Had an injector blow a line on I-94 outside Detroit last Thursday

I was hauling a load of steel coils up to Flint when I heard a loud pop and suddenly lost power. Pulled over right near the 8 Mile exit and found the number 3 injector line had cracked clean through from vibration. Had to call a mobile mechanic who brought a replacement line and got me going in about 2 hours. Anyone else run into injector line failures on older Cummins engines?

2 comments

2 Comments

wright.dakota13d ago

Actually the 7.3 Powerstroke doesn't use individual injector lines like a mechanical engine does. Those engines are hydraulic electronic unit injectors, so the fuel goes through passages inside the head, not hard lines on the outside. What your buddy probably had was a high pressure oil line let go or a fuel return line that cracked. I've seen guys confuse the two sets of lines on those old Fords because they look similar from a distance. The mechanical Cummins like mine uses hard fuel lines that vibrate and crack over time though, that much is true. I'd bet money your buddy's repair was a high pressure oil line instead.

black.jordan14d ago

My buddy had a similar thing happen on his Ford van with a 7.3 Powerstroke. Number 6 injector line snapped right where it goes into the head, dumped fuel all over the engine. He was on a long trip and had to wait six hours for a tow because nobody carried that specific line in stock back then. Ended up costing him a full day and a few hundred bucks for the repair plus the tow. Makes me wonder if these older diesels just have a weak spot with those lines vibrating over time, especially with the miles they rack up.