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This cant be right

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Old Jun 27, 2008 | 12:56 PM
  #1  
cinch26's Avatar
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This cant be right

hello all, i have a 1990 pickup with the 7.3 and am having trouble with my return lines. I bought the return line kit and replaced the old gray ones bout 2 months ago. A month ago it got hard to start after sitting for awhile, not sure where the air leak is. Then two weeks ago the cap on number 8 melted where the fuel runs around in between the o-rings so i had a spare and changed it. went to chasing the air leak this morning and replaced my o-rings and # 8 was melted again have yall seen this before? what might be my problem?
very glad there is this great forum. thanks
 
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Old Jun 27, 2008 | 01:33 PM
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Hi cinch26, welcome to the forum.

Does this truck have a turbocharger added by any chance? I ask because mine has exhaust pipes that are fairly close to the #8 injector, but there is a heat shield that protects it from the heat. Any other major heat source that you can see there?
 
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Old Jun 27, 2008 | 02:28 PM
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i dont know about melted but when i replaced my return lines i know that somehow my throttle cable was rubbing itself on the #8 cap (#8 is back on the pass side right?) man these trucks are getting old.
 
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Old Jun 27, 2008 | 02:36 PM
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thanks for the welcome and the quick replies. it does not have a turbo and its melting the inside of the cap. the first one melted plumb through and was spraying diesel under the hood.
 
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Old Jun 27, 2008 | 04:19 PM
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This isn't something I've heard before. The only thing I can think of is that the injector itself is on its way out and when the cylinder fires, some of the combustion gasses are forced up into the injector. Maybe not enough to cause a major misfire, but enough to cause the injector to run hot from the inside out. How old are the injectors?
 
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Old Jun 27, 2008 | 04:41 PM
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they are supposed to be fairly new maybe less than 5000 miles, but not sure. also, several of them tend to back off and get loose every now and again. it also runs rough and feels like it is gonna come apart after it shifts unless you keep it wound up over 2100 rpm
 
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Old Jun 27, 2008 | 04:45 PM
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Are you sure it's melting instead of being eroded by high-pressure fuel spraying out the side of the injector? Just a theory...
 
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Old Jun 27, 2008 | 04:51 PM
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i am pretty sure its melting. you can see the flow pattern and slag as if the fuel is hot enough to melt it.
 
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Old Jun 27, 2008 | 05:13 PM
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could the spring in the injector be messed up and its not closing and it blows the hot gas back up the injector.
 
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Old Jun 27, 2008 | 09:36 PM
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just a thought, but could you swap that injector to another place easier to see, like at the front d/s and see if it does it at the new location? if it does, i'm gonna agree with the others and say the injector is going south. regardless of how new something is, if it's mechanical and has moving parts, it can malfunction from the get-go. remember murphy's law can strike even us diesel fiends. LOL


speedrdr
 
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Old Jun 27, 2008 | 11:09 PM
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here is a direct link to a couple of pictures of the inside of the injector cap

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z...cama/split.jpg

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z...a/together.jpg

i cut it in half so that i could get a decent picture of the melted part on the inside of the cap.


 
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Old Jun 28, 2008 | 12:47 AM
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I would put some kind of heat-shield on the exhaust right there. A larger exhaust pipe split down the middle with a 1/4 - 1/2" spacer works well. If you have access to a MIG welder it's a piece of cake.
 
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Old Jun 28, 2008 | 04:05 PM
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cinch26,
Welcome to FTE and the IDI diesel forum.

I think I am also going to agree with an injector going south.

On a NA motor, there is nothing close to the cap that should be getting hot enough to melt it.
Since the exhaust is on the other side of the head, that is not it.

And those pictures do look like the heat is coming from the injector.
And the rough running also points to a bad injector.
 
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Old Jun 28, 2008 | 05:34 PM
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thanks dave, do you know of a diesel outfit in Hereford, TX? That is where this set of injectors came from. Where do you recommend getting new injectors from?
 
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Old Jun 28, 2008 | 07:09 PM
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Although there are several online suppliers as well as local shops, the one that I have never read a complaint about is,
Diesel performance parts and accessories. Diesel injectors, pumps, filters, kits, additive, gauges and apparel.

Reasonable prices as well.
 
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