Notices
Pre-Power Stroke Diesel (7.3L IDI & 6.9L) Diesel Topics Only

Oily Injectors

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Nov 12, 2010 | 04:54 PM
  #1  
kpjr's Avatar
kpjr
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
From: Tacoma, Wa
Oily Injectors

While putting in my new injectors today, I noticed that my driver side set of injectors are all covered in engine oil. I shined a flash light inside of the cylinder and it is just coated! I did not have anything I could stick down into the cylinder below to check if their was engine oil in there. Before I parked her for repairs about a month ago, she was puffing white smoke pretty damn good.

What kind of repair(s) am I looking at now?

I would have posted some photos but am currently without a camera.

Thanks
 
Reply
Old Nov 12, 2010 | 05:52 PM
  #2  
GenLightening's Avatar
GenLightening
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 426
Likes: 0
From: Pukalani, HI
When you say "Cylinder" do you mean the hole the injector sits in? You probably just have a few leaking injectors. You couldn't actually see into the cylinder/piston area without pulling the head.
 
Reply
Old Nov 12, 2010 | 07:53 PM
  #3  
PLC7.3's Avatar
PLC7.3
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,638
Likes: 1
From: Manitoba
Could be the rocker cover was leaking and filled the injector hole...... or there was a small amount of oil and when you removed the injector caps fuel mixed and it looks worse than it was. Did you replace the return lines and caps......with a new set.
 
Reply
Old Nov 12, 2010 | 08:30 PM
  #4  
kpjr's Avatar
kpjr
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
From: Tacoma, Wa
Originally Posted by GenLightening
When you say "Cylinder" do you mean the hole the injector sits in? You probably just have a few leaking injectors. You couldn't actually see into the cylinder/piston area without pulling the head.
Yes. Sorry, I did mean the injector holes. I was concerned because all four injectors on the driver side bank were covered rather liberally in this black stuff. It didn't smell of strong diesel, but more of oil.

Originally Posted by PLC7.3
Could be the rocker cover was leaking and filled the injector hole...... or there was a small amount of oil and when you removed the injector caps fuel mixed and it looks worse than it was. Did you replace the return lines and caps......with a new set.
Yes, all new injectors and return lines & caps. I knew I would not be able to pull the injectors with the factory lines on them since they were pretty brittle and were starting to at the clamps.

Another bit of information is that when I pulled the injectors, the oil had small air bubbles in it on the upper half towards the threads. The Passenger side did not have any oil or anything. In fact those injectors looked burnt if anything. They were bone *** dry.
 
Reply
Old Nov 12, 2010 | 08:34 PM
  #5  
kpjr's Avatar
kpjr
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
From: Tacoma, Wa
I guess you can say it looks like they had been soaked in some think WD-40 or very used engine oil... They smell less of diesel and more of engine oil.


Here are the pictures of two of the injectors. Hopefully you can see what I mean.



 
Reply
Old Nov 12, 2010 | 09:34 PM
  #6  
wreckinball's Avatar
wreckinball
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 4,086
Likes: 1
From: Malahat/Cowichan Valley
Probably a valve cover leak, but yeah I'm curious as well! Can that be a head gasket issue? I saw this on a friends truck and we changed his valve cover gasket which was leaking like a ****!!
 
Reply
Old Nov 12, 2010 | 09:56 PM
  #7  
poocher pup's Avatar
poocher pup
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 421
Likes: 1
valve stem seals leaking? for your sake i hope not but a possibilty.
 
Reply
Old Nov 12, 2010 | 11:04 PM
  #8  
kpjr's Avatar
kpjr
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
From: Tacoma, Wa
valve stem seal replacement can't be that bad, can it? Or could it be like replacing a head gasket in-cab?
 
Reply
FTE Stories

Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts

story-0

10 Ways Ford is LOSING to the Competition

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

Top 6 Best Deals Available on New Fords & Lincolns Right Now

 Brett Foote
story-2

This Hennessey Takes the Expedition Tremor's Off-Roading Capability to the Next Level

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals

 Joe Kucinski
story-4

3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership

 Brett Foote
story-5

10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-6

Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained

 Brett Foote
story-7

10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-9

Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Nov 13, 2010 | 08:49 AM
  #9  
mechelement's Avatar
mechelement
Cargo Master
15 Year Member
Liked
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 3,330
Likes: 13
From: Eaton, CO
How would a valve cover gasket leak cause oil to get to the injectors? Wouldn't that cause oil to leak down the block?

