Injectors leaking a little around top!?
 

New to the forum. Have a 1983 240, new to me, with a300turbo dropped in several years ago. Just ran it from California to Newfoundland Canada, quite a trip, burned about 1 - 1.5 qts oil whole trip. Car runs really well, rides well etc. etc.

I have noticed that in the last couple of weeks, I am starting to see little drips of what I thought was oil coming down off the rear of the motor, and at first thought it was the oil filter gasket where it attaches to block. Looking closer it would appear that I have some fuel on the tops the two end injectors, seems like it is seeping out through the injectors themselves?!?! The return line, braided stuff seems ok, but maybe around where they push on leaking?!?! Top pan is not leaking. I have ordered a book for the engine, but was not in stock, and will not get it til later, so I am taking advantage of all you folks out there.

Question, do the injectors leak internally causing them to weep out, ie: is there an O-ring inside somewhere, is it diy, or have them rebuilt? Or is it the injectors are likely leaking back up around the threads, and a hot engine will evaporate around the threads and I am not seeing that part when I am checking.

In addition, the engine is a little harder to start the last two weeks or so, mostly because of dropping temps and the glow plugs are very old, and the light does not come on... Plug it in for about 2 hrs, and it fires up right away, so I think new glow plugs will help that...

Last bit of info, I have run a couple of mixed tanks of vegetable oil in the engine, and it runs fine as well, but I am wondering if the weeps around the injectors is somehow related?!?

WayneT,

Leakage at the little bypass lines is not uncommon as the little connection is no more than a friction fit of the ID over a barb on the small nipple. As the rubber ages and gets stiff, it will form little cracks and give up its grip on the little nipple and then you get a weep. I would buy a meter or so of the new stuff and replace the full run of the hose. The number 5 cylinder (4 on a 4 cylinder) has one of the connections dead ended. You can make another one or just buy a new dead end cap when you get the hose. To make a new one, remove the old one and retrieve the metal plug and insert it in a new inch or so long piece of new hose.

Take care removing the old hose as you can bend, or break or dent the small metal nipple, which will make a leak tight seal difficult even with a new hose. I usually grab he edge of the old hose with a needle nosed piers right at the spot where the hose goes over the nipple barb and twist enough to rip the side of the hose away.

Another possible source of leakage is the high pressure metal line. Check tight the nuts to ensure they are all equally tight.

Hope this helps, and that others pipe up with their experience. Jim