This is really bugging me. Does anyone else have issues with their steel injector lines leaking?
Today was the 4th occurence this school year where an Injector Line suddenly started leaking. It's not pretty running on 7 cylinders, by the way.
So it's the usual procedure: nurse it home, grab my spare Injector Lines, take off the old one, try the new one on, and see if it works. It's sad when you already know which tools and the sizes to grab...

But, I'm running out of spares! Not cool! I actually bought a spare motor JUST for the injector lines...
I realize that typical trucks only have them on and off like 4 times...every 100k miles to change injectors and IP.
Mine, on the other hand, has had those stinking lines on and off 5 times in my 2 year ownership: return lines 3 times, New IP and Injectors, and the recent Head Gasket job.
I see Mid West Fuel Injection has them for $40 each. Crazy expensive! But, since they're failing on me, maybe I'll just get a set of 8 and be done with it...

Today's occurence is still getting repaired. I just want to start this thread now so I might have some thoughts by the time I get back in the house later.

Anybody else have similar stories?

 

Where is it leaking? At an injector? At a pump nozzle?
Is it the same one all the time?
Are the lines cracking, either at a bend or at the seal points under the nuts?
Are you sure it is the line at fault, and not something wrong with the threads on the injector or nozzle, or something else causing the line to leak?
Many years ago on a GM 350 diesel, I had one line that constantly cracked under the jam nut on the injector. Turned out it was a problem with the mating point on the injector, it was uneven. Been so long ago that I don't remember much else about it.

 

Do you have all the vibration damper clamps on the lines? You need to have these or the vibration of the engine will cuase the lines to split.

 

What keno said. It is rare for a line to break in the life of a motor or truck, IF all the clamps are on the lines if you vevr leave one off it will be a regular occurance.

 

No, I took those injector line clamps off a while ago because I felt they were doing more damage than good. They were helping collect water and were rusting my original set of lines. Now that I've painted the lines, maybe I'll add extra paint and clamp them back up. I've got 3 sets (6 total) clamps.
Different lines keep going on me. My first was a crack below the nut, I can't remember which end exactly but I think it was at the Injector. The second was when the little bevel on the end of the line actually seperated right off the line, this was at the pump end of the line. The third was a loss of "seating" into the injector nozzle, I filed away the burr and it's been good since. The fourth and current one has me good though, this one sucks!
This friggen thing is leaking/dripping at the pump connection steady enough to drip down the back of the motor. I've got that nut as tight as I dare, and I'm pretty strong. But, you know how you crack a line loose at the injector and a quick squirt of fuel sprays out about 12"? Yeah, the connection at the pump is squirting like that!
I have 3 lines to play with, all of which have given the same result. You know that threaded unit the line threads onto the Injector Pump? It is replaceable. I took 3 different units off a spare IP, wire brushed them clean, and tried all them. Still have a spray or even a drip.
The thing is, the beveled area of the line isn't seating down into the mating beveled area before the jamb nut bottoms out. As a result, the injector line can be moved easily by hand and swings...this is why the fuel is squirting out...the bevel isn't seating.

Tomorrow I'm going to call a guy I know for another injector line. This is the same guy that I bought the other 2 lines off.
I was also thinking maybe the Injector is clogged? I don't think so though... It was running great this morning on the ride to school, until about halfway there it started running rough and smelled like fuel.
Anybody have an experience like this before?
I appreciate the help!

 

after the trucks been running a while, grab each of the injector lines and if one seems warmer than the others than thats your bad injector.

 

Ok the bevel has probably got a flat spot on it.
I have never seen an injector line rust out.
I have ghanged many many injector lines , mostly on cats, but others too and I have never changedd one on a motor that had all the clamps on the lines. In the nut breaking the end off is common if they don't have the clapms.

 

Thanks guys.
I agree the bevel is out of round. The injector side's bevel on all my lines (I have 24) have a nice sharp ridge, but somehow always seal up nicely?
The IP bevel end is the smoother end, but won't seal. The jamb nut is bottoming out in the threads before the bevel seats. If I leave the Injector end off, I can easily move the line and pivot it around the IP end.
I tried to carefully file the bevel smooth and feel I did an OK job. Made no difference.
Even if the bevel wasn't perfectly round, the jamb nut isn't bottoming it out against the threads, which is why the fuel is spraying.
Once this leak stops, those clamps are going back on!
I didn't realize I was actually making it worse, thanks for fixing me.

 

Sounds like someone has overtightened the lines on the IP end at some point in time.

I see guys tighten line fittings way to tight rather often.

 

i will say like dave said, watch the overtightening, and while I was missing one of my clamps I went through 2 lines in 15k miles....now I am at 35k with the clamps and no issues