Lister SR2 service and fuel leak finding

[Grifter]

Hi,

The fuel in my SR2 is leaking into the lubricating oil. It's not too bad but I'm having a go at finding the leak. Whilst I'm at it, I'm going to give it a thorough service and maybe a decoke, depending on how things look. I've got a couple of questions though - I haven't worked on diesel engines before. I've got Marine Engine Services document from http://www.marineengine.co.uk/LubricatingOilDilution.pdf but have got stuck.

 

This is the engine

 

 

I took off the air ducting and cylinder head covers

and found out I have an HSR2. (which is nice!)

 

I ran it briefly but could see no obvious leaks. Video here (but not very good quality)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12O7N44sJbE

 

I took off the fuel pump housing door

 

 

There's no chafing or anything obvious. I haven't disconnected the oil feed to the rocker arms yet because I can't find any suitable tube.

 

Then it says to operate the fuel pump by hand to check for leaks. How do I do that? Is it by turning the engine manually, and if so, how do I deal with the compression? It will only be a small leak so it'll have to be turned over quite a few times, I think. Do I just have to man up or is there a way to decompress the cylinders without the cylinder head covers on? Or shall I just run the engine as it is?

 

Cheers,

Joe

[RLWP]

It's OK to run it like that

 

Richard

[Grifter]

Ok thanks.

 

How about when I disconnect the oil feed? Would you still run it then? For how long?

 

Joe

[RLWP]

You shouldn't need to disconnect the oil feed to find out what you want. With the engine running you can check the joints on the injector pipes and fuel feeds. Wipe them down with a bit of rag and watch what happens. A bit of kitchen towel would help too

 

Richard

[Grifter]

Right, I'll give it a try.

 

Cheers Richard,

 

Joe

[RLWP]

Don't wear a white shirt while you do this

 

Richard

[Grifter]

Ha. I've just cleaned the engine bay as well.

[Karen Lea Rainey]

How did you get on, was there a leak at the injectors/fuel unions, was it a rising oil level that prompted you to check them, or was it to do with lowering oil pressure.

I ask because my own boat with the same engine has the same symptoms and is currently in for repair / service.

[by'eck]

Hi,

 

The fuel in my SR2 is leaking into the lubricating oil. It's not too bad but I'm having a go at finding the leak. Whilst I'm at it, I'm going to give it a thorough service and maybe a decoke, depending on how things look. I've got a couple of questions though - I haven't worked on diesel engines before. I've got Marine Engine Services document from http://www.marineengine.co.uk/LubricatingOilDilution.pdf but have got stuck.

 

This is the engine

 

 

I took off the air ducting and cylinder head covers

and found out I have an HSR2. (which is nice!)

 

 

Cheers,

Joe

 

Doubt its such since they didn't make such a model, most likely an SR2 as you originally thought.

 

Lister made HRS6 and HRWS6 direct injection turbo models.

[Grifter]

How did you get on, was there a leak at the injectors/fuel unions, was it a rising oil level that prompted you to check them, or was it to do with lowering oil pressure.

I ask because my own boat with the same engine has the same symptoms and is currently in for repair / service.

Yes, I had a slowly rising oil level. It would rise an inch over the course of a few months, so it must have been a very slow fuel leak. I took off the fuel pump cover and watched with the engine running but I couldn't see anything. There was splats of oil going everywhere, and it's dark and cramped down there, so I could have missed it. After that, I decided to clean the cylinder fins and have the injectors serviced so I took most of the fuel lines off anyway. I've run the engine for a few hours since and haven't seen the level come up. If it does come up eventually, I'll have another look now I know what I'm dealing with.

 

Good luck.

 

 

Doubt its such since they didn't make such a model, most likely an SR2 as you originally thought.

 

Lister made HRS6 and HRWS6 direct injection turbo models.

 

Ah well. The cylinders are both stamped with HSR, which made me think it was an HSR, having seen the document here...

http://www.marineengine.co.uk/Recognising%20Lister%20Air%20Cooled%20Engines.pdf

which mentions high speed SRs.

Edited July 17, 2014 by Grifter

[archie57]

Have you checked the fuel lift pump diaphragm (-assuming it has one fitted) - fuel can leak past this if damaged/split

[by'eck]

Ah well. The cylinders are both stamped with HSR, which made me think it was an HSR, having seen the document here...

http://www.marineengine.co.uk/Recognising%20Lister%20Air%20Cooled%20Engines.pdf

which mentions high speed SRs.

 

Apologies - I stand corrected - good luck with finding leak

[John Williamson 1955]

The third picture down, showing the injectors and the pipe rings horrible bells with old Leyland engines that had the injector leak off pipes inside the rocker covers. The banjos are sealed by soft copper washers which work harden and crack if they are re-used. This gives *exactly* the symptoms you describe. Replace the washers (both top and bottom) with new ones, and keep an eye on the oil level, especially if you didn't replace them when you pulled the injectors out for cleaning. Even if you did, it's worth a try, but be wary of small cracks in the banjos or their joints if they've been disturbed

 

Sometimes, and this was very rare, the brazed joints between the steel pipe and the brass banjos used to crack if things were overtightened to try and cure a leak, or the banjos themselves cracked for the same reason.