Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Possible FASS Problem?

[Midnite]

Bob--sounds good to me. I hope your shoulder's okay!

I didn't have a lot of light to work with outside tonight, so I just took the truck for a test drive to see how things went. The pressure stayed solid at 15-16 psi the whole time. It cranked for quite awhile before firing, but I think that was just because I'd had the line off the FASS and got some air in there. I drove about 5 miles and the engine ran perfectly, no burps or hiccups whatsoever. I'm starting to wonder if I just had a clogged filter from a bad tank of fuel or something.

I checked to see how we'd plumbed the fuel return, and it's teed into the filler neck vent, but way down by the tank. Given that it's so far from the filler cap, I'm actually kind of surprised that I was able to see any fuel come out at all up there.

One question I have for you guys familiar with the electrical pressure gauges--this new one I have seems to bounce 1 or 2 psi all the time, and I'm worried that this is due to pressure spikes that I've read are so harmful to the sender. I'd thought that by mounting the sender to the grease gun hose (with a bunch of air in it), and then into the tee in the fuel line, that it would help cushion the sender a little bit. Is there something else I should do here to protect my sender?

Mike

 

[nutter3]

MIke, what brand electric fuel pressure gauge did you go with? I ordered a Pricol electric. I was going to mount it to the isloator hose i had with my mechanical isspro gauge. Is that what you're doing?
Good luck.

andre

 

[LowFly]

Is there something else I should do here to protect my sender?



Mike

Yes sir.....



Auto Meter

 

[Midnite]

Thanks Dan--I'd seen references to snubbers, but I didn't know what people were talking about.

Bad news--I was going to try to take my truck to work today, and when I started it up, fuel pressure dropped to zero and the truck died. The FASS was making noise, but it seemed quieter than normal. Unfortunately I had to get to work so I couldn't spend any time with it. This is basically a repeat of the original incident (early morning cold start, truck fired and then died). I'm going to pull the brushes from the motor and see what they look like--maybe I got a little water in there at some point. I'm not sure what else to try.

Mike

 

[LowFly]

Thanks Dan--I'd seen references to snubbers, but I didn't know what people were talking about.



Bad news--I was going to try to take my truck to work today, and when I started it up, fuel pressure dropped to zero and the truck died. The FASS was making noise, but it seemed quieter than normal. Unfortunately I had to get to work so I couldn't spend any time with it. This is basically a repeat of the original incident (early morning cold start, truck fired and then died). I'm going to pull the brushes from the motor and see what they look like--maybe I got a little water in there at some point. I'm not sure what else to try.



Mike

If the FASS was running, brushes are not your issue.



Have you done the 5 gallon bucket test? Its just very weird that the pump would just loose prime all of a sudden.



ALSO... shoot me your Serial Number if you can... .

 

[Midnite]

I haven't done the bucket test. I was hoping to avoid it since I'm working outside and the weather's starting to get colder up here. But I'll see if I can do it this weekend since I'll have more time then.



I'll get the serial number for you when I get home tonight.



Thanks again,

Mike

 

[Midnite]

Dan, it's a FASS 150, SN 2458.

Mike

 

[Midnite]

Dan, you don't happen to have a FASS dealer in Anchorage, do you? I'm guessing not, but I had to ask.

Mike

 

[JR2]

Mike,
I don't know if there an official dealer but Norther Diesel Performance in Eagle River has them on there website. The guy that owns NDP is a really good guy, even though he drives a ford.

Northern Diesel Performance - Dodge

 

[Midnite]

Thanks John! I'm thinking I need to get my truck to them, so I'll give them a call today. If you're back in town do you think you might be able to give me a tow out there?

Mike

 

[Midnite]

John, I talked with the Northern Diesel Performance guy and he's very willing to help me diagnose and give advice but he said he's not set up to be an installer. He did suggest that I pull it inside to let it thaw out a little bit. I hadn't thought that gelling might be a problem, but he said he thinks the new ultra low sulfur diesel gels a little easier than the older fuel. When I changed out the water separator I noticed what I thought were ice crystals and assumed that I'd just got some water, but one of the first things I tried in all this was to drain the separator. I suppose it's possible the "ice crystals" could've been fuel gelling (I've never seen it before and I don't know what it looks like). I also want to clean up the contacts for the ground and the relay and make sure those aren't crudded up.

