sputter, sputter...mort

[JLEONARD]

I think she gelled up on me. Made it a few feet out of my parking space and she sputtered then died. :{

Waiting for the tow truck to haul it to my son's place (repair shop)#@$%!

I'll go out and check the solenoid connection.

More to follow later I'm sure.

 

[dpuckett]

You have gelling fuel? We have almost 60 degrees today.



DP

 

[JLEONARD]

Yes. Weather channel says it's 12 deg right now and it's windy. Shouldn't have gelled... I use additive, but it felt like it gelled the way it sputtered so I'm going with that right now. I'm sure the fuel properties vary from tanker to tanker.

Hopefully things will be ok in the morning if it can sit in the shop overnight.

If not it may be a few days before she runs again.

 

[RWWinslow]

Check your fuel filter - most likely the fuel is at the cold filter plugging point (CFPP).



If the tank gelled you will probably need to replace the lift pump - typically when the fuel truly gels the lift pump diaphragm tears (been there and done that). If the lift pump goes you will be very short of power



If you are using ULSD you may need to treat the fuel at 2 to 3 times the recommended rate to avoid CFPP.



Good Luck - call if you have ?'s

 

[MMeier]

You have gelling fuel? We have almost 60 degrees today.



DP

Thats all, we have 80*, just had to use my A/C on the hiway coming in from Cali. !! :-laf

 

[Jgolden]

Jay,Sounds familiar.

Before I left to head south last month I had the total jell. Engine started but after a few min I stepped on the fuel pedal checking for smoke... sputtered and died.

Had to wait for warmer weather( 28 degrees. ), add 15 gal of kerosene(90 gal tank), 911,change filter , put magnetic heater on filter. Not sure which of those things worked but off I went.



Seems like Conn. would be a winter mix area, but there have been some problems in this area even with winter mix, lots of suppliers thought there was not going to be a winter here and weren't too agressive on #1. -5 today.

Hope the fix is simple.



Never thought about jelled fuel taking out diphram on

pump.

 

[MMiller]

If its gelled, pull the fuel filter and throw it away. Put on a new one filled with Howe's or PS. I had my service truck gell up, and pulled the water separator, put it in my 50* garage all weekend and the pleats were still gelled up. With ULSD the gell does not go away like in the old days.



Michael

 

[GIT-R-DONE]

A friend of mine told me that the only thing that would cut the ULSD is something called "911". They had trouble with their fleet gelling up a few weeks back and he said that was the only thing that worked. FWIW

 

[PToombs]

Power Service 911, good stuff! We use it here at work when stuff gels!

 

[JLEONARD]

Thanks guys, all good info.

FWIW, I did drain a little fuel out of the filter yesterday after it died and it seemed to come out ok. I don't know if that means anything.

Truck is home now and sitting outside.

So it might be a day or 3 before I get a chance to change the filter... I do have one here along with a container of 911.

 

[RWWinslow]

During our cold spell in January, we had a 25% cold filter plugging rate on a fleet of 100 buses - all running Detroit Diesels and the Detroit fuel filtration / water separator system. When the filters plugged off, the fuel was still flowing nicely out of the tank and the fuel filter elements would still show liquid fuel. The pleated elements themselves did not show a high level of visible wax or material but when examined under visual magnification they were plugged off.



Some of the lubricity additives have been implicated in contributing to filter plugging - it is a cumulative thing - you may be OK with changing the filter and starting backup once the temps warm up. Note that 911 fuel treatment use to contain alcohol and probably still does - so be very careful in its use.



We have completed a lot of technical research and evaluation on the ULSD - the refiners are telling us that the fuel will be singificantly improved for next winter. The refineries did not have the capacity to make a lot of #1 ULSD this winter so it was not blended into the fuel as in years past - this also contributed to the cold flow problems with the fuel.

 

[JLEONARD]

so be very careful in its use

OK. Thanks. Will do.

 

[JLEONARD]

Ra,ra,ra (engine turning over sound), ra,ra,ra,ra,ra, vroomp, ra,ra,ra,vroomp,vroomp,ra,ra,vroomp, ra,ra,vroomp, vroomp,

VROOM, bada,bada,bada,bada Oo. Oo.

New filter, filled with 911, primed the system. Dumped another can of 911 in the tank for extra measure.

She's a purrin' in the driveway



OK just went out to check again... still goin'



Thanks for all the tips . . I mean suggestions.

 

[Jgolden]

Mine goes bada, bidda, bada, bida.....

Get that checked. . also sounds like your starter has a problem.

 

[JLEONARD]

Regardless of the description of the starter sound..... LOL



After I fired up I took a test run and noticed that I wasn't charging... was running low voltage as if the grids were stuck (but they weren't). (I also had the battery charger hooked up all day because I knew I'd be cranking a lot to bleed it out).

So I picked up a regulator... then noticed that I had no tach either. Since my tach runs off the alternator I'm thinking I have a dead alternator.

So I'm changing both now... neither owes me anything.

But I'm thinking... . could that have been my problem the other day rather than fuel gel?

I mean if the voltage was down because I had just run the grids 2 cycles, and she turned over slow, and I was very low on voltage, would that have caused the fuel solenoid to drop out and perhaps that's why the engine died?

I didn't notice whether the tach was working or not at that time.



anyone?

Jay

 

[RWWinslow]

Yes - could have been the source of your problem - not sure at what point the fuel shut off solenoid will drop out due to low voltage but most DC solenoids will not generate adequate magnetic pull at 60% to 70% of rated voltage.

 

[JLEONARD]

Well, new alt and regulator... now my volmeter registers about a needle width higher on the gage. Reads just shy of 15V on an analog meter.

Hopefully this solves all the problems.

 

[Greenleaf]

I started my summer truck some time ago when it got good and wintery. With out pre heat and the block heater unplugged it cranked very very slowly and fired. I ran it in the drive way for some time to warm it up and no problems with low battery. However the alt works well and most likely powerd the vehicular electric.



I replaced the old-n-rust regulator last weekend on the 90. It has been working well at well over 14 volts. Now it most likely will not as per my maint. luck. I even cleaned the nasty looking reg harness terminals. I'm doomed for sure now. :{



-S

 

[Greenleaf]

Mine goes bada, bidda, bada, bida.....

Get that checked.

I just fount this... . LOL You guys BOTH need to adjust timing and valves. Mr. Golden, I believe that you may have a delivery valve beginning to stick.



Jay, yours especially, sounds like it's running under water. ... . and clean the the gun powder out of your starter motor.

 

[MMeier]

I think some of you guys need to make sound clips describing your various noises... of you making the noise, not the truck !! :-laf