Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) What the heck? Do 12v injectors start randomly leaking?

[Cosmo]

I carry two keys to my truck so I can leave it running to warm up, and tonight I just happened to glance underneath while it was running and noticed something blue dripping. WTF, fuel? No wonder my truck has been smelling more like the engine compartment of my grandpa's old boat... so is it common for injectors to just start leaking all of a sudden? We had a real cold snap through here (well, real cold as in mid 20s) and that's about when I noticed it. Truck has been cranking a little longer than I like, but fires up and runs fine.

 

[surfbeetle]

Did you see it leak from an injector? I saw mine leaking underneath last week and found that my rubber fuel lines were leaking up by the bellhousing.

 

[Bob V]

Its probably not the injectors. Like stated the fuel lines are known to rot and start leaking. Also the fuel pump and fuel heater are other places to look.

 

[hsmith]

I had an instance with mine and the water drain valve was leaking. All these above mentioned possibilites are on the oposite side of the engine from the injectors.

 

[Cosmo]

I've got an airdog with 1/2" lines straight to the p-pump, so no fuel heater or OE lift pump/filter housing - that stuff is out in my shed. I grabbed my flashlight and popped the hood when I got home before posting last night, and yeah it's definitely dumping from the #2 injector. I didn't have any brake clean to hose it off and watch to see where it was coming from, but I believe it's gargling out from the pressure line retaining nut.

I did have my lines off a couple of months back while installing head studs, used new copper on the return banjos, and I've put a few thousand miles on it and I've checked every few hundred miles for any kind of leaks. It was pretty much dry up until I'm guessing a week or so back.

 

[moparguy]

Time to put a wrench on all fittings and make sure every thing is still tight.

 

[Cosmo]

Apparently they do start randomly leaking.

I put a wrench on it, and it was gudntite.

So I took the line loose and removed the clamps holding it to the other lines. The only thing I can think of is that it was ever so slightly cocked.

I'll check for wetness in a few days, but a day later and it was still dry, it doesn't smell like it's leaking, and it starts a little easier again.

 

[Bob4x4]

I have never seen a factory install leak on it's own with-in a normal interval so I am going to say it was probably not torqued to spec on install.

 

[Cosmo]

Very few things get torqued to spec. It wasn't an issue of being loose though.

 

[Cosmo]

Well it's still leaking, however it isn't coming from the line. It's bubbling up from between the injector and hold down nut. I don't know if that has ever been touched.

 

[Bob4x4]

Well it's still leaking, however it isn't coming from the line. It's bubbling up from between the injector and hold down nut. I don't know if that has ever been touched.

Looks like my post # 8 still holds true
You need to remove the injector,clean the bore and seat with a carbon brush,finishing off with long q-tips making it spotlesss than torque to spec using a new copper seal

 

[GAmes]

The only way fuel would be coming up from under the nut is if the body is cracked or the tip is loose.

 

[mwilson]

The only way fuel would be coming up from under the nut is if the body is cracked or the tip is loose.

Could be a hair line crack in the flare/bulge at the injector end of the line. Have seen that before.



I think I would replace the line next if all else fails.



Mike.

 

[mwilson]

Could be a hair line crack in the flare/bulge at the injector end of the line. Have seen that before.



I think I would replace the line next if all else fails.



Mike.

Well, I made the TDR server mad so it won't let me edit the first post.....



I wanted to add that the line could be cracked and the fuel is running down and pooling above the nut giving the appearance that it is leaking down there.



It seems funny that messing with the line a bit made a difference even if just for a short time.



Is that OK, server????



Mike.

 

[GAmes]

Could be a hair line crack in the flare/bulge at the injector end of the line. Have seen that before.

Maybe I'm reading it wrong. I am interpreting the fuel is coming from the big hold down nut that holds the injector to the head, not the nut for the line.

 

[Dieseldemon]

Check the drain on the outside of the inj I have seen a few of them leak.

 

[Cosmo]

Looks like my post # 8 still holds true
You need to remove the injector,clean the bore and seat with a carbon brush,finishing off with long q-tips making it spotlesss than torque to spec using a new copper seal

As far as I know, the injectors have never been removed. They certainly haven't been removed in the almost year that I've owned the truck. For it to start leaking after putting about 10k miles on it seems odd, and if they weren't torqued to spec at the factory, why would it take 15 years for it to start leaking?

Maybe I'm reading it wrong. I am interpreting the fuel is coming from the big hold down nut that holds the injector to the head, not the nut for the line.

Yeah, I grabbed my scope and was able to take a close look at it, and there was definitely a bubble coming out of the threads of the big hold down nut.


The history of this truck is somewhat sketchy. The VIN comes back as being a white quad cab short bed 2wd Canadian market truck - KPH dash and all. I bought it in FL early last year from someone who owned it for a while but wasn't aware of its history. The truck is currently green and silver two tone. The bed has red paint under the green. The cab has a transfer case shift linkage hanging under the cab. The radiator core support has a 1996 gas truck emissions sticker on it. The cab doesn't appear to have any white paint under the green.

So does the motor really have <140k miles on it? I don't know. Are they factory original injectors? Again, I don't know. But I know that I dragged a ~14k pound trailer from Florida to Washington behind it and then drove another 6-8k miles since getting back home with it without fuel leaking.

 

[GAmes]

I discovered one of the "hidden" VINs on mine a couple weeks ago. It is stamped into the frame, but I can't remember where at the moment. The vin tag on the dash is easily removed/replaced it is just a couple rivets into the plastic. I used a couple bolts to reattach mine when I replaced the dash. That doesn't address your problem though. I think your injector is cracked, there is no other reason for fuel to be coming from under the hold down nut.

 

[Hoytcummins7]

It seems like when these trucks get up in mileage they all have fuel and oil leaks

 

[GAmes]

It seems like when these trucks get up in mileage they all have fuel and oil leaks

For sure I have replaced at one time or another nearly every gasket and seal on the engine. I have never had fuel leaking from an injector though.