Ok, twice I have smelled the raw fuel and couldnt find where it was coming from. I noticed today that the phenolic spacer was soaked and smell like fuel. Did a search on this subject and the only thing I can come up with is the fuel reg. is leaking thru the vac side and sucking fuel into the intake. Would this also cause the car to run like total %#@^!!! :damnit: Raw fuel bogging out those cylinders that cant burn the fuel?? I have did a H/C/I install approx. 2 weeks ago and have very poor part throttle driveability. When holding a steady rpm under load it seems to break up. WOT it runs hard. This should be my answer any other ideas welcomed.
Fuel leak thru phenolic spacer
- Thread starter sweet88gt
- Start date
Black 93 Fox
Active Member
Sounds like maybe too much fuel I just went threw this yesterday on my new setup. Going down the road the car would jerk and act like a bucking bull.
04sleeper
Founding Member
Fuel pressure is 40 psi with the vac line off and plugged. Fuel pressure on the gauge reads 38or so when Im in the throttle. Fuel smell is very strong, like you poured in on the engine. Phenolic spacer is saturated with fuel in the front as I can physically see it. Removed the intake over the weekend before I found the source of the smell and back 3 intake ports were very clean, like somehting had washed them clean. Other 5 intake ports had a slight yellow tint to them. Phenolic spacer at the back 3 loaction was wet with what I thought was fuel at the time but didnt think twice about it. Now the fuel seem to be getting worse and the front of the intake is soaked. 
Im a little frustrated since I cant finialize my new setup.
04sleeper
Founding Member
If you feel it is leaking out the vacuum port into the intake you could always unhook the vacuum line and run it into a container and plug off the intake. Then go drive it and see if it collects in the container. Then you would know if that was the problem or not.
Ok, I took the vac line off of the fuel pressure reg. and cycled the pump a few times and no fuel coming from the line but fuel smell is coming from this area. On a similar problem that must be connected I can watch the fuel pressure steadly go down after running the car. In the mornings there would be little to no fuel pressure at all. I first thought it was the pump with the check vavle but now think its time to replace the reg. Ill try driving with the vac line off to see if I can get fuel to come out under load. Thanks.
04sleeper
Founding Member
I cant believe this car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I cant get the AFPR to leak any fuel and it seems to be still getting the intake spacer wet. I cant smell or see the fuel as bad but with the vac. line removed from the AFPR and the intake capped off it is still getting wet!!!!!!!!
I think its time to bite the bullett and either shot myself or remove the heads and see if the valves are staying open. I did a compression test and everything checks out. But it must be a valve staying open. I cant figure this out because it runs very strong but the fuel is so strong when it happens Im afraid its going to cause a fire. What should I check next??
I cant get the AFPR to leak any fuel and it seems to be still getting the intake spacer wet. I cant smell or see the fuel as bad but with the vac. line removed from the AFPR and the intake capped off it is still getting wet!!!!!!!!
I think its time to bite the bullett and either shot myself or remove the heads and see if the valves are staying open. I did a compression test and everything checks out. But it must be a valve staying open. I cant figure this out because it runs very strong but the fuel is so strong when it happens Im afraid its going to cause a fire. What should I check next??
Ok, tried reducing fuel pressure to 39psi from 41psi and no luck. Would a leaking or stuck open injector cause the same problem?? My main concern is how is the fuel getting to this area of the intake. The injector faces down and towards the pistion how would fuel ever back up to this point??
Ok, I checked the fuel injectors to see if the were seated correctly and everything checks out. Is there an easy way to figure out if the vavles are bent or staying open without too much trouble?? I did a compression test but I am assuming the leak down test is my only option at this piont. Any suggestions?? Grasping at straws 
I doubt your valves would be causing that problem, especially if you have good power. I suppse a leakdown test wouln't hurt and they aren't too hard to do. It is possible that the soft part of the fuel lines at the front and back of the intake might have a small hole or split in one of them. I've never seen it happen, but I'm sure it's possible. maybe it's so small that it doesn't leat at idle, but leaks under acceleration with higeher pressure levels. Just another idea. I hope you figure it out.
