Two Boost Leaks - One Could Have Been Dangerous?

[98GSX-WI]

Did a boost leak test a while back and heard lots of air leaking from throttle body area. I sprayed soapy water, but couldn't isolate the leak. Therefore, I figured it was either coming from one of the following places:

1) TB Shaft seals -- so I bought a new 58mm TB.
2) Fuel Injector o-rings -- so I bought some new o-rings
3) Intake mani gasket -- so I bought a new gasket

Now I thought that I would have everything changed at once, just to be sure that the problem would be fixed. I found a shop that could install the new water/alcohol inj. system that I bought...so they will do the TB and gaskets, etc., too.

But before I took the car to the shop...I was reading on the forums about leaky pcv valves. So I bought a couple new ones...only to find out that the new ones leaked too. I finally got some oem ones...so I was definitly leaking from the pcv valve for over a year.

What the shop found: First, they said it was highly unlikely that the metal intake mani gasket was leaking...so they said that I should not do this until the other things were replaced and if I still had a leak afterwards. That made sense.

They replaced the TB with the new one...so obviously that could care of that.

Then they found the leak. The fuel injector seals were seriously leaking...but not just leaking...they said that two of the top o-rings were split and one of the bottom o-rings was missing! They asked if I was leaking any fuel...and all I can say is that I have been smelling something...thought maybe it was exhaust...since I recently had a leaking manifold and downpipe and thought maybe one of those was still leaking.

Question: Was I in serious danger of a engine compartment fire due to the missing injector seal/o-ring? The guy that did my fuel system and injectors said that he was sure that he replaced the o-rings with the new ones...but now I'm thinking that he just used the stock injectors seals with the aftermarket injectors--that I'm sure won't fit!

I'm just glad that this was fixed before something bad happened. Please let me know how serious this could have been. Thanks.

 

[DSMJim]

Question: Was I in serious danger of a engine compartment fire due to the missing injector seal/o-ring? The guy that did my fuel system and injectors said that he was sure that he replaced the o-rings with the new ones...but now I'm thinking that he just used the stock injectors seals with the aftermarket injectors--that I'm sure won't fit!

I'm just glad that this was fixed before something bad happened. Please let me know how serious this could have been. Thanks.

Yeah, you chould have had a fire there. If you can smell gas and the seals were leaking then the potential for a fire is definately there. Gasoline vapor is more flamable than gasoline it's self and with no o-ring on a part of the injector thats just a disaster waiting to happen. It may have gone a long time with no problem, however it's a world of odds, and eventually your number would have come up.