Fuel Leak

[Cam2006]

Hello Guys, I'm still pretty new here and I have yet another question.

I'm new to the diesel field as well, but it looks like two of my injectors are leaking on my truck. I just noticed this today after I got home, I decided to lift the hood while the truck was running and noticed smoke coming up (wasn't smoking until a minute after I openned hood) and looked over and noticed that there was fuel leaking on my manifold. Shut the truck off and let it cool for a little bit and looked at it. I am pretty sure it is my injector. I noticed that my number 1 injector is leaking a little bit but there is not much coming out yet, but the next one towards the cab is leaking pretty bad (my opinion). I'm pretty sure it is leaking towards the cylinder, but I just searched the forum and noticed it might be the return line off of the injector but I'm out of daylight.

So if I find out it is a leaking injector, I take it that this means it's a bad injector? Or do these have o rings that my go bad? The truck has 158,000 miles on it and I do not know when the last time they were serviced or messed with by the previous owner. And if it is my injectors (or return lines), would it be ok to drive 200 miles so I can have an adequate spot to work on it?

Also when starting it takes a little bit to get it started, theres plenty of white smoke coming out of the exhaust (even today with 75 degree weather outside). And after starting it sounds like it surges a couple of times then knocks for a few minutes and then it runes normal.

Thank you very much
~Mike~

[DickWells]

:) Hi and welcome. Sounds to me like a return line thing. I'd expect you'd get some constant miss-firing, if it was a bad injecter. The original return lines have little circlip springs on the return nipple. People curse them, because they're a bear to get on and off. A recent thread said that the guys are busting them off with a screw driver and hammer. Don't know. I'd hate to break a nipple off an injecter that I didn't intend to replace! Anyway, the new return line kits don't come with new circlips. You just push them on.
With that kind of mileage, I would espect that the timing is a little retarded, which may be the cause of your white smoke, and rough running, until warm-up. Better minds than mine will no doubt come in here with the straihgt poop, but that's the way it looks to me, right now. I suppose it could be a cracked fuel line or fuel line nut, that just allows some weeping, but, I doubt that two would occur at once like that. Look at the return lines first. And keep us posted.
DW:)

[DickWells]

:o Whoops. Forgot to mention the 200 mile drive thing. Depends. If you have a line squirting fuel all over a hot manifold, it wouldn't be a great idea. Diesel burns way hot, if it ignites. Plus, it could stink things up pretty bad over that distance, even if didn't catch fire. Better, I think to prove that it's return line and do a temporary fix, right in the driveway, then go fix it up right. IE, replace all the return lines. If it's numbers one and three, ( front, driver's side) then you're lucky. Two easiest to get at.
I suppose it's worth a try, to take a wrench and check the fuel line nuts. Just thought of that! Could be they're cracked open just enough to allow seepeage, without making it miss-fire, but I doubt it. It usually takes just a tiny bit to make a diesel skip like crazy. Anyway, good luck.
DW:)

[HammerWerf]

Give the fuel line nuts a check. Had the same type of leak on an 84 Sub I owned. I had 3 leaking as you described. 8" cresent wrench fixed it.

HammerWerf

[Cam2006]

I've done further inspection in the daylight this time, but with pooring down rain...

I have found that it is the return line between the #1 and #3 injectors. It is seeping through where it bends right before going into #3 injector. I'm probably going to order a set from ssdieselsupply.