+- Car Repair Forum (https://fixkick.com/forum)
+-- Forum: Suzuki (https://fixkick.com/forum/forum-suzuki)
+--- Forum: Sidekick/Tracker (https://fixkick.com/forum/forum-sidekick-tracker)
+--- Thread: Fuel rail firewall side leaking gas? (/thread-fuel-rail-firewall-side-leaking-gas)
Fuel rail firewall side leaking gas? - zukitrek - 10-29-2014
Good day Fix. When taking pictures of the tranny I noticed that the underside of the EGR valve was stained with like a dark red color.
I then check from above it and it looks like the end of the fuel rail (firewall side) is leaking very faintly but it is.
As far as I'm concerned there are no performance issues, other than from a long time Ive noticed that fuel doesn't last that much, but then again O2 sensor and the electrical tune-up (wire, plugs and rotor) has not been done and all that is city driving under very hot climate? Actually this must have started after dealing with the EGR issue because I remember that the white mesh cover of the thermoprobe was not stained and now it is.
What could the problem be?
Thanks in advance
J
RE: Fuel rail firewall side leaking gas? - fixkick - 10-30-2014
no way to tell 20 years of history at a glance, if fuel and oil dont leak now, then history , of such is not important.
that is the fuel rail , anti pulsation device, that keeps pressure steady as the injectors fire away.
it has a very special copper ring gasket that only real suzuki parts fit. (i went thru hell, getting mine to stop leaking on both ends)
the ID is not unique but is Unique is the rim size,
the suzuki loves hot climates. starts faster, warms faster and lasts longer,
i have no idea at all what engine oil you have,
they sell oil in silly colors now, not just amber, pink, purple, green, red, and more.
the top failures for oil leaks are the VC, and distributor.
the dizzy drips down the bell housing.
VC=valve cover
the VC gasket leaks in all directions, some are hidden like behnd the CAM COG WHEEL. and into the spark plug wells (oil lake?)
at the 60k service , with a new Tbelt. the VC gasket is changed to check valve lash, by the book.
nobody ever does 60ks or lash or anything, then the VC turns to brick and leaks.
and you are looking at 20 years of all that. so is not important, only that which leaks now.
your car can get 24mpg in town and 28 on the high way. easy
a low limit there is not, as some avg, 5mph in NY city traffic, or less
what matters is the fuel leaks.
zero are to be tolerated. or it will catch fire. I promise.
let me explain that copper fuel gasket
if someone pulled the head or engine.
they then loose those to parts
then put in hardware store part. and it leaks. (seen many like that)
the 2 parts are shows at suzuki
ident: (takes two parts)
4, 15762-61b00 , is 14x 19 x 0.84 (all in mm, id ,od, and thick)
6: 15763-61b00 , is 17x 22,x 0.84 (ID x OD by thick)
if by chance the parts are still stock, (how to tell, impossible with no new part in hand)
I have hand milled many copper washers using a thick plate of glass or steel plate and 400 grid wet and dry sand paper layed flat , (far far from home off grid)
suzuki sells it for 2 bucks (one)
http://www.suzukicarparts.com/parts/1995/Suzuki/Sidekick/JLX/index.cfm?siteid=214820
and your are off the grid.
that is , no suzuki parts counter
and few others.
the rails parts are all very hard to get and make leak free.
RE: Fuel rail firewall side leaking gas? - zukitrek - 10-30-2014
No oil leaks whatsoever. I run 10w-30 oil in my car(no fancy color), recently changed. Dizzy drip was fixed this summer. Actually it was so bad that it ended up in the bottom of the bell housing and I thought it was rear main seal. No leaks around VC gasket neither. It was changed by a mech 2 years ago and I'm sure valves were not lashed. On the next VC gasket change I will or do it anyways when I change the T belt this month and be sure. Under my ownership neither head or block has been pulled apart. Like I told you this started after doing the EGR passage cleanup. Not before, i'm sure.
