Ok guys, I am finally getting ready to winterize the truck (1985 F-250 6.9L Diesel). Today I washed and waxed the ole girl, topped off both tanks and added DieselKleen to both tanks. I changed the oil and filter, and now I am ready to address the fuel / starting issues I have been having. I also greased all the fittings and checked all fluids.

So I tested the Beru GP's and they are all lighting up the test light, and they are all reading at 1.0-1.1 ohms with my multimeter, which is perfect. I am going to do an entire injector fuel line, caps, T's, O-rings, kit. As you can see I have a bad leak from somewhere in the fuel lines on the right side of the engine. Notice the first picture down in the well, about 1/4" of fuel is sitting in there, and I can't tell where it is coming from. Some of the lines are damp as well and damp at the T's. So this should alleviate the hard start air intrusion issues. Once that is done I will replace the fuel filter, fill it with DiesleKleen, and fire this up.




The final area that has always leaked fuel is on the front center portion of 6.9l engine. Check this picture out, and it seems to be leaking right up through the electrical wires at the engine where the gray corrugated wire loom is. What part is this, how do I stop the leak, and where do you think it is coming from?



Oh I might also cut the Soup Bowl off of my air cleaner cover, or maybe buy one that is just flat. Check out the pictures and let me know what you think.

 

You have quite a dogs breakfast where the filter header joins the return line. The T brass fitting is not required just hook it to the nipple on the front of the first injector cap. First tell us what/how it connects to the 90* fitting on the header, is there a check valve there. Is that an aftermarket filter header..........

The 1" nut is the tach sender..... best to replace it due to leakage.

 

Not sure I am following what you are saying. What is a filter header? A dogs breakfast?

 

May I add that your 6.9 looks really clean

 

the thing that is leaking oil with the 2 wires coming out of it is what tells you your rmp and to fix this is as easy as getting a new tachometers sensor

as far as the leak and the stuff just underneath your filter i would just get the new kit and install it and get rid of the extra hose clamps and brass and the hose clamps are not that great to use for this set up being they have a small flat spot and can break the plastic fittings more easy than you would think and the hard starting should go away as soon as all your lines are sealed so you have no drain back ... hope this helps oh and the filter head is the thing that holds your filter

now as far as cutting out the soup bowl do u have a pic of this?if i have always wondered what this was as i guess people cut them out all the time

 

Red Cobra:

This is the so called "Soup bowl"

 

Why, yes you can.

 

What is the part number for the tach sensor? I can't find it on the FTEPARTSGUY site. Argh.

 

Pete, I have seen a return line fitting like on the fuel filter that before and it was stock with no check valve.
Older 6.9 engines only.

Ford part number for the tach sensor, E5TZ-17B384-A
Last I heard they were around 60 dollars.
That is engine oil by the wires, not fuel.
If it is still working, I would get a spare but not change it.

The fuel leak on the right side is from the return lines, and those screw clamps are not helping.
If you got a complete return line kit, use the clamps in the kit.
The tee under the filter would work better if it were a 90 degree tee, then it would be easier to get rid of the brass tee and just go right into the regular return tee.

Since I see no return cross over on the front of the engine, I assume it is at the rear?

 

Dave,

That fluid on the Tach Sensor wires reaks of Diesel Fuel. I am not sure that it is oil....?

 

Likely it smells like diesel because of all the diesel under the hood being throw around by the fan. The tach sensor is in and engine gear cover, if there's anything but oil coming out, you got REAL problems.

 

I second the under hood air currents.

Engine timing gears straight to the oil pan under that cover.

Oil pump, crankshaft gear, cam shaft gear and IP drive gear working from the bottom to the top.
Closest fuel is the IP and number 2 injector.

Looking at the picture again I am going to say it is from the leak at number 4 injector by the way the loom looks wet.

Any wet spots under the IP?
There is a weep hole in the IP neck right behind the IP drive gear cover, dead on the bottom.
A seal failure in the IP would let diesel drain out the weep hole instead of going into the timing gear and draining into the oil pan.

 

Don't mean to go off topic, but I think we got the same truck Oh boy I think we made a huge mistake in getting such a truck off of craigslist, in the dark, and taking this guys word as to various conditions. I ended up getting a project truck sadly

Anyways I have way more issues than you, but I just happened to notice something I was going to come here and ask about in your first picture.

Does anybody know what those 2 blade type metal things are coming out of the engine? Our setup seems to have a plastic harness/wire that goes to each one, but they were dangling off, with the plastic casings being brittle/not holding.

So what are they and do they need to be hooked up?

 

Damac if I am looking right the blades you are referring to are the glow plugs and they have to be hooked up and working properly for it to start right.
Is there a blade and plastic connector for every cylinder just so we are on the same page.

 

I circled what I am talking about. Our engine looks just like his in that respect, and I haven't investigated further since I don't have a manual yet and am new to diesels

When we popped the hood we see both those same pictured vacant blades coming out from the engine with a connector near each that looks like it fits, but the plastic is so loose they don't stay?

Ours is starting right up in 30-40 degree weather if it matters? It cranks a little bit rough initially but starts then makes for a smooth idel within 10 seconds on its own after a puff of smoke.