Hi everyone - here's some background on me as I see that a profile doesn't show up on my posts until I've posted more. I've posted a few times on the 1994.5 -1997 PSD forum but have recently learned that my engine is IDI (8th VIN digit is K, not F).

I am *sort of* mechanically inclined and have done a lot of my own work on previous vehicles, mostly honda car and toyota truck Never did any mods or rebuilds as such but mostly mechanical replacement stuff: clutch, cv axles, suspension components, starters, body parts - easy stuff like that. So I can pull a wrench and I like to understand how my vehicles work and fix them when I can. I live in central British Columbia, Canada.

TRUCK: 1994 IDI turbo diesel, ext cab XLT F250 4X4 5speed, 354,000 km. Bought the truck a couple of months ago, previously had a 1990 non-turbo F250 with auto trans and 460,000km on it. I don't put a lot of miles on the truck, use it in summer to haul the camper on a couple of highway trips plus fishing, hunting in the fall, winter I'll put maybe 50 km/week on the truck. SO, I use it regularly but I'm hoping that I can baby it along for a few years and have a solid, reliable truck. Just got back from a 1,500 km highway trip with the camper and the truck did great.

All the same, the miles are high and it's almost 17 years since this truck was built, so I'm good with the little issues that are bound to come up. LIKE THE FOLLOWING.
*sorry, this post is gonna get long. I had posted this on the PSD forum, and the good folks over there rightly suggested I post it here instead.

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So the fuel leak has progressed from a vague smell of fuel after running, to a bit of a drip on the right side of the valley, to ... well, dribbling on the ground at idle I see a lot of the 'fuel leak' questions on the forum are about finding the leak, but I've found mine. I'm just seeking advice on the fix, as well as hoping to learn a bit more about how fuel is delivered in this engine.

<about to="" get="" frustrated="" because="" i="" don="" t="" know="" the="" names="" of="" stuff="">...

So I see the fuel line coming to the fuel <nobr style="color: darkblue; font-weight: bold; font-family: verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucida grande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" id="itxt_nobr_3_0">filter</nobr>. Then there's a rubber line from the top of the filter housing that runs down to the front...what? Not injector, right, because they're under the valve cover... but it's a vertical part of the "fuel rail"? there's one for each cylinder, it seems, and they're all connected to each other by short rubber hoses. This stuff is all visible without removing any fuel pump or air cleaner etc.
So this vertical member has a steel fuel line coming into it at the top. I loosen that fitting with 5/8" wrench and pull it off.
Next is a short fitting with a brass collar that I remove with 5/8" wrench).

Now there's this plastic hose fitting that fits around the column. It moves up and down a bit. The rubber hoses come in and out of this plastic fitting. THE FUEL IS LEAKING FROM AROUND THIS FITTING. So, I surmise that there are O-rings on the column, and when I pull the fitting up and off the column, sure enough they're there.
There's some dirt in the fitting, as well as just above the o-rings, so I get in there with some rags and clean them up. Then I slip the fitting back over the o-ring-ed surface, put everything back together, say a prayer, and start the truck. LEAK IS NOW MUCH WORSE.

So my questions are:
~What is the name of this 'column' I've been working on? It's directly below and to the left of the fuel filter. It's obviously to do with fuel delivery to the cylinder, just don't know the name.
~Is it an easy/simple fix to replace the o-rings on it? Should I also be replacing the plastic fitting that slips over the o-rings? Should I be replacing the whole part that has the o-rings on it? If so, I guess I remove it by using a 1" wrench just above the valve cover?
~Is there anything I should know that I should be especially careful NOT to do in this situation?

I'm also wondering what the rubber fuel lines are for...I think that high pressure fuel is delivered in the steel line at the top of the 'column', but is this rubber hose system some kind of fuel return?

Thanks for your time,
Scott </about>

 

sounds like you need a return line kit. A kit should include new plastic Ts, rubber hose, and o Rings. Some people opt to order viton O rings which are less likely to leak than regular ones. A kit should be about 30 bucks.....

EDIT: Injectors are NOT under the valve covers. The steel lines from the Injection Pump run right to the injectors.

