Perkins 4-108 Diesel in the oil

[Pirate999]

Update: I pulled the injector pump today. I'll take it to have it rebuilt on Monday. Interesting experience and I'm glad I had the right tools. The inside hex bolt wasn't that bad but the bottom nut on the stud was a real pain. For installation, I'll have a open face 1/2" ratchet wrench for that bottom nut. What was interesting is you have to loosen the bottom nut, slide the pump back, loosen the nut more, slide the pump back and keep doing that until the nut is free.

[Pirate999]

Update: Hire a mechanic! Just kidding but the thought crossed my mine about hour 3 of installing the rebuilt pump. It was quite a bit harder to get it back on than taking it off. And of course, I made some silly mistakes that took more time.

The injector pump was indeed bad. It was recommended that I remove all the fuel lines and clean before reinstalling. I was told that the return line, if clogged, over time can build a back pressure in the pump and cause the seals the fail. In my case, the guy that did the actual rebuild told me that the pump had previously been rebuilt and in his opinion it was substandard.

Bleeding a perkins after completely removing all the fuel lines and primary filter. Think about that. But I learned and had it purring yesterday afternoon. The timing was even correct.

Today I'll run the engine for a couple of hours to make sure that the problem is fixed... no diesel in the oil. After 30min running yesterday it looked good but I need to run longer.

Lessons - Make sure you have the right tools. I found a post on this site that made some recommendation regarding tools for the hex bolt and they were right on! Patience... obviously. To ease access, making sure that some fuel lines are reattached before others. Other than sweat, time and working in a limited space, it wasn't horrible... not great... just not horrible.

My last though on this is that if I had to do it again, I probably would remove the exhaust manifold to make it "less horrible". Removing the manifold would make access much much easier but also introduce other complications as well as taking more time and more "mess".

[S/V_Surya]

I share your pain. I had diesel in oil and pulled pump about year ago. Had pump rebuiilt and after a year it was leaking again. And now being rebuilt again (under warranty thank God). I did remove manifold and it made it much easier. Was not even sure it could be done with manifold on. I am getting much better at removing and reinstalling. The bolt under the pump that you refer to is the biggest pain. You can only turn in small incremets, cannot see it and must be the first bolt to install. I even took a picture of it.

One trick for the upper bolts is to put some tooth paste in rachet to hold bolt inplace while positioning so it does not fall out to join its friends in the bilge.

I have not been able to determine why my seals failed after a year. Heard could be low sulfer fuel destroying them. I probably only had about 5 hours on the engine when they started to fail. Only noticed the problem after winter storage. The rebuilder told me to run it hard which I did. But that made it worse.

Good luck.

[scoobert]

Originally Posted by S/V_Surya

I have not been able to determine why my seals failed after a year. Heard could be low sulfer fuel destroying them.
Good luck.

No. Lsd is not damaging any parts. I would say it was rebuilt wrong.

[KrazySailing]

Same problem on my 4-10, a runaway diesel and diesel fuel in sump:
- The dipstick oil level was something like 1/8 to 1/4 inch per hour of running
- In North East of Canada a community of 800 people.
- I removed the lift pump and checked, OK, no holes in the diaphragm
- Local diesel injector shop (the only expert in 400 miles) says it's the injector pump.
- Of course they (one persons shop) are busy to remove the injector pump. But suggests a fellow who repairs transport trucks.
- This guy comes over and we look over and talk over the situation. He's busy as well but provides good advise.
- BTW both fellow tell me it's tricky cause to remove on this engine cause one has to maintain the alignment between the engine's gears and the pump's gears or it's a big job to get it back into alignment. Funny, the manual that came with the boat says simply to unbolt it!
- I, myself, followed the manual and removed the injector pipes and pump. Piece of cake.
- The local shop sends injector pump and lift pump away to be rebuilt.
- $1,700 later, pump and lift pump returned.
- Lift pump not rebuilt!
- Re-installed injector pump, piece of cake, bled the line and away she goes. But same problem!
- Cracking back the nut (loosening) each injector (nut holding pipe from injector pump going into the injector) did not change the engine sound or speed.
- So after wasting 10 days, off sailing we go and a few ports later found a retired diesel mechanic who says likely a leaky injector.
- I removed injectors, he tested and found one injector spewing too much diesel, he recalibrates on his homemade injector tester (a hand pump and a pressure guage) , I reinstall (used new copper washers).
- Problem solved.

It was a leaky injector.

The injectors are held on the the block by bar with a hole for the top of the injector and with a nut on a stud on each end of the bar. The nuts have to be tightened evenly to seat the injector squarely in the cylinder. Had quite a problem with one cylinder, and we likely over tightened to get it to seat.

BTW - The previous I had a leak at an injector (front one) and it would not stop by tightening. Local shop said torquer her down (meaning put some muscle on it). I did and cracked the pipe. I was in Buffalo and closest new pipe is in New Jersey (TransAtlantic Diesel). Overnight delivery. The pipe is about a foot long with 8 different bends! Took me 8 hours to get the old one out without disassembling anything else. Now I can do it in 15 minutes! Normal.

[zeehag]

i found some overly tightened cracked lines when we took my injector pump off also..my pump repair guy included some with fittings in the mix with the other parts i had done including lift pump rebuilt, and transmission oil cooler rebuilt for under 300 usd. i love being guided by whatever force is guiding me to where i need to be for each part replacement. has been perfect.

[Pirate999]

Just a quick update. I put 10 hours on the engine and all is good. I had to adjust the idle a tad but it's running well. In fact, better than before... Duh. All is well with the world... For now.

Btw, through CF and some research I was able to make sure I had the correct tools and do the job properly.

[John Galt]

Wow! I pulled my 4108s pump and injectors and sent them to Orlando for rebuilding. $568. All 4 high pressure lines, bleed off return line with all the washers from TAD $350.




Anyone can surely do this. I did!

[Pirate999]

Nice job. With some time and patience it's not difficult. Looks like you removed the exhaust manifold and the coolant reservoir. I left those in place myself.

[zeehag]

pirate..we also removed those items as it is much easier to access any thing on engine without them in the way, and we tried to find the engine number which does not exist..

john galt--you seem to have found the most reasonable within ua pricing fro rebuild of injector pump. your blue engine is gorgeous.

[John Galt]

Thanks Zee, once all the parts are removed one by one you get a chance to degrease and inspect each item. A couple of coats of good oil based paint brightens the engine bay. I used to dread pulling up the floorboards to access the engine it was so greasy and neglected. Hey, here's a good question for all you CF ers. Peering under the oil pan, I noticed an orange item with black dots on it. Turned out to be a basketball.

Why was it there?

[DeepFrz]

To lift the engine. Probably to change the engine mounts. Put it on a base of some kind and fill it with air, voila, air jack.

[Tortuga's Lie]

Originally Posted by John Galt

Hey, here's a good question for all you CF ers. Peering under the oil pan, I noticed an orange item with black dots on it. Turned out to be a basketball.

Why was it there?

Why, it's a signal device! When the basketball floats above the galley counters, it's time to prepare the life raft!

[brutb]

If you have enough of those inflated basketballs you might make an unsinkable sailboat LOL.......

[Tortuga's Lie]

I wonder if you could rig a basketball hoop on the mast??? Better get the fish net ready to retrieve those errant balls!

By the way, my Westerbeke 40 (4.108 block) had a lift pump fail with diesel in the oil as well but hat was many years ago and all is fine.