Fuel Leak

[RMeigel]

Is there a methodical way to trace a fuel leak?

My first suspicion is a stripped screw on top of the housing of the secondary fuel filter (not the racor filter). I replaced the crush washer but that didn't stop it. As and when I fix that situation by either replacing the screw(s) and crush washers or the entire filter housing, I'm wondering where next to look if it turns out not to be the entire cause of the problem.

My return trip today was not fun - at least 1 cup of diesel was accumulating in the pan underneath the engine every 15-20 minutes. I transferred it to a plastic bottle and poured it back into the tank. This went on for a couple of hours before I made it home. Fortunately the waters were calm - so there was no sloshing into the bilge.

Robin

[John D.]

I guess the simplest way to pressurize the fuel system is to run the engine, but I always found it hard to observe the engine when it was running, mostly vibration made standing puddles of fuel seem to be flowing, and also because I did not like to get as close as necessary to observe. My YSM8 had a bulb in the fuel line for priming which, also worked for pressurizing the system to find leaks.

[Bill Cochrane]

Clean fuel fittings and lines, then wrap suspicious points with paper towels and run the engine; shut down and check the paper for fuel. If you're leaking a cup in 15 minutes, you should notice a leak on the towels in a minute or so.

[Al Levesque]

Also use the edge or the corner of the paper towel by touching it to any suspicious point and watch the fuel wick into it. You need to do this immediately after wiping every thing dry, otherwise you will be getting secondary wetting.

[Brian2]

If you have an aluminum fuel tank, it can been seeping right through the bottom or sides. My aluminum tank was seeping through the bottom, where it soaked the wooden shelf it was on and then dripped into the engine pan. Aluminum will develop unseen pinholes after only a few years, as little as 10.

Brian

[RMeigel]

The culprit was the secondary fuel filter assembly housing - the suspected screw. Everything is fine now that it is replaced.