Got my injector replaced. Here's the one I took out - does that look like it was leaking combustion gas?

Before I but it all back together, I'd like to fix my exhaust leak while I have the FICM out of the way. After I got this truck back from the theft, I discovered that the thieves had wrapped a chain around the pipe from underneath, in front of the cat. I assume they pulled something with it, because it was bent. They also pulled the light bar off the top of my headache rack, and the bumper off the front. It appeared they'd been using the truck to yank ATM's out of convenience stores. Who knows why they didn't just use the front tow hooks made for that.

Any way, I pulled the y-pipe and found a tin can wrapped around the up pipe baffles on the driver's side and held on with band clamps. I swapped in a used pipe, but still have an exhaust leak. Seems worse actually - when I first start driving, I get visible fumes in the cab for a few miles, but then that stops.

So, I need to identify where it's leaking. I've reset the turbo connections over and over but it still leaks and I don't hear well enough to identify where.

I understand that I can buy a smoke device, but I think that requires me to put it all back together and get it running. Don't mind doing that, but I read a post in the Tech Folder's Exhaust Leak page that mentions using a leaf blower to force air in to the exhaust pipe at the back, and spraying soapy water on all the connections to find the bubbles.

Will that work? Or should I just get the smoke machine? Any tips on doing that? I assume it doesn't have to blow very long before the leaks would appear.

 

I'd try the blower port on a shop vac before a leaf blower. I actually did this to prime the fuel system on a duramax once - taped the hose to the filler neck, then open the bleeder screw on the filter under the hood.

 

Hmm, OK. I got a shop vac too. Leaf blower outlet is a bigger diameter, seems like it'd be easier to seal on the exhaust pipe. Do you think it blows too hard? It's has a slow speed. No biggie though, I got both. thx

 

Is there anything I need to block, like the CCV? I assume the air has to come out somewhere. Will it build enough pressure to blow out the exhaust leak before it blows out somewhere else?

 

The inject seals still good on exterior of injection they would be gone otherwise if leak combustion gas


however that only half of it these things can leak 2 diffrent way and that’s thru the inject tip


Now test injector intenals
with inject removed
Now you can test inject itself
a hand vac tester attached to the tip inject needs to hold Vac press

 

eek, I wondered because I didn't see anything wrong with the o-rings. However, I turned that one in as the core. Dang, I hope that was the problem. Stupid me already threw a fuel pump, fuel filters, a 6.4 starter and another few hundred more dollars in tow truck, fuel lines, etc. at this with nothing to show for it. I guess I'm still ahead of what techs would have charged me, but that's small relief.

Do you think driving the truck while it had an exhaust leak that wouldn't let the turbo build pressure could have hurt the injector in the way you're describing? I drove it home from Kansas City that way - of course, all flat highway from there to Houston, and once it got to speed it drove OK. Otherwise, put less than 200 miles on it putting around town a few times to Home Depot and the dump.

Dang, this truck was running so good before they stole it.

 

Exhaust leak is mostly the y-pipe itself or a connection issue at the flanges.
If the y-pipe isn't cracked, you have a leak on a flange. First tighten the Y-pipe to the exhaust manifolds. The turbo and pedestal should not be tightened at this stage; only screw the M8 bolts in a few turns.Then tighten the two clamps at the turbo, and after this tighten the pedestal and the turbo.

 

Just a quick note: The newer Y-pipe original parts in particular are a very poor fit. Even with a loose turbo and loose pedestal, you need a lot of force. Here is my setup for this work.

 

Wow!!! A 10 ton porta-power to get things lined up. The struggle is real!!

 

Have it is better than to need it. 😉

 

>>The newer Y-pipe original parts in particular are a very poor fit.

I guess we should be expecting that now ...


I used a tie-down strap around the turbo and pipe to bring it home.

 

That injector did not appear to be the common rail combustion problem. But if you were not getting good heat out of the port, the injector that was in there wasn't performing right. - for some reason.

 

Dang, Jack, that's what I'm thinking. I question everything I do these days. That port was the one that seemed cooler, but all the temps were bouncing around. I expect I'll be tearing it apart again with my luck. Wish I hadn't turned the core in already.

Ditto with the Y-pipe and the soapy bubble test. Between my bad eyesight and bad hearing, I'll prolly get that wrong as well.

I'm wondering if there's any of the connections that are more likely to emit the cloud of smoke that I see in the cab when I start driving. I've had trouble getting a turbo lined up with the y-pipe before, but never saw the smoke coming through my dash like that. Don't see any smoke while idling, and after 5-10 minutes, it stops coming through the dash. Is that more likely one of the exhaust manifold connections than it is a turbo connection? Or, would it be more likely a cracked y-pipe baffle?

Hopefully, I'll see something when I try the shop vac/soap bubbles today. I'll prolly end up spending more money than a tech would have charged. Shame I just need this truck for a few hundred more miles.

 

If you're all stock, passenger side has two joints, and the EGR pipe join is more likely to break in my experience. Not sure if it's because it's held rigid between the intake and the exhaust manifolds and vibrates worse or what.

 

OK, my leaf blower worked great. Slid right in the exhaust pipe and snugged up tight. Immediately found an air leak at the turbo down pipe connection.

But, that's as far as my luck went. I loosened all the turbo-to- pedestal bolts and completely disconnected the pipe at the cat so the only connection is at the turbo. Tried redoing the clamp a couple of times and still leaked. Got a strap and pulled the pipe against the turbo and tightened the clamp, still leaks.

The clamp looks OK. The pipe looks flush against the turbo. Nothing else holding the loose pipe except the turbo, pipe not touching anything else, nothing to prevent it from snugging up to seal. And still it leaks, around the bottom lip.

The thieves did mess up the last down pipe - looked like they had looped a chain around it from underneath and in front of the cat, and I assume used that to pull something, like an ATM machine. I have already replaced the down pipe, cat, and connector pipe to the muffler, and all the hangers. It goes together easily - not exactly lined up below, but the cat flange pulls them together without force.

Not sure what else to do. It's like if i pulled the turbo and down pipe off the truck and tried to clamp them together laying on the ground, they wouldn't seal. Could the thieves have bent the turbo itself? Or the clamp? I hate to loosen the Y-pipe clamp since it doesn't seem to leak now. But can't imagine how that would change anything since the down pipe is free to line up at any angle.

Geezus, nothing is ever easy.