Water in Fuel Sensor Failure

[Dtownhound]

Greetings Folks,
I Have an 83 Diesel Blazer and the o ring on the water in fuel sensor is leaking. I popped it off and checked out the o ring which was cracked and brittle. I threw on another o ring from auto zone but it does not seem to be working. It will seal for about 2-10 miles but eventually the seal breaks and the fuel starts leaking again. I took a second look at the old brittle o ring and it looks to be a little flattened when I compare it to a traditional o ring. I tried to get another water in fuel sensor but the part has been discontinued .

I'm sure someone has has been where I am right now. Is there a custom flattened o ring that I need or should i replace the entire fuel filter housing?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Tyler

 

[campfire]

Hmm...the standard '82-'83 fuel filter setup does not have any sort of sensor on it. Here is a picture of the primary filter on my '83 (typically paired with a secondary filter assembly underneath the rear of the air cleaner):



My only Water in Fuel sensor is inside my tank. Is your truck equipped with the '84+ fuel filter assembly (pictured below), or is this an aftermarket unit?



Picture borrowed from http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=251943

 

[Dtownhound]

Actually, it is an 84+ filter setup. I have had no luck finding an o ring for the water in fuel sensor. The sensor's o ring seems to be custom and so I can't get an o ring from my kit to hold a good seal.

After searching high and low for a replacement o ring, I ended up finding an 83 style fuel filter housing on an old pickup at the junk yard. 20 bucks and a couple hours later and I am back on the road!

Now that I have located an old 83 diesel at the salvage yard, can anyone recommend any additional parts that I should go pull?

Thanks for the pictures.

Tyler

 

[diesel4me]

Your asking me?...I'd probably have the whole truck dragged home !...probably not the answer you wanted though,right?..

I only own the 85 Suburban in my signature because its a diesel,4x4,and was less rusty than my 82 GMC pickup--it needs 700R4 work..for the price I was offered to buy it for,I figured I had to buy it...had a brand new radiator,heater core,runs good,I figured I can at the worst,use it for parts or cannibalize my pickup and swap trannys,when it gets too ripe and still have one "good" truck and lots of spare parts....

Here your really lucky to see ANY diesel square bodies,on the road or in a boneyard..when one does get scrapped it gets either picked clean in short order,or is stuffed directly in the crusher...

Guys always ask me about my GMC when I get fuel--"what year is it--I didn't know GM put diesels in those older trucks--whats it get for mileage--and more than one guy has gone --HEY--you know your filling up with DIESEL?"..
"YUP--it IS a diesel--I hope to hell its diesel fuel!".....everyone assumes I pulled up to the wrong pump...

 

[kennyw]

That o-ring is not special. That flatness is just the result of being flattened in position for so many years. You may have had another issue helping things leak.

 

[campfire]

"YUP--it IS a diesel--I hope to hell its diesel fuel!".....everyone assumes I pulled up to the wrong pump...

Been there a few times.

 

[campfire]

After searching high and low for a replacement o ring, I ended up finding an 83 style fuel filter housing on an old pickup at the junk yard. 20 bucks and a couple hours later and I am back on the road!

Now that I have located an old 83 diesel at the salvage yard, can anyone recommend any additional parts that I should go pull?

Thanks for the pictures.

Tyler

You're welcome! I prefer the spin-on filter to the box-kind. This week I'm planning to do a similar swap on my Suburban.

As for parts, my recommendation depends on how much you like hoarding parts. Injector pumps and injectors, for example, are pricy to rebuild, and can be worth your while to hold on to if you are on a tight budget. But if you were wanting to rebuild your pump anyway, it's probably not something you'll ever use.

Some people (myself included) have seen slight power/mileage gains by switching to a non-EGR intake manifold (either from a 6.2 J-code engine or a 6.5). Being pleased with my swap, I would pull the intake if the truck has a J-code engine.