Mystery diesel leak solved

[onestepcsy37]

GIlow - in the interest of science i checked my perkins engine manuals. they gave no reason as to why the injection pump pushes out more fuel than the injectors can use. they did show a fuel flow diagram which actually shows the injectors branching off the main fuel line which leads back to the fuel tank - almost as if the injectors were put there as an afterthought.

in any case, while i was running my 4=108 today i decided to 'listen' to the sound of fuel being returned to the tank (i only have one). my tank is located under the main salon and easily accessible. there was a steady flow of fuel - not a drip, drip, drip, and not a rushing stream, just a slow steady flow.

i'm thinking that the fuel may not be so much a coolant for the injection pump as a lubricant.... but it's all conjecture on my part.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

i'm thinking that the fuel may not be so much a coolant for the injection pump as a lubricant.... but it's all conjecture on my part.

From what I have read, I think it may be both. Good call on checking the flow, and I gather you were somewhat surprised by how much was returned to the tank as I was.

I am somewhat jealous, however, that you have had time to do so. All I have been able to do this last two weeks is shoot down to the boat to photograph some mystery handles, check the hatches and bilges, check the batteries, run the engine for fifteen minutes, then go home. Sigh.