Are you experiencing any hard start issues?

 

That is the injectors on an idi they are not under the valve cover.
You need a return line kit, also called an injector install kit, which includes the plastic Ts and the hoses and clamps and orings There are 2 orings on each injector under the plastic T's. These orings get hot and if ever get disturbed will leak letting air in your system when the engine is dead, this does not affect it while running but makes for hard starts.
Most return line kits come with standard orings and with the ulsd fuel you are way better off to replace them with viton orings.
This is an easy fix, count on a couple hours for your first time.
Do a search here for return lines, detailed procedures have been printed several times.

 

Thank you and thank you Starmilt too for your reply. I now know more about my injectors and fuel return lines. Yes, I disturbed the o-rings and now it leaks worse, checks out with what starmilt said. No hard start issues have been noticed...

Sorry, I don't know what "ulsd fuel" means. "un leaded summer diesel" as a guess?

I'll check out the procedures that have been printed, as you suggest. I'm going to see a mechanic tomorrow morning and I'll ask about the return line kit. Hopefully we can get this front one replaced nice and quick as we NEED to get out fishing asap!! I'll do the remaining 7 a bit later on my own, then.

Thanks again,
Scotty

 

ULSD= ultra low sulfer diesel

its almost impossible to do just one without making the others leak. Its best to just replace them all in one shot, it wont take much longer.......

 

What john said. You need to replace at least one side at a time or you will be chasing leaks forever. A little bird tells me you have an electric pump on it if you haven't had hard starting issues, if so make sure the mechanical pump was bypassed.

 

Injector Installation Kit

Many prefer to toss the o-rings in the kit (and I highly suggest you do) and use these Viton Return O-Rings - McMaster-Carr Item 9464K24, Viton is impervious to Diesel.

For the Injector Installation Kit installation You can follow Starmilts Humorous Fuel Return Replacement Procedure, I like to cut the 6 pieces between the Injectors to 4-1/16", Use a sharp razor blade to cut the hose and Vaseline to lubricate the o-rings.

For proper fuel system bleeding you can use steps 1 through 4 and 13 through 15 of the Fuel Filter Replacement.

-Enjoy
fh : )_~

 

Also once you replace the O rings, do you very best to not disturb them.

Once you have some hot return fuel running through the return lines a couple times, if you move the return lines or return tee's, the O rings will be just hard enough that they will not reseal.

So you will get to change the O rings again.

When these engines were made, #2 diesel fuel (D) had over 5000 PPM sulphur.

Late 90's the EPA says we need less sulphur in diesel, so along came low sulphur diesel fuel (LSD) with less that 500 PPM.

As of 2007, that was to much sulphur again, so along came ultra low sulphur diesel (ULSD) with less than 15 PPM.

 

Hmmm - now that you mention it, I have had a starting issue, just once recently since the leak had gotten worse. Engine cranked a couple times, then fired as normal, then quit. Took a good 15 seconds of cranking for the 2nd start, after calming things down and re-cycling the glowplugs.

Thank you all. Nice to know not to offend these o-rings too much once they're replaced...touchy little beggars, it seems!

Scotty

 

Yup, them return Tee o-rings are pesky little pains ...

What you describe, Starts, dies, hard to restart is caused by fuel drain back, if you were to pull your fuel filter after it's been setting overnight (or when it dies & hard to restart) you will find it less then full ... It's caused by 'air intrusion' and is exactly what the Injector Installation kit should resolve.

In the kit are copper seals for the injectors, you do not need to replace them unless you pull the Injectors, you do not need to pull the Injectors unless they are leaking (bubbles around their base), replacing the Injectors or if you just want to look at them ... If you do pull the Injectors ENSURE you get the copper seal out & off the Injector, use a wire bore brush (they make a specific one, but any wire bore brush that fits works) to clean the Injector seat area in the head (where the copper seal seals), apply a thin coating of Never Seize to the injector threads before installation.

-Enjoy
fh : )_~

 

And a little dab of grease between the copper washer and injector body will keep the copper washer on the injector while you install it in the head if you pull the injectors.

You should also be careful to not damage the pintle tip sticking out of the injector tip while handling or installing them back in the head.