Flame heater check valve

[LowTech]

It seems like the flame heater check valve is leaking. I cleaned it off w/ brake cleaner (that's what the dirty streaks are from) and can't find where it's coming from. Is it poss that it's leaking from the end of it? Neither fitting looks to be leaking anywhere as much as drips off the end. One, the small one (intake?) shows very, very small amounts.


You can see in the photos that it leaks enough to wet the turbo in short order.
It only leaks when the engine is running, just having the tank pump on does not do it. I'm guessing that if it is bad it's not fixable. If that is so who would have them?

Thank you,

 

[cranetruck]

If you don't need the heater system, just plug the lines...

PM sent.

 

[212sparky]

there is a snap ring in the end, make sure that it is seated correctly. i have had a friend with a leak and he replaced an oring behind the end cap and it was fine.

 

[Flyingvan911]

It is probably leaking out of the end pointed toward the air filter housing. Mine is leaking also. It drips right down onto the exhaust side of the turbo and makea alot of smoke. I ordered a new one from Memphis Equipment then I will rebuild the old one for a spare. It was $62.50.

 

[panshark]

I just took mine off and replaced the o-ring. I took off the tube that comes down from off the top of the valve cover, loosened the nut where the valve mounts to the manifold heater, removed the big spark plug from the manifold, and she came out like a charm. I took off the snap ring, the innards marched right on out, and I replaced the o-ring with one that is oil-friendly (Kalrez #014). Cost me 60 cents. Installed in reverse order. oh yeah, I also took the fuel lines off. (and put them back on)

 

[JasonS]

You can replace the o-ring without taking out the flame heater injector. Take out the air filter canister and there is plenty of room.

 

[panshark]

After performing the work mentioned above, I agree 100% with JasonS. I took the injector off because I didn't want the snap-ring to take flight, and I didn't expect the innards to slide out as easily as they did.

 

[srodocker]

what size oring?

 

[Flyingvan911]

#014

 

[srodocker]

sweet. thanks i developed the leak last week when we had single digit temps

 

[sp00n]

I just took mine off and replaced the o-ring. I took off the tube that comes down from off the top of the valve cover, loosened the nut where the valve mounts to the manifold heater, removed the big spark plug from the manifold, and she came out like a charm. I took off the snap ring, the innards marched right on out, and I replaced the o-ring with one that is oil-friendly (Kalrez #014). Cost me 60 cents. Installed in reverse order. oh yeah, I also took the fuel lines off. (and put them back on)

mine was doing this and this method has fixed it. .53 cents and about an hour including the trip to the parts store.

 

[panshark]

this is a repair that i highly recommend before a leak even stars. It seems that if you are going to burn anything besides diesel, you will likely face having to replace this o-ring. There's not a lot of mechanical skill involved, it's not an all-day project, it's super cheap, and you can drive without worrying about fuel puking onto the top of your turbo.

 

[treeguy]

Another problem that I noticed with the flame heater nozzle is that mine was constantly leaking fuel into the manifold. This was causing a black sludge leak to seep from the manifold elbow gasket and from the intake manifold where it mates to the heads causing streaking down the block. I had just done a complete head gasket tear down so all these gaskets were new. I talked to a mechanic at Memphis and he said if the flame heater is stuck and leaking fuel into the manifold it would cause this. To jurry rig it, to avoid the $65 part which I can't justify right now on a feture I never use, I took the fuel supply line to the pump and put it in the return at the injectors and took the retrun that was at the injectors and put it in the supply on the pump. After scrubbing off the black gunk and running the for a week the gunk stopped. This was a situation that I had not been able to figure out (leaking gunk from new gaskets) so I wanted to share this tip.

 

[panshark]

what kind of fuel are you running treeguy? Thanks for the info!

 

[treeguy]

Fuel - straight, virgin, bend me over at the pump DIESEL! (with Power Service Diesel Fuel Supplement)

 

[Donald Poppell]

Here is some info for the oring if anyone needs.
Exact match to what came out of mine

MFG = Parker Hannifin
P/N = M83248-1-014 OR M83248/1-104
MIL SPEC = MIL-R-83248 Aircraft fuels and lubricants
COMPOUND = V1164-75 FLUOROCARBON

 

[panshark]

Interesting. Your's isn't the Buna-N type that everyone else on here is grousing about. What made you pull the O-ring specs on your unit in the first place?

 

[Donald Poppell]

After hitting a couple of auto parts places with little luck, I saw a post that said it was a size 14 oring and started looking at aircraft oring numbers. I work in aviation and found that info.
If it's good for jet fuel, gotta be good for diesel.

 

[Heavysteven]

Same problem on mine think its the transmission fluid. Any use mcmaster?

McMaster-Carr

Think it's 1201T25

 

[bguy193]

Mine started leaking a couple years ago and I have been meaning to get to it. I disconnected it and plugged the lines. I have been using a block heater but you never know when you might not hve a place to plug in or you could be without power for a couple days and need the truck. So I better get after it.