Archived Metal in Fuel Filter

[roarinram]

I was going down the road the other morning, as normal, and my truck started jerking back and forth. I figured the transmission was fixing to fall out, so I pulled into the service station. I checked the transmission fluid, oil, everything that I could without tools and everything looked fine. I started the truck up to take back off down the road. Before I could even shift out of park, the truck sputtered and cut off. Tried to crank it up again, same thing over. Luckily, one of my buddies who is a state trooper pulled up and got me a deal on a wrecker to tow my truck to my mechanic. After a couple tries on stuff, he discovered rubber and metal in my fuel filter. He installed a new fuel filter and cranked her up. She ran like a charm. He drove the truck for about 20 miles and never had a problem. I went and picked the truck up and drove about 30 miles. When I was probably 2 miles from the house, she started sputtering and jerking back and forth again. I haven't had a chance to drop the fuel filter again, but will do it in the morning and post the results. Does anyone have a clue to what might have cause metal and rubber to enter my fuel filter? Could it possibly be a pump falling apart?



Thanks,

Justin



98. 5 / 3500 / 4x4 / 24 valve / 110K mi

 

[Joe Mc]

Not an expert but I'd guess the LP is ready to take a dump. Or there's something strange in the tank that's being passed thru the LP to the filter. I'd remove the LP and look at the inlet and out let sides, check the filter too. If you can while the LP is out somehow pressurize the tank or get a syphon from the inlet to the LP line going and run in a clean bucket. This way you could see if it is something in the tank or not.



Here's a link listing a TDR member w/inespensive LPs for sale. I think the cost is $129?



Check the phone number listed in AKAMAC's reply.



http://turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=107110&perpage=10&pagenumber=2



Good Luck.

 

[Ron Bissett]

Cause ? bad pump on delivery truck to service station . you may have to drop the tank for clean out if filter shows more of the rubber/metal . If it got to the injectors seems like the truck would not start at all and that would mean the filter caught it all ,but that will not account for the stall and fail to start ,I would play it safe and try to start it from a container of fuel hooked up to the lift pump just to see what is going on . P. S is your tank locked with locking cap ? Ron Bissett in metro Louisville KY

 

[Joe Mc]

Ron's got a good point - one of the first things I did was get a locking cap - jealous people do stupid things and kids (big or small) do bad things too. Keep us posted.

 

[DPetrey]

The stall and fail to start is everything that was in the filter plugged it up real tight and when she stalled she settled and let some fuel by to restart and then stall I would be willing to bet LP is going tits up

 

[millrat]

I had the same sputter and die 2x. Cost me 2 lift pumps. Dealer in Cranbrook B. C. put a peice of clear hose from tank and saw air bubbles in the line. Says it's common for pickup tube to crack. Maybe rubber from there

 

[roarinram]

Well after a little work by my own mechanic, she's sittin at the Dodge dealership. My mechanic did the following:



- Changed the fuel filter

- Inspected all fuel lines between injection pump and fuel tank

- Dropped fuel tank and completely cleaned it (getting bugs, sand, water, and other debris out)

- Replaced lift pump



None of the above solved my spitting/sputtering problem. With the desifering of a code, my mechanic determined the Powertrain Control Module was faulted and advised me to take the truck to Dodge since there was a TSB on the particular thrown code.

After the Dodge mechanic looked over the truck and hooked his computer up, he came to the conclusion (and he was 100% sure) that I need a new injection pump. Truck should be ready for pickup Monday. I sure hope so.

 

[Joe Mc]

Ouch! Justin - let us know the $$$ damage.