Injector hard line emergency patching tip

[Mr_Roboto]

Well I had the #4 line break on the wrecker last week, which resulted in frantic phone calls and finally locating one at a Ford heavy truck dealer 45 minutes away (International did not have it anywhere in state).

So I change it out and go about my business. Night before last, the #1 line breaks! I can't afford the $60 that Ford wants for the line, so I decide to see if I can patch it temporarily.

I matched up the "good" end of my old #4 line and the broken end of my #1 line. They are close enough to work, so I cut both lines to be spliced and use a 1/4" compression union (Autozone).

Result? Success! I've driven at least 100 miles towing vehicles on the patch, no leaks or problems.

I certainly don't recommend this as a permanent fix as the lines have a LOT of pressure. But I can confirm that the compression unions do hold, at least temporarily. Hopefully it will hold till my new line comes in from MWFI

Once the new line gets installed I will be saving all my "good" ends to use for emergency repairs in the future. I also ordered line clamps, the passenger side had only one and the drivers' side had none.

 

[Agnem]

That's a good tip for sure. You'll end up with a line of a different length, which will knock the timing off for that cylinder, but as long as it doesn't knock, you can get home with it. Keep those line clamps tight!

 

[icanfixall]

I learned this lesson when I didn't replace the clamps. It cost me almost $400.00 at Ford long before I knew of this or the other site. Now I can do for myself and Ford can go......

 

[oldmisterbill]

WHen I bought my ole 6.9 back in 1994 it had a patched line using a brass flare connector-I still have that line it worked good for 8 years.Once In an emergency I had to do another patch like that to get rid of a bad flare on the injector end of a line I measured it closley cut and spliced it -worked great no problems for the year I ran that one.
Later a guy in a shop told me not to cut and splice them as the lines had some kind of brittle linning on the inside of them,that would ruin the injectors.I never heard of it before or since I was told that and after so many miles on the 1st one so I question thatinformation.
Mr Bill

 

[93turbo_animal]

compression fittings can hold a lot of preasure if you get the right ones they make different ones for steel line but I have them holding hydraulic lines on my trencher and they have more line preasure then our injector pumps

 

[BobT]

Crap! I wish I had known about that a few years ago! I had two different lines crack on two different camping trips. Nothing sucks worse than being in a place where you don't know of any diesel shops.

After the last one broke, I just got all eight from my local shop ($28.00 each) and replaced all.

 

[sle2115]

I probably shouldn't even bring this up, and I certainly don't recommend it as it is not safe in my opinion but I have seen brake lines repaired with compression fittings straight out of a weatherhead rack!!! I didn't see the actual repair, but I have removed them from vehicles in the shop. I also had tons of people ask for a 3/16" compression fitting, you know what they were going to do with it! Even though I warned them they weren't designed for that. I have a couple in the truck though just in case. I would rather throw one on if a brake line/fuel line were to rupture than to risk driving without a brake line or half the brakes not working. I would assume if they will hold brake pressure, they would hold IP line pressure as you found!

 

[h2odrx]

Crap! I wish I had known about that a few years ago! I had two different lines crack on two different camping trips. Nothing sucks worse than being in a place where you don't know of any diesel shops.

After the last one broke, I just got all eight from my local shop ($28.00 each) and replaced all.

hey welcome to the site!! $28 that is a good price?

 

[Diesel JD]

That's about what they are from MWFI. This is one time where it really should be by the book, regarding using the injector line clamps. If the lines are to bent or distorted for injector line clamps or they are missing, rubber fuel hose on each line and snugly ziptied together is an acceptable substitute. I thought some of these guys were full of it for saying the clamps were actually needed so I drove w/o them for 8 months after replacing my injection pump, and had one break at an inopportune time at a hole in the ground N. FL beach town. I left my truck there overnight because I didn't want to drive back with only 7 cylinders. I borrowed a line from a friend witha disabled 6.9 trucka dn gave him the new line which was backordered from MWFI, about 6weeks it was until I had it in hand. One of the first things I did after I got the truck running was to get line clamps on the good liones and fuel hose on the ones that were already sort of bent. I've been running that way for 2 years and no more line damage knock on wood. Good to know...those compression fittings are great when they are used correctly and can hold pressure and not let up,
J.D.

 

[BobT]

JD - yeah, that's what I discovered - no line clamps! Remedied that at the same time I replaced the lines.

Bob

 

[typ4]

This is sorta related, when I worked for the excavating company, every time the u-joints got loose on a JD 750 dozer it would break injector lines from the harmonics of the shaft. Took a while to figure out that one
Extra line clamps helped a lot.
On a turned up system the pump shop said there is no such thing as too many clamps.
Russ

 

[Mr_Roboto]

Well I fixed the problem with the fan clutch - I took the whole fan and clutch assembly off. I've been running and towing with no fan for 2 days now, apparently it's just "optional". Yea, it runs a little hotter, but it hasn't overheated and the only time it got close was last night when I had to idle the truck a long time hooking up a car with a broken ball joint.