The fuel system in your marine diesel installation is the most fragile and the most critical component. That said, with good housekeeping and regular maintenance, it can be as reliable and trustworthy as any other element.

The actual high-pressure part of the system which sits upstream of the fuel pump on the engine is built to extremely high tolerances and must be treated with respect. The high-pressure side includes the injectors and the injection pump and stripping and repair may well be beyond the scope of the amateur mechanic. When these parts are disassembled, extreme care must be taken not to introduce contaminants which would impact their precision performance. Testing of injector spray and pulse is a specialised job indeed. Removing these parts however and bringing them to your local road vehicle diesel workshop is quite straightforward and certainly shouldn’t present too many challenges for the competent DIYer.