Today I lost about 30 gal. of fuel in about 5 minutes while driving. Something is leaking very badly at the back of engine near the fuel rail. I can see the rear injector tube and fuel return going back to the filter housing coming around the factory engine lift bracket and it seems the fuel is coming from behind there somewhere shooting all over the firewall and completely soaked the underside of my truck. What is back there that can cause that major leak? I could see a steady fuel stream about 3/16" dia. running steadily off the firewall at what seemed to be very low psi, so I don't think its an injector line. The truck was running smoothly with no missing or noises or any power loss at all. I was pulling about 12,000 lbs when this happened and the truck was running great. The oil level is fine right on full and there was no smoke of any color coming out exhaust. Any ideas??????

 

fuel return line????

 

Is it common for that to come loose? It's dark now after a all day event getting another truck to come get me and trailer and unload truck and get to Indy to race and trip home I am beat and I plan to look at it in the a.m. I was just looking for suggestions and possibilities.

 

I dont think it happens all the time but it is a good place to look...I would also look at the fuel supply line(fuel tank to the CP3 line)

sounds like you have had a long one.....let us know what you find in the AM

 

I can just about guarantee you have cracked the #6 injector line. On the older CR trucks (03-04.5) this will happen over time. D.C. has since put a mount and isolator on it to prevent this from happening. I have thought about having mine replaced because I do not have the new designed line on my truck.

 

thats good to know!

 

I have learned everything I know from people having problems that post them on here. Thank DTR not me.

 

I will look there but would a high pressure line leaking that bad cause some sort of power loss or miss? Because my truck was running fine. And while I looked under the hood while it ran the fuel flow looked very low pressure, almost like if your kitchen sink was only partially on with a stream of water about 3/16" - 1/4" coming out of it, like just a little more than a drip, and it seems to me a high pressure injector line leak would be more of a spray shooting out in a mist of some sort. But I am still learning how to work on these diesels and appreciate all the info people share on this site. I am going out to hunt down the leak now, I will post the outcome, but please keep your suggestions comming.

 

When my 04.5 cracked the #6 injector line it was running down the highway @ 75 m.p.h. The engine shuddered a second and immediately stalled. Coasted to the side of the road, it was dark of course, and it would not start. After attempting to start it a couple times I smelled the fuel and called the tow truck. While the tow driver watched with a flashlight, I tried to start again, fuel was flying all over the firewall and even splashed him. I don't believe an injector line leak would look like a slow running kitchen faucet.
Just my .02.

 

I just took off the #6 line and inspected it. It looks fine. I then put a rubber hose over one end and hooked my shop air to it while holding the other end closed with my finger. It does not leak. But I did notice the nut felt a little on the loose side so while it was off I also tightened the transfer tube retaining nut a little, it also felt just barely snug. While there I took off and did the same thing to the #5 line. It also felt a little on the "barely snug" side. I felt around the rear of head for the return line to filter and somehow managed to get a wrench on the banjo bolt and it felt super tight, I couldn't turn it any. So hopefully that was the leak, maybe fuel sprayed onto the firewall insulation and soaked into it and the stream of fuel I saw was coming out of the insulation. I tried to start it but I am out of fuel completely so I am on the way to get a jug. I thought maybe it didn't start due to the lines being off but I let the key on for 30 seconds 3 times and then cranked it. Only for about 15 seconds and it did not start. I will add fuel first and then crank it some more.

 

I got fuel and fired it up. No more leaks!! It was the #6 line tube nut where it connects to the transfer tube at the head. When I stuck the wrench on there to loosen it it might have been 5 ft. lbs. Or it could have been the transfer tube retaining nut as I tightened that a little also. But that was the leak. Now I have to figure out how to wash the entire underside of my truck and the trailer I was pulling.

 

About a year ago I had a fuel leak at the common rail. First I thought it was the cp3 leaking because that happened to be where the fuel started dripping from. I followed it all the way up to the rail. Nothing as dramatic as what happened to you. But I did notice that 2 or 3 of the injector line nuts at the rail were barely snug as you described. Gave em' a decent tightening and so far so good...