Injection fuel pipe leak

Here’s a suggestion for a engine spare part to carry aboard – an injection fuel pipe – that is a high pressure fuel line that can be installed between the fuel injection pump and an injector (aka atomizer).

We were underway in the Gulf Islands (BC), motoring unfortunately because there was no wind. We anchored for the night, and then smelled diesel coming from the engine room. A quick inspection showed the fuel pipe to cylinder 1 was spraying diesel from a hairline crack. We cleaned up about a gallon of diesel from the engine tray (gotta love those oil absorbent pads)

Now we are stranded at Silva Bay, Gabriola island, while we await a new complete set of fuel pipes to be shipped from the UK. If one 40 y.o. pipe failed on our Perkins 4-108, the others cannot be far behind. Don, the local mechanic here says it happens fairly frequently.

We’ve seen for sale an emergency high pressure fuel injection line that is a flexible hose with proper fittings attached, so it can be used on any cylinder until it’s possible to obtain proper replacements. This would be a mighty useful spare at a time like this.

We were able to run on 3 cylinders to get here where we could order parts- we re-purposed our dedicated fuel polisher supply line as a cylinder 1 fuel pipe return line, with the crack sealed by the flexible line. At least we are no longer spewing diesel, but the old Perkins doesn’t idle well on only 3 cylinders.