One thing that surprised him was when I mentioned that when I replaced the water separator, I bumped the key and then opened the valve to see if it filled it with fuel. When opened the valve I relieved a significant vacuum. He told me that shouldn't have happened. It sounds like that would point to a blockage in the suction line from the tank, or in the draw tube (not sure of the real name) inside the tank. Again, maybe gelling? There was no black sludge in either the old filter or water separator--in fact the inside of the old water separator looked perfectly clean.

Dan, what does that sound like to you?

Mike

 

[LowFly]

John, I talked with the Northern Diesel Performance guy and he's very willing to help me diagnose and give advice but he said he's not set up to be an installer. He did suggest that I pull it inside to let it thaw out a little bit. I hadn't thought that gelling might be a problem, but he said he thinks the new ultra low sulfur diesel gels a little easier than the older fuel. When I changed out the water separator I noticed what I thought were ice crystals and assumed that I'd just got some water, but one of the first things I tried in all this was to drain the separator. I suppose it's possible the "ice crystals" could've been fuel gelling (I've never seen it before and I don't know what it looks like). I also want to clean up the contacts for the ground and the relay and make sure those aren't crudded up.



One thing that surprised him was when I mentioned that when I replaced the water separator, I bumped the key and then opened the valve to see if it filled it with fuel. When opened the valve I relieved a significant vacuum. He told me that shouldn't have happened. It sounds like that would point to a blockage in the suction line from the tank, or in the draw tube (not sure of the real name) inside the tank. Again, maybe gelling? There was no black sludge in either the old filter or water separator--in fact the inside of the old water separator looked perfectly clean.



Dan, what does that sound like to you?



Mike

Well the water separator is on the suction side of the pump so its a very good thing you found a vacuum at the drain... . as they will suck alot of air if you open the valve when running the pump.



AHHH AK... how did i miss that... . um... you are running an additive? You might look into this if you are not.



I do have a dealer in Anchorage... . its Advanced Diesel Performance: 907-278-1999... . owners name is Jeff. Might give him a call.

 

[Midnite]

I normally don't run an additive because the stations tend to switch over to #1 blends fairly early. Maybe I just got caught this winter. I did notice that the two times it died on me were fairly cold mornings--both close to 0 deg. F. I'll see if I can get it inside and thawed out and see what happens. If that works I'll be buying some additive.



Thanks,

Mike

 

[JR2]

Mike - I know three people who have gelled up this winter already. I bet that is your problem. My garage will be available after turkey day.

John

 

[Midnite]

I'm a little hesitant to say I've fixed it since I thought I'd had it fixed once before already, but I think I've fixed it.



I filled the filter and water separator with anti-gel and let it set for an hour, then tried to start it. My plan was if just filling the filters with anti-gel didn't do it, I'd get busy with a little ceramic heater and a hair dryer on the FASS. I bumped the starter just to see what kind of pressure I'd get--about 2psi. The FASS was running fairly quietly, and then suddenly it got louder, and the pump started running faster and pressure jumped up to 17 psi. It was obvious that it was pumping fuel well at that point.



I let it idle for a couple minutes, and the pressure gauge was locked on 17 psi (and I did get the snubber installed), and was purring like a kitten. So I took it for a test drive and it ran just fine the whole time.



Hopefully this is it! Dan, I really appreciate all the help, and it's good to know that I've got at least two local shops that would be willing to help if I ever do have any problems with the FASS.



Mike

 

[KLauber]

Relatively same problem??

A few days ago my truck started skipping at moderate to about average throttle position (this is nothing new to us, we run WVO and we have become experts at diagnosing and changing clogged filters), so i took the truck as close back home before it would die and had my dad bring me out a "new" filter, and we put it on, and I was on my way again. I had not driven but probably about 12 miles, and the truck was skipping again. Ever since then (about 3 days ago) I can only go roughly about 12 miles before the truck will start skipping again and have to change filter which will only temporarily fix it. What would the problem be, could it be a bad batch of fuel, we had put over 20 gallons of diesel fuel in it over the past week, could it be a sludge build up in the tank over the past 11 years of the trucks life? I do not have a pressure gauge, but I will be ordering one tomorrow. Reason for the quotation marks around new is, that we keep washing out our filters w/ gasoline since we cant seem to find anyone who still carries Fass 95 series fuel filters.



Will