Fuel shutoff solenoid fails again - looking to join the pull cable club

[btoscano]

Back over Labor Day weekend 2005 my fuel shutoff solenoid failed "closed" so that the pump was not getting any fuel. It was replaced, and then the entire pump was replaced in October 2005. This afternoon, I turned off the truck and it appears the solenoid has failed "open". It shutoff one other time this afternoon, but tonight it doesn't. Keep in mind this truck is stock performance. I am super frustrated as I also have problems with brake adjustments. My neighbor told me set them with a lot of drag, but I don't think that's right so I was backing it off. To cut off the truck tonight I had to roll it slowly into the wall of my house otherwise it would roll (hill) because I was in the middle of adjusting parking brake when this happened. I checked voltage at the solenoid and the ignition switch is still cutting the voltage off at the solenoid.



Q1. All you guys with the pull cables to shutoff your truck, where do you route the cable?



Q2. How much drag should be on the rears? I always thought there should be nearly zero drag, i. e. you can spin the tires with one finger? I think I should adjust the parking brake where it T's next... or should I tighten up the self adjusters?



Thanks,

Brian

 

[bgilbert]

I think with the cable setup, you can make it as pretty or ugly as you want. When I picked up my 91. 5 it was a member of the pull club. The PO just used about a 10 gauge wire tied onto the shutdown lever, routed through the 2" rubber gromet in the firewall, then had it tied to a big ' D ' ring which was hooked over the automatic trans gear selector, so it would sit right at the steering column.

 

[Moab4x4]

10 Guage wire?? ROFL! I would have taken a picture of that one for the old farmer engineering hall of fame.

Ken

 

[dpuckett]

Brakes-



You are supposed to set them to turn with one finger, then back up and stop a dozen times to activate the self adjusters. Or, you can tighten them till they wont turn any more, then back off about a dozen clicks or so. Get them even when backing off (same effort for both sides), or you will get some pull. I have done this on my D70s and D80 with amazing stopping power. You dont realize how much the rear adjustment affects pedal feel til you do that.



And, with doing it this way, you will not burn up your brake pads. Think about the brakes on a semi truck (though the set up/ adjustment is VERY different, it is the same principle). You tighten the adjusting screw all it will go, then back it out 1/8-1/4 turn, depending on the exact axle/ brake combo you have. You still have a LOT of drag, and they only get hot when you hit them HARD with 80K GCVW.



Daniel

 

[Nate]

Yeah you want a bit of drag with the brakes. To the point you can spin the tire and it'll stop after a turn or two. It's kinda of a "by feel" thing.

 

[GIT-R-DONE]

What exactly are you guys talking about. Never heard of this..... inquiring mind(s) want to know. :-laf

 

[btoscano]

GIT-R-DONE,



Some of the guys on here flow so much fuel the rubber tip of the shutoff solenoid in the injection pump comes separates from the solenoid and the result is an engine that won't go off electrically. So, the emergency STOP lever on the injection pump is used. Some have installed a cable from this STOP lever to the inside of the cab and run without a functioning solenoid.



Regards,

Brian

 

[btoscano]

At what point does one turn the adjustment where the front and rear cables meet and how much? When I set with very little drag and then did the forward-reverse-forward complete stop cycle the rears did tighten up so they turn about one turn. (One is slightly tighter than the other so I want to even them out manually. ) However, the truck would roll backward on a slight downhill with the parking brake set (as far as it would go). I tightened up the that nut where the cables join under bed and it got better. Now it doesn't roll with the pedal at the floor on the slight incline. But it should engage like this about halfway or slightly less, right? Should there be any play at all in the parking brake pedal? There is maybe 1" now. A few more turns of that nut would take it all away.



Brian

 

[JLEONARD]

This is the alternating fuel solenoid/rear brake shoe adjustment thread. :-laf

 

[btoscano]

Yesterday I removed the solenoid and tested it. To my surprise it worked out of the truck. Unforunately the spring flew so far I have no idea where it went. The plunger is intact. I did test voltage at the solenoid before I removed it and the ignition switch was cutting voltage. Any ideas?? Is it possible the solenoid was working the entire time and there is something else wrong? Or does the solenoid ever "hang"? This is frustrating.



-brian

 

[bigtan408]

Pull Cable-

I Use A Late 70's Toyota Hood Release Cable. It Is A Little Long But Works Great. I Mounted The Handle Next To The Head Light Switch.

 

[btoscano]

I bought a tractor choke cable from the farm store. It has a red knob and even says STOP on it. Just need to drill a hole in the dashboad for it. Then I can deal with the brakes.



Brian

 

[GIT-R-DONE]

GIT-R-DONE,



Some of the guys on here flow so much fuel the rubber tip of the shutoff solenoid in the injection pump comes separates from the solenoid and the result is an engine that won't go off electrically. So, the emergency STOP lever on the injection pump is used. Some have installed a cable from this STOP lever to the inside of the cab and run without a functioning solenoid.



Regards,

Brian

Isthis something that is hooked up to the solonoid or is it somewhere else?

 

[btoscano]

There is nothing to hook to the solenoid except two wires. The solenoid is the only electrical device that could shut the truck down - otherwise, once started, it will run without a battery or active charging system. The pull cable is connected mechanically to the stop lever on the injection pump. Its about 1-1/2" long on the drivers side of the pump.