HELP! Truck died while coming home from Maryland...

[RSwoyer]

Was coming home on the highway, and truck just died... kinda like if you were to run out of fuel; got the truck towed home and was tinkering with it a little bit today. I checked the lift pump, replaced the fuel filter, and pulled the plunger on the fuel shutoff solenoid... still no fuel to the injectors... before I start pricing a pump, is there anything else I can check? relays, fuses or such ?!? :{

 

[1stgen4evr]

Well I see that you are relativly new to TDR but I don't have any way to know how new you are to diesel. There are lots of things I would try before pulling the pump.



Diagnoisis requires one step and verification along a specific path. You have done a couple of things but have you any proof that fuel is reaching the pump, and at what pressure. The pump will usually move some fuel even when it won't crack the injectors. Which makes me think you may not have bleed the system. It seems almost too basic to ask if you have primed the system and gotten all the air out of it.



But tell us where you are (location) and there may be a member close that can drop by and help.



James

 

[MMiller]

Do you have a good connection, and voltage at the shutoff solenoid? Did you try and start it without the plunger in the solenoid? The manual shut off has not been pulled back has it?



There's a few more things to check.



Michael

 

[RSwoyer]

thanks for the input... Yep, shutoff lever is in the correct position... tried starting truck without the plunger in the solenoid... bled the system, but don't have access to anything to check fuel pressure. arrrgghhh... . my truck knew i was looking at new ones!!!!!!!

 

[MLKramer]

If your fuel line has a hole in it between tank and lift pump it will suck air and not run. BTDT. . Little tiny rust hole, didn't leak, just sucked air. Shut me right down!!

 

[1stgen4evr]

I would use the douch bag method. Or boat tank method if you prefer. Have a fuel source higher than the pump with gravity head to the lift pump. Bleed that through and if you still don't have pump function, you may have to pull the pump. Pumps do go bad but usually it is something else.



James

 

[RSwoyer]

Its raining pretty good here right now, so I can't go out and tinker with it right now, but again, thanks for the ideas... . I do have a question though... if the lift pump is cranking fuel up to the bleeder screw, is it still possible to have an air leak somewhere?!?

 

[1stgen4evr]

You use the term 'cranking' fuel up to the bleeder. Are you aware that there is a lever on the lift pump that can be used to pump fuel without 'cranking' Also, did you fill the fuel filter before installing it? (This will avoid a blister on the finger from operating the lift pump) Remember to put the lever in its detent after pumping fuel. Do you have fuel and no bubbles at the bleed screw?



And your question, If you are getting fuel and NO bubbles at the bleeder, you don't have a pin hole (my opinion).



James

 

[RSwoyer]

yep... . was using the manual lift, and filled the fuel filter beforehand... . ok... I got a chance to go out for a few minutes in between the rain... I tightened the bleeder up and yanked off the fuel shut off solenoid... I had the mrs. crank the motor over for a second... lots of fuel making it to the pump; however, I did notice the remains of what looked like two broken springs hanging from the throttle cable linkage... I can't imagine that these springs would be the cause of my problem... I'm assuming this means I need to go pump shopping ?!? thanks again for all the help guys... I love this site!

 

[1stgen4evr]

I love this site!



A commonly held sentiment. My guess is that anyone with a first gen will be a permanent member.



Did you have all the injectors open a little when cranking over to prime? If the pump is air locked, it might be necessary to allow the fuel a place to go to get the pump plunger primed through. There should be SOME fuel with the injector lines open even if the pressure isn't adequate to crack the injector. Also, did you see any indication that the fuel filter was a problem? Was the canister full when you removed it? Was there water or trash? It is begining to look like a deeper problem. Those external springs would not be the problem.



Did you read the posting a couple months back on the motor coach with a 6bt cummins. There was lots of related (pump problems) info in that group of posts.



Do a follow up on what you find. Do you have a good pump shop in your area, that you trust? You can get ripped off pretty bad at some of these places.



James

 

[RSwoyer]

fuel filter looked fine, and was full of clean looking diesel fuel... injector lines were cracked... nothing at all was coming from the lines. I'll read those threads you mentioned... Maybe a stuck fuel pin or something?!? I was gonna take the top of the pump off and look around in there... I sure as heck can't make matters any worse!!!

 

[RSwoyer]

Just ordered a factory service manual from Genos to help along with this... my manuals had absolutely ZERO on the subject...