I swapped the cone element for a napa 6637 and relocated the filter-minder, I read it is not enough radial clearance in the box, but it doesn't look that bad and I figured being stock it couldn't be that bad. It actually breaths better than the K&N did (at least it sounds that way) and I thought I could watch the filter minder to see if it becomes a restriction. For now I love the large(huge) filter and the cold air like box.
We are located in outside of Whitewater, CO between GJ and Delta.
Work done: by previous owner, that I know of regular maintenance (except fuel filter), ball joints, water pump. I have replace all fluids and filters, the abs sensor, cps replaced for IH one and old one on hand as back-up, and fuel lines replaced between pump and filter.

Thanks to everyone for chiming in.

 

Maybe the hard line has a pin-hole leak? I doubt it's coming from the head itself...

 

Those are the ones

 

I agree that this is a fitting or line issue. The "fuel" out the exhaust is probably as mentioned earlier a cold start issue. Anyhow good luck and keep us posted.

Paul

 

Maybe your fuel drain valve on the fuel filter has bad orings. I just changed mine. I had fuel in the center well of my 7.3. Good luck.

 

welcome to the forum Bad whiskey1959

 

X2 or 3 on the leak being a separate issue from the smoke on start up. Mine smokes till I drive it a short distance. Pretty sure it's the injector O rings. Higher mileage on my truck and lots of cold weather starts. Runs great, in spite of the smoke.