I was just under the hood while the engine was running and got curious... I put my finger on the line leading to each injector. On the first (farthest forward) I could feel it pulsing, on the next 5 I felt nothing... normal? sign of trouble?

Like I needed this to worry about now

 

Normal - no isolator clamp on the #1 line. Loosen the clamp on one of the other lines, and you'll see what I mean. I had #3 come loose, and could hear it vibrating - sounded like an exhaust leak!

 

that does make sense... good news, thanx

 

I wouldnt be putting my hand near any high pressure injector line while the trucks runnning its a good way to die from diesel poisioning if there is a leak that you cant see.

 

When you say "diesel poisoning"... do you mean something like getting your hand severed or something gruesome like that??? Just wondering...

 

Close. The diesel going into the injectors is under something like 20,000 psi at idle (this is just a number I threw out there for reference and I know it's not the correct number but bear with me ok). 20,000psi in a very fine stream is enough to slice through the skin very easily. Diesel isn't exactly a clean fuel and it can infect the cut quite rapidly and get in the blood system. Now, with that being said, I've had cuts all over my hands and changed injectors and pumps and what not and gotten diesel all over them and I never even bother to put neosporin on them and I'm doing just fine.

 

I think its around 5000 ish psi at idle. what happens is the diesel gets injected into the blood stream via high pressure through the skin. Although rare i did hear of a sprinter tech in gaffney N.C. getting killed by diesel poisioning. its just not that advisable putting your hands around the high pressure lines i kknow they like to preach that to us a t school.

 

Dodgetech77, what about when the engine is shut down...?

What kind of pressure, if any remains in those lines and are they still a hazard?

Btw- thanks for your input. It's good to have an expert opinion, especially on such matters of personal safety.

also, I've heard horror stories about guys getting severely wounded by high pressure steam escaping from boiler piping. Nuff said...

 

It's called hydrocarbon poisoning.Raw hydrocarbon in the bloodstream.NOT GOOD!.As for the rail pressur when the engine isn't running.There isn't any to speak of.I've run common rail engines @ work all the time,& I don't wait to disconect anything after th engines shut down.Hasn't even squirted me.Don't worry about it.

 

Rail pressure bleeds down on engine shutoff.

 

on nuclear engines (on navy ships) when the tech's do rounds they carry a wooden broom handle in front of them waving it up and down. This is for the high pressure steam (and i mean high) to cut the broom handle before it slices the tech in half (if their happens to be a leak). just a perspective on how high pressure lines can cause some damage.

 

Have you looked in the mirror lately? The picture in your avatar would indicate something different.

 

Yeah Big Blue, I think you need to see a doctor asap...

 

The idea of a high pressure injection of diesel fuel sounds quite realistic and not at all pleasant - thanks for the warning.

Curious about the details... are small leaks so fine that the fuel is vaporizing continuously? eg if the leak had been there for a while, would you see stains somewhere or is this a bigger risk for a new leak?