ok everyone i am a noob to these but i love mine heres the problem was driving home started to loose power slowed down and looked in my mirrors seen smoke "white smoke" from tail pipe went to pull over and it died had a real strong gas odor and when i walked to the back to look at the tip i noticed a little puddle on the ground that smelled like gas please help i want my baby back on the road

***edit*** but after sitting for about thirty minutes it will try and turn over but still reaks of gas

 

You most likely have an internal fuel leak so stop trying to start it or you risk washing the berrings with gasoline. Its fixable by yourself with basic hand tools. Most of us with these old trucks have already done this repair. Its not that bad to do, will take you about 3 hours having never done it before after 3 hours of studying threads on this forum.

What you really want to do it test the pressure. There is a test port behind the motor, where the fuel lines enter from the back. You can see the little shrader valve, it may have a cap on it like a tire stem has. The test gauge goes on there.

I doubt that is gas coming out the tailpipe, for gas to come out there you would have to fill up the muffler with gasoline first. Its just water, but smells like gas from the leak. An internal fuel leak will leak down into the crankcase and mix with the oil - making it overfull.

Buy a test guage, or borrow one (if you are in south edmonton, you can use mine), thread it on and do this test:

Pull out oil dipstick and smell it - Does it smell like gasoline and it overfull???
Turn key to ON position - What does gauge read? (Should read about 60psi and hold 60psi)
Turn key and crank engine - What now? (Should drop to about 55-58 and stay there while cranking)
Turn key OFF - Whats it read now? (Should stay at about 60psi)
Wait 5 min - Whats it read now? (Should still be holding around 60)

If these tests fail, you want to pull the upper plenum off. It looks like the 6 channeled thing (upper plenum) and is held on with 10MM nuts all the way around and you have a few linkages to unhook. Take a photo or two of it before you tear it down so you can refer back for putting back together. Be very careful not to drop ANYTHING down the 6 holes you will see once the plenum is off or you are in for much much much more work, in fact, ball up some papertowels and stick them in holes just in case. Then you can find photos of what it should look like on here, or all the info that you need if you do a forum search for "CPI spider". It should be completely black and coated in soot, if there is any clean gold areas, you have a leak for sure. If you wish to order the parts, you want to get them from www.injectorwarehouse.com cause they have the cheapest price. Get the spider, FPR, and the nut kit, the complete kit is about 300 bucks. Dont even ask at GM, its 880 for just the spider. From your local parts shop, you will want a couple things. 1) the upper plenum gasket - 10 bucks. 2) a can of combustion chamber cleaner to clean your EGR out with since you might as well service it since you are right there. 3) a screened EGR gasket - 5 bucks. 4) stuff for an oil change for when you are finished - 51036 filter and 5 litres oil. 5) spray cleaners if you desire to clean up all the black sh-t thats inside the plenum. 6) The harness for the injector, its got the red and blue wires coming off it. If they cant find the part for your engine, ask for one for a 1/2 ton truck, same part. Its about 14 bucks, but should be changed if its not rock solid tight on the injector top. Any flopping around, replace it.

Any other help, just ask.

 

I borrowed HUSTLER211's photo for you. See the gold? thats leaking big time. This would be the FPR leaking since its on the passenger side. If its washed gold on the drivers side, then the nut kit is leaking. If its washed everywhere like mine was, its cause the poppets on the spider are not closing and fuel sprays everywhere. The EGR is that round thing on the front with 2 bolts holding it on. Take that off too and clean the inside really good and the part where it bolts onto, you want it nice and clean in there for the EGR flow not to be blocked.

 

yep, my brother's car had the same symptoms as yours and replacing the spider solved the problem. I've read a lot of post and most of them indicated it is normally the regulator and fuel lines that are leaking. It was the case for my brother's car but since I got the kit already, I went ahead and replaced the spider as well.

After that, no more gas smell.

 

hey guys finally got to work on it today heres the damage the fuel line closest to the front of the engine is loose i can almost pull it off

 

Whoa those 2 lines should be locked in there with a little clip that screws on with 2 screws, its obviously missing and down in your crankcase somewhere. Hopefully the oil change should push the screws out of the bottom.

Are you just going to change the nut kit or the whole works? A new spider would have the clip and 2 screws you are missing on it. I used used parts from the junkyard and they are holding up allright.

 

ohsofly -- actually when i changed the spider out for my brother's car, i never recall 2 screws that are holding it in that clip place and the new spider just came with the clip that snaps right on without any screws. i could be wrong but that's was what i recall. if that is the case, all is needed is the o-rings which comes with the fuel kit.

as for the op, i think it would be a good time to change out the FPR if you never touched it and the fuel lines as well.

 

Im having the same issues with mine. Strong smell of gas and it wont turn over. There is water leaking from the tail pipe. The issue first started the the white smoke things as well. It seems to be dumping coolant as well. The Radiator is brand new and the hoses are in place well. I bought a headgasket . I was thinking thats the issue but I will check the fuel lines as well.

 

you'll also need the LIM gasket too.

 

Heres a good company that i found when in need of any kind of injector/spider assembelys........ its shopinjectors.com and there the cheapest price i have ever found and back up there products with a two year warranty the spyder assembley is $179.95 ..... (beats $369.95) napa