New Member, Needs Help!

[DonTX]

Not really, but am finally back on it. Decided that besides just tach of the crank speed, a new battery setup for cranking was in order first, that is why I am trying to get a hot group 31, I found a place back there for it to fit nicely. . I am in a rental storage garage unit, no electricity. Went to work on it and the new batteries were about dead again, out come all five, home and recharged. Decided that was the last time for that drill, some fool put some electrical items on the hot side of the master disconnect, gotta fix that too.

I did get a groovy new tool, an electronic hand held tach, I just go looking for things that are going around and around to see how fast they are going :-laf

Went to install my fuel pressure gauge, couldn't find some fittings I had bought, bought them again yesterday.

 

[DonTX]

Fuel Pressure Bleed Down Rate

I got a few minutes, put on my fuel pressure gauge in the fuel line just before the injection pump. Hand pump (diaphram type) pumps up pressure nicely, but when I stop pumping, the pressure bleeds down rather quickly. I timed it, and from 5 lbs, it bleeds down to 0 in exactly 60 seconds.

This donlt seem totally ok to me. Obviously it it bleeding thru the IP, since there are two brand new check valves inches away from the gauge. Anybody that has a gauge on their oldie, does it hold pressure, or does it bleed down?

 

[McLaughlin]

Just for my information, the check valves in the older trucks are separate from the lift pump?

 

[DonTX]

No, the check valve is in the diaphram pump, and I have put another on the DAVCO a few inches from the diaphram pump. I GUESS that the bleed diesel is going back to the tank, I intend to loosen the return line anc check to make sure that is where it is going.

In my limited knowledge of the IP, I read that there is a pressure relief sort of valve in the IP, that is supposed to open when the pressure gets to around 40 in the case, not bleed down to zero. It acts like a leaking valve, or perhaps there is an orfice that allows pressure to be relieved when sitting.

 

[MMiller]

Its probably not going to hold any fuel pressure. The check valves just prevent the fuel from draining back to the tank. I've never seen any diesel maintain fuel pressure with the engine off. They all go to zero soon after shutdown.



I'll bet the pressure is just leaking off the return side until everything gets to zero.



Your test will be if fuel pressure is being made when cranking.



Michael

 

[DonTX]

Pull the Pump

Well, despite my hope something else was the problem, I am finally going to pull the pump and send it off to a Bosch repair station, with instructions to record what failed inside it and why in only 40i miles.

I have books, have seen postings, but am still not real sure on pulling the pump. Maybe there is a good set of down to earth instructions somewhere on this board, let me know if that is so.

Specifically,I understand to turn the engine til the timing pin drops in an indent on the gear. Leaving it there I pull the pump. OK now, when I get the pump back I am assuming that if the keyway lines up I am in time, with fine tuning by some check marks. Do I make the check marks before I remove the pump, or are they already there? I would rather not get into timing the rebuilt pump unless that is called for.

 

[LEggers]

Don If I lived in your neck of the woods I would be right there to help you. There has got to be some people on this board that know that pump and come out and help.

I just read this hole post and just from reading I can tell you are one hell of a guy to keep at it.



If I ever come to TX I gota stop in and see this rig of yours.



Hang in there after you get the bugs worked out that should be one of the best running rigs on the road. .



Lance Seattle, WA.

 

[bgilbert]

Will only go back on one way. The engine is keyed (pump gear), and the pump shaft is keyed. Do not remove the pump with #1 cyl at tdc. You risk dropping the pump key down into the timing case. Remove the pump with key at 12 or 1 oclock position.

 

[DonTX]

OK thanks, that makes sense now, just protect the key. How about the fine tuning on the slots, just try to realign the marks if there are some? Make some if there are none? Probably ought to do a KDP thing too since I will have most of the stuff off the front.

LEggers: The weather is much nicer down here than where you are, don't you need a vacation?

 

[cojhl2]

Don,, have we lost you on this project. . I am anxious to hear the latest news.

 

[DonTX]

Oh no, never lost. I just wound up with lots of other projects and had no great need for the rv, so let it sit until I get more time to devote to it. I have decided next to pull the pump and get it overhauled, I have avoided that long enough I guess. It is a bit of a bear to get off, not looking forward to that part too much. I have become convinced that the sitting has allowed some rust to weaken some spring or make some rust that went thru the high pressure parts.

 

[DonTX]

Gotter Done!!!

OK, for all the many helpful people who were troubleshooting with me, I am now starting and running like a new one!

The problem was in the injection pump, attached is a photo of the only parts needed replaced, by an authorized Bosch rebuild center.

I suppose we all learned something from this exercise, but here are some lessons learrned from my viewpoint:

Troubleshooting the solenoid shutoff: The real easy way to eliminate it from the equation, is to simply crack an injector line, if it is squirting, it is opening fine. I just played with it some this afternoon. If you pull the wire from the solenoid, there will NOT be any fuel at the cracked injector line when cranking.

Once that is eliminated, and you are squirting fuel to good injectors, bite the bullet and get the pump overhauled. I did a lot of work that was not really necessary, eliminating sucking air in the fuel supply etc. Pulling the pump was not a real easy job on my installation, but the only way to fix it.

Thanks again to all of you, for helping me work thru this screwey deal, and bringing me finally to the realization that at 40k miles, a VE44 CAN need to be rebuilt.

 

[truckstom]

Just shows that sitting around can ruin it. Gotta run it!

 

[DonTX]

For sure. I think that if you are considering a super low mileage older unit, better figure in a pump rebuild. This guy had used fuel supplements to combat water and algae religiously too.

Also in the lessons learned. When I got it, the lift pump was not operating, had been out for a while I am guessing. This may have had bad effects on the IP supply pump, that was bad, you can see the pump parts in the photo that had to be replaced. There was rust "etching" on the main shaft as well.

 

[rlyons]

Don, I am glad to here you finally got it running, now camp away! Oo.

 

[DonTX]

Well, it is not that easy RLYONS. You know how wives are. When it quit 5 times on the 200 mile trip home, the wife lost all confidence in it, we replaced it with a 2nd gen 3500 Dodge. and she says SELL the darned thing! I am dragging my feet, but suppose she will win the arguement.

 

[Tom W]

That's a beauty - put a price on it.

 

[McLaughlin]

Well, look at the bright side. I suspect you now know more about the fuel system of a first gen cummins then 95% of the folks out there. Knowledge is power! (sorry for the pun)

 

[DonTX]

You are real close Tom, come on down and drive her home for $29k. If you can find a better deal, I will match it. Heck, I would even deliver it for you!

 

[rlyons]

Sorry to hear that Don, it is such a nice motorhome. I wish i could afford it right now but I am not in a position to buy it. This was a rough summer for me money wise. Now that you have it fixed I would shure fight to keep it. :-laf