Was the OP burning oil or blowing blue smoke?
 
Reply
Old Nov 13, 2010 | 10:15 AM
  #10  
Kremorgan's Avatar
Kremorgan
New User
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver
We just changed injectors and return lines in my truck. Had to do the valve covers as well because oil had been escaping from both sides of the cover on the passenger side and had soaked not just around the injectors, but into the valley behind the injection pump as well. That was fun to clean up
 
Reply
Old Nov 13, 2010 | 02:08 PM
  #11  
ytlogger's Avatar
ytlogger
Junior User
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 94
Likes: 1
White smoke in a diesel usually means coolant a bad place and the little bubbles kind of look like water/coolant in oil. What does the engine oil look like? What does the coolant look like when you take off the rad cap? Did the white smoke smell kind of sweet? The threads look dry.
 
Reply
Old Nov 13, 2010 | 02:08 PM
  #12  
kpjr's Avatar
kpjr
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
From: Tacoma, Wa
Originally Posted by mechelement
How would a valve cover gasket leak cause oil to get to the injectors? Wouldn't that cause oil to leak down the block?

Was the OP burning oil or blowing blue smoke?
No oil burned, no blue smoke. About a week before I parked her, after she was warmed up there would be a very light whit-ish smoke out of the tail pipe only at idle. The day I parked her, I started her up to huge chuffing with the engine moving like one side was not firing at all and billows upon billows of white smoke coming out of the tail pipe.
 
Reply
Old Nov 13, 2010 | 02:29 PM
  #13  
kpjr's Avatar
kpjr
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
From: Tacoma, Wa
A point of clarification I should make is that I did not notice any drops in oil levels before I parked her. I was checking the oil at every fill of the tanks which worked out to about once or twice a week. Her oil is towards the change mark however, but I doubt that has anything to do with it.

I am half tempted to just put in those four new injectors and see what happens from there.
 
Reply
Old Nov 13, 2010 | 02:32 PM
  #14  
wreckinball's Avatar
wreckinball
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 4,086
Likes: 1
From: Malahat/Cowichan Valley
id clean the bores up really good, clean up everything else and install properly. give it about two weeks and check one of them again. If it is oily then there is something off.
 
Reply
Old Nov 13, 2010 | 02:34 PM
  #15  
kpjr's Avatar
kpjr
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
From: Tacoma, Wa
Originally Posted by ytlogger
White smoke in a diesel usually means coolant a bad place and the little bubbles kind of look like water/coolant in oil. What does the engine oil look like? What does the coolant look like when you take off the rad cap? Did the white smoke smell kind of sweet? The threads look dry.
coolant is clean, oil is clean. I don't have the space to dump out the oil to check to see about settling, although when she was driving no oil-coolant milky goodness ever showed up in either spots. No sweet smells, just a very hot metallic smell when she started puffing the clouds.
 
Reply



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:28 AM.

story-0
10 Ways Ford is LOSING to the Competition

Slideshow: 10 ways Ford is losing to the competition

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-15 09:52:01


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 6 Best Deals Available on New Fords & Lincolns Right Now

Some great targets in today's expensive world.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-15 09:35:19


VIEW MORE
story-2
This Hennessey Takes the Expedition Tremor's Off-Roading Capability to the Next Level

Slideshow: The VelociRaptor Expedition gains a lift, upgraded suspension, Brembo brakes, and trail-ready equipment while retaining the stock 440-horsepower EcoBoost V6.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-12 11:01:55


VIEW MORE
story-3
Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals

Slideshow: Top 10 Fords at 2026 Ford Nationals

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-09 11:10:08


VIEW MORE
story-4
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership

Based on years of owning multiple modern Ford products.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-09 10:53:36


VIEW MORE
story-5
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches

SPONSORED: From muddy boots to rain-soaked cargo, these upgrades address some of the most common frustrations Ford truck owners face every day.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-06-08 18:50:34


VIEW MORE
story-6
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained

Here's everything you need to know about every Ford engine available for the 2026 model year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-05 12:58:01


VIEW MORE
story-7
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Ford trucks that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 09:51:16


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: the best gifts for dads & grads

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:58


VIEW MORE
story-9
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-03 11:38:36


VIEW MORE