Update
Ok, went to see a mechanic that Ive been getting to know and he thought it may be the EGR vavle. So, I capped off the vac line and took a ride. The part throttle breaking up seems to be the EGR vavle has gone south.
Next, the fuel problem thru the spacer. He said maybe the injectors were starting to foul up?? He gave me a fuel injection probe made by Matco. It seems that the 2 front injectors closest to my problem are pulsating twice as fast as the rest. Seems like this maybe on the right track. Any thoughts on what I have found are helpful.Thanks
Ok, went to see a mechanic that Ive been getting to know and he thought it may be the EGR vavle. So, I capped off the vac line and took a ride. The part throttle breaking up seems to be the EGR vavle has gone south.
Next, the fuel problem thru the spacer. He said maybe the injectors were starting to foul up?? He gave me a fuel injection probe made by Matco. It seems that the 2 front injectors closest to my problem are pulsating twice as fast as the rest. Seems like this maybe on the right track. Any thoughts on what I have found are helpful.Thanks
Well I don't know exactly why they would be pulsating twice as fast as the rest, but that sounds like it's your problem. Pull out your plugs on those two cylinders and see if they look like they've been burning rich. I don't know if the speed they are operating at is a computer problem or an injector problem. Interesting.
04sleeper
Founding Member
Never heard of that one. Sounds like a computer problem like mentioned or bad injecors.
I'd like to know when you do find out.
I'd like to know when you do find out.
Cylinder balance test:
It will find bad injectors:
Warm the car's engine up to normal operating temperature. Use a jumper wire or paper clip to put the computer into test mode. Start the engine and let it go through the normal diagnostic tests, then quickly press the throttle to the floor. The engine RPM should exceed 2500 RPM's for a brief second. The engine RPM's will increase to about 1450-1600 RPM and hold steady. The engine will shut off power to each injector, one at a time. When it has sequenced through all 8 injectors, it will flash 99 for everything OK, or the number of the failing cylinder such as 22 for cylinder #2. Quickly pressing the throttle again up to 2500 RPM’s will cause the test to re-run with smaller qualifying figures. Do it a third time, and if the same cylinder shows up, the cylinder is weak and isn’t putting out power like it should. See the Chilton’s Shop manual for the complete test procedure
Here's the link to dump the computer codes with only a jumper wire or paper clip and the check engine light, or test light or voltmeter. I’ve used it for years, and it works great.
See http://www.troublecodes.net/Ford/
OR
See http://www.dalidesign.com/hbook/eectest.html for more descriptive help
OR
See http://www.mustangworks.com/articles/electronics/eec-iv_codes.html
For those who are intimidated by all the wires & connections, see http://www.actron.com/product_detail.php?pid=16153 for what a typical hand scanner looks like. Normal retail price is about $30 or so at Walmart.
It will find bad injectors:
Warm the car's engine up to normal operating temperature. Use a jumper wire or paper clip to put the computer into test mode. Start the engine and let it go through the normal diagnostic tests, then quickly press the throttle to the floor. The engine RPM should exceed 2500 RPM's for a brief second. The engine RPM's will increase to about 1450-1600 RPM and hold steady. The engine will shut off power to each injector, one at a time. When it has sequenced through all 8 injectors, it will flash 99 for everything OK, or the number of the failing cylinder such as 22 for cylinder #2. Quickly pressing the throttle again up to 2500 RPM’s will cause the test to re-run with smaller qualifying figures. Do it a third time, and if the same cylinder shows up, the cylinder is weak and isn’t putting out power like it should. See the Chilton’s Shop manual for the complete test procedure
Here's the link to dump the computer codes with only a jumper wire or paper clip and the check engine light, or test light or voltmeter. I’ve used it for years, and it works great.
See http://www.troublecodes.net/Ford/
OR
See http://www.dalidesign.com/hbook/eectest.html for more descriptive help
OR
See http://www.mustangworks.com/articles/electronics/eec-iv_codes.html
For those who are intimidated by all the wires & connections, see http://www.actron.com/product_detail.php?pid=16153 for what a typical hand scanner looks like. Normal retail price is about $30 or so at Walmart.
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