Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) fuel leak over trany??

[stumphumper]

While down under putting on my new maghytec dd trany pan I noticed a liquid leak on my frame. It looked like it was traviling down the fuel lines but could not tell/smell if it was brake fluid,oil or diesel. I took some cleaner and pressure washed as much as I could. IT's a slow leak and with it cleaned up I know now it is fuel. My question: is their a fuel connection above the transmission somewere. I put my back out by crawling under there and now if I have to take it somewere to get this fixed (I'd rather do my own wrenchin) I would like to know. Has anyone out there had fuel leaks around the top of their transmission???. Thank TDR'ers

 

[illflem]

The fuel return hose behind the fuel filter has a reputation for deterioration and leakage. $4 worth of hose and a lot of cussing will fix it. It is by far my least favorite repair on these trucks. Dealer charges around $125.

If you do a search for return hose you will find much info.

 

[stumphumper]

Thanks Illflem for that quick reply. Im not the only one up this late! I had done a search on "fuel lines" before asking for help and did not find much. Thanks again for a better direction. Did I put this request in the wrong forum? sorry kinda new at this computer stuff.

 

[johnjackson]

Are you positive its fuel? I thought my small leak was fuel. It is not and its still leaking slightly because I haven't figured out how to stop it. At the back of the driveshaft yoke that slides into the transmission tail shaft is a soft plug. When going over big bumps at speed,especialy when trans oil is hot, driveshaft goes in and out and pumps fluid past the plug. Then the u-joint throws it up on the underside of cab above rear of transmission. I thought I had some kind of pin hole fuel leak until I figured out where it was comming from.



John

 

[stumphumper]

Man I don't ever want to do that job again! It was the return fuel line and it is just out of reach while laying on your back down under and again inches away from your fingers as you snake your arm down and around from the top! My son stopped by and save me from cussing up a storm on that job. The feed hose was in good shape but the return line was soft and rotted out. Is that due to the heated fuel? I replaced both hoses with the A-1 coast guard rated hose line and with luck I hope to get more then 100k miles on this truck before I need to that job again. While I was in there I put on my Prime-Loc remote fuel kit. No more titer-toter on the fender with my leg up in the air while changing that fuel filter.

 

[illflem]

There have been a bunch of theories on what causes the return line to deteriorate - wrong kind of hose, incompatibility with paint used on the engine, etc. I think it's a combination of cheap stock hose in an location that's too hot.

 

[Howard Durand]

I recently replaced both of the hoses on my 4X4 and found that removing the starter and dropping one end of the front drive shaft greatly improved access to the hoses and fittings from underneath the truck.

Removing the starter and disconnecting the drive line is relatively easy.