J
RE: Fuel rail firewall side leaking gas? - fixkick - 10-30-2014
ok that red color can be the remainder of very old fuel
ever seen an old gas can, with the top all red stained
that is the additive package stain.
or lead. (you run leaded gas still?)
and the fuel DYE laws, each country has their own colors. and for grades (taxes levied by grade) or AVgas.
complex to the extreme this. topic , FUEL colors
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_dyes
examples
EPA
mandates use of a red dye to identify high-sulfur fuels for off-road use.
Solvent Red 26 is used in the United States as a standard, though it is often replaced with Solvent Red 164, which is similar to Solvent Red 26 but with longer alkyl chains.
so if your gas USA fuel it will look RED.
my comments are that no non original owner of any car , that 20 years, old , will not have any history on car. (rare to the extreme if found)
focus on, no gas leaks, not much else matter, and brake fluid too.
safety first. bla bla...
all that red is , the results of fuel lost (leaks) and as you drive you can not smell that? amazing if true.
each drive cycle, makes a red stain, and gets deeper and deeper red as time goes on.
really the first thing to do in any EFI car,
is to , look at the rail and injectors for leaks.
and all fuel lines front to rear.
10x that on off road cars. they can smack , fuel lines and make them leak.
carry a blanket and an ABC fire extinguisher
RE: Fuel rail firewall side leaking gas? - zukitrek - 10-30-2014
Yes USA gas, Shell, Gulf, Puma (foreign but has to comply with USA regs i guess red), Texaco bla bla. This car was originally bought by my Grandpa, then dad and now me.
Yes about a couple days ago I told my wife that I had smelled some fuel vapors? And now this.
J
RE: Fuel rail firewall side leaking gas? - fixkick - 10-30-2014
id have the hood up after every trip, hell, before and after, why risk life limb and the car. fuel fire are not fun or pretty.
most fuel fires end in total loss of car.
seen many.
RE: Fuel rail firewall side leaking gas? - zukitrek - 10-30-2014
But to address the real problem I would have to repair the damaged area or find a newer fuel rail or in better shape?
J
RE: Fuel rail firewall side leaking gas? - fixkick - 10-30-2014
what is wrong< is unknown,
1: wear ,worn or cracked.
2: service damaged.
3: missing parts'
4: wrong parts.
5: just loose.
see? only close examination works, if this didnt happen all aircraft would crash. soon.
fuel leaks require, inspections.
how you repair something depends on sources of parts.
if no parts, i can not help you, i did say, that i did burnish old copper seals. using 400 grit.
if you say found a rail in the yards,
it would be missing both washers, or at least bad.
and that rail now has breached injectors, and guess what ,now you need 8 injector seals.
all that for $5 in seals on the feed end of the rail.
why not just have your mech, fix this,its no big job for any mech,
and one more hint, fuel leaks never fix them selves. they get worse.
that is my first thought, as i see them.... oops. this will never do.....
just about all cars on the road today have fuel rail and all mech, know all about rail leaks, on this car 8 possible external rail leaks and 4 inside, not counting 4 air leaks at cushions.
RE: Fuel rail firewall side leaking gas? - zukitrek - 10-30-2014
Well I guess is time for another DIY job. I don't mind. I prefer me versus any mechanic. They won't put as much dedication into it as I would. That is why I end up doing most of my jobs.
You wrote:
that i did burnish old copper seals. using 400 grit.
What is the purpose of burnishing?
I'll tackle it but has to wait for the weekend. Hopefully she'll hold.
J
RE: Fuel rail firewall side leaking gas? - fixkick - 11-06-2014
the ring is pure copper
if it leaks , its for 1 of 3 reasons,
1: cracked.
2: galled.
3: wrong part there now (seen many with ACE hardware there,, pulling hair out now......lol)
cant fix #1 or 3, so we take a slab thick glass or very flat still billet.
or any thing stiff and perfectly flat. (my drill press base is perfect) as is my vise rear anvil top base like that.
then lay down 600 grit or start 400 and work up.
put the washer down and do a figure 8. until it looks NEW.
invert repeat, done vast this way. all worked.
EFI systems run up to 60psi, or more
the parts are rated for this pressure, guessing , invites a nice fire.
the suzuki parts are sold and do work.
the one that is the most hard is the front rail washer,
the one with the thin margin, that no store in earth seems to sell, but SUZ.