Was travelling with a group friends a couple of weeks ago across Oklahoma (near Muskogee) when his Dodge quit on I-40. Opened the hood and found that the steel fuel line between the fuel rail and injector had cracked and blew fuel all over everthing under his hood.To make a long story short, it was 6pm on Saturday evening and we were very lucky to get hold of a new fuel line (after a 100 mile drive to Oklahoma City) and get going again. Actually, it was the wrong fuel line but after a couple of hours of roadside redneck engineering in the dark; we made it work. Finally made it to the El Reno KOA at 4am.Question is: Is that a common failure? The parts man seem to indicate that it was.Brad

Was it on a 5.9 Cummins? Then yes. The clamp holding line #4 in place likes to loosen and then rub against the steel line causing a leak.

I wouldn't say common but it does happen on the 5.9. It's always a good idea to check the clamps on the engine every oil change or two.I hope you did not bend the line that you made fit too much or your going to have more problems.

Yep, #4 clamp can be loose. I check all of them once a year or so.

Look on www.genosgarge.com they sell just the fuel line. Would be smart to have one in a tool box for the effected model years.

It's not common, but it happens on occasion. I keep spare parts just for those emergencies and Geno's on speed dial.

Cummins Injector Fuel Line Failure | Good Sam Community

15 Replies

Perrysburg_Dodg
Explorer
Aug 18, 2013
BradW wrote:

The good thing about is if you have athe part; its an easy repair. I think he plans on carrying a spare from now on. Is the #4 tube the only one to be concerned with?

If you tell him to clean the nut and injector threads, then add a small drop of blue loctite this will stop it from coming loose ever again. But it will release when needed.

Don
loranimal
Explorer
Aug 18, 2013
I had my #6 goes a couple months ago. Cracked right on the inside of the bend. It was like $35.oo from Cummins if I remember. 20 mins to replace it. 2003 5.9

Carl
MM49
Explorer
Aug 18, 2013
BradW wrote:
Not sure which motor he has; but I think his truck is about 3-5 years old??? The tube didn’t break at the clamp; it developed a hairline crack right at the edge of the sleeve/ferrule that slightly extends outside of the nut.

Yes, we bent the krap out of the replacement tube to make it work. That steel tube is a heavy wall variety and didn’t take to bending, but we did a lot of prying, beating and twisting to make it work or we would have been on the side of the interstate until Monday. The long story is we ended up with the wrong replacement tube. We needed #4 and we got something else. It was much longer and could not be bent to fit. We pulled the next fuel line and bent it to go into the #4 fuel rail hole and bent the replacement to go between the remaining injector and fuel rail hole. In other words, they crossed. Anyway, they worked and we drove on to Silverton, Colorado and then back to Alabama with the re-engineered tubes. Never underestimate the tenacity of a bunch of offroad folks stuck on the side of the interstate on Saturday night while headed to the Rockies for two weeks of Jeepin’.
I omitted the part about first taking the cracked tube to a local “expert” welder to be TIG’s. He determined that brazing would be “better”. That repair lasted about 6 miles.

My buddy picked up replacement tubes in Durango on the way out and replaced them when he got back home.

It's a shame. There's a crane service north of Ridgway,CO on C50 that would have the parts.
mm
Brad
thomasmnile
Explorer
Aug 18, 2013
BradW wrote:
jims1 wrote:
I carry a spare #4 line under the back seat. I also check the clamps holding the lines every oil change- 7500 miles or so.

The good thing about is if you have athe part; its an easy repair. I think he plans on carrying a spare from now on. Is the #4 tube the only one to be concerned with?

Any of the lines can loosen, but #4 and to a lesser degree #6 can be the problem children. I have twice checked the clamps on mine. No problem so far in 5 years of ownership.
BradW
Explorer II
Aug 18, 2013
jims1 wrote:
I carry a spare #4 line under the back seat. I also check the clamps holding the lines every oil change- 7500 miles or so.

The good thing about is if you have athe part; its an easy repair. I think he plans on carrying a spare from now on. Is the #4 tube the only one to be concerned with?
Madhatter1
Explorer
Aug 18, 2013
ghostrider42 wrote:
It's not common, but it happens on occasion. I keep spare parts just for those emergencies and Geno's on speed dial.

Agree with this. It happened to of my new in 98 Cummins on my boat at around 50 hours. Happened to one line on my 98 24V after I think 200K miles. None of my engines after that. So it's a maybe that might and can happen but not worth worrying about other that checking at the clamps.
BradW
Explorer II
Aug 17, 2013
Not sure which motor he has; but I think his truck is about 3-5 years old??? The tube didn’t break at the clamp; it developed a hairline crack right at the edge of the sleeve/ferrule that slightly extends outside of the nut.

Yes, we bent the krap out of the replacement tube to make it work. That steel tube is a heavy wall variety and didn’t take to bending, but we did a lot of prying, beating and twisting to make it work or we would have been on the side of the interstate until Monday. The long story is we ended up with the wrong replacement tube. We needed #4 and we got something else. It was much longer and could not be bent to fit. We pulled the next fuel line and bent it to go into the #4 fuel rail hole and bent the replacement to go between the remaining injector and fuel rail hole. In other words, they crossed. Anyway, they worked and we drove on to Silverton, Colorado and then back to Alabama with the re-engineered tubes. Never underestimate the tenacity of a bunch of offroad folks stuck on the side of the interstate on Saturday night while headed to the Rockies for two weeks of Jeepin’.

I omitted the part about first taking the cracked tube to a local “expert” welder to be TIG’s. He determined that brazing would be “better”. That repair lasted about 6 miles.

My buddy picked up replacement tubes in Durango on the way out and replaced them when he got back home.

Brad
jims1
Explorer
Aug 17, 2013
I carry a spare #4 line under the back seat. I also check the clamps holding the lines every oil change- 7500 miles or so.
john_bet
Explorer II
Aug 17, 2013
Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:
As others have said the # four line can loosen but a little preventive maintenance and a little dab of blue loctite will keep it from happening in the first place.

Brad what kind of Ram do you have your sig shows a ford :h

Don
Don, he said it was his friends Dodge.
Perrysburg_Dodg
Explorer
Aug 17, 2013
As others have said the # four line can loosen but a little preventive maintenance and a little dab of blue loctite will keep it from happening in the first place.

Brad what kind of Ram do you have your sig shows a ford :h

Don