Uh oh.......

[Tippin Spotted Cow]

I have trouble...



Alright, so I hooked my stacks back up this weekend. Before this, all I had was about a 2ft length of downpipe, pushin the smoke right out under the truck. The stacks and most of the plumbing was on, but I was missing the elbow to hook the downpipe to the rest of the system. For the time being, we threw on a big chunk of flex tube to make the bend. I know, I know, flex tube isn't made to be an elbow. Oh well... its just a quick fix till summer. So I put this 3" diameter flex tube on, and my egts now dont raise nearly as fast as they did. Before it would peg out at 1500 degrees halfway down the onramp. Now it'll still get that high, but I can get on the freeway and then some before that happens. I can't explain it, but I'm ok with it.



Now for the real problem(s) at hand here. When I goose it off the line, my oil pressure gauge drops way down and the low pressure light comes on... . sometimes. If I goose it on a roll, the gauge raises in pressure like it should. I figured bad connection, when the motor torques to the side, it looses its connection and thinks theres no pressure. Maybe? Or do I have some major problems?



As if that wasn't bad enough. Today, I get home from work, turn the key to off, and the motor keeps running. Well, thats freaking wonderful. Of course, after I got over the confusion of what just happened, I go right for the manual shutdown lever. Push it back to shut down... Keeps running. Doesn't even putter. Hmm... fun. So I've taken the idle screw completely out, because my spring is too strong to even let the throttle get that far down, so I grab the throttle lever and push it toward where the idle screw would be. Bottom it out. Truck is now running at my estimation probably around 400 rpms. The ground is shaking. The motor won't quit. Now what? I have an automatic, theres no way I'm gonna be able to stall this thing. So I put the key in, turn it to on, and then back off. Nothing. Rev the motor with it off. Revs like it would if you had it on and in neutral. Tried the manual shut down a few more times. Nothing. Pushed the throttle toward idle a few more times. Nothing. Just about ready to leak all the fuel out through the water seperator, then I had a thought. I tried pushing toward idle and hitting the shutdown lever at the same time. After puttering at around 400 rpm for a bit, it finally kills... just barely.



Now what? I'm lost. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[dpuckett]

Sounds like a governor lever broke or wore loose to me. Even with your cranked up fuelling, you should be able to use the manual lever.



Do you have a fuel pressure gauge? If you have a stock diaphragm style lift pump, you need one.



Daniel

 

[Tippin Spotted Cow]

The thing was running as normal, though. Wouldn't the broken governor lever mess with the way its running? I have a thought that my max fuel screw is too far in. Could that make this happen?



What about the oil pressure thing? You ever heard of that? Anything I should check for there. Its cold and dark, so tracing wires is not really in the agenda for tonight.



No, I don't have a fuel pressure gauge. I've just been looking at them though, so I'll probably get one real soon.



I'm gonna go take it for a spin in a bit. We'll see what happens...

 

[dpuckett]

I wouldnt worry about the oil pressure gauge unless it makes a hollow chuffing sound when the gauge dips. Probably a bad sender. I had a 84 Ford do that as well. New sender fixed it.



There is a lever on the shutdown lever that goes inside the pump. If it got broke off, it could affect shutting down, but you'd think it'd stop or lock up the pump. Might try backing out the fuel screw some for troubleshooting purposes.



DP

 

[JLEONARD]

Just leave it running, 24/7.

It will save the battery and starter.

 

[Tippin Spotted Cow]

Wouldn't have to freeze my tail off for the first 4 miles in winter either.

 

[PToombs]

I agree with DP, back the screw out and try it. If it still won't shut off, pull the top off the pump and take a looksee.

 

[dseabaugh]

can't be anything that $$$$$ won't fix.

 

[Tippin Spotted Cow]

can't be anything that $$$$$ won't fix.

Thats what I'm afraid of.

 

[JGrefenstette]

this is kinda off the main point here, but why is flexpipe not the best thing to use??? isnt that what almost all stackpipe kits come with?? and alost all semi's use flex in their systems if im not mistaken. . also, ive wondered this for a long time, does flex muffle the exhuast noise when comparied to steight piping? due to the ribs in the accordian design of it??



reason i ask is because when i do the 4 inch down pipe, im planing on running 4inch flex to get around the side of the TC, i cant emagine running solid pipe through that little space, especially 4inch!

 

[Tippin Spotted Cow]

Flex pipe isn't made to be used in longer than 1ft consecutive lengths, and isn't supposed to have an offset of more than 1 inch in that foot. People misunderstand the point of flex tube. It's not to make some goofy bends, the point is to reduce vibrations from one end of your exhaust system to the other. And also to dampen the effects of exhaust system or frame expansion, contraction, or flex. If you bend it too much, eventually the pressure can blow a hole in it, especially when coupled with rust. I know this from experience.



There are kits to run solid pipe past the transfer case. I have one sitting in my basement. 4" at that. I'm waiting until summer to put it on, all solid 4", turbo to stacks, welded, not clamped. I'm sick of messing with exhaust that falls apart.

 

[JGrefenstette]

hmm, i may just do the same. i got a bucn of 4inch pipe, might as well weld the whole thing wile im in there right? heck with it. one friend told me that the flex seals up real good once the soot and all builds up, it packs it up. i seen the inside of a used flex, he aint kiddin either, it was tight, couldnt even bend teh pipe, and the inside was loaded with soot.

 

[Tippin Spotted Cow]

I've blown apart so many pieces of flex pipe its ridiculous. That stuff is about as reuseable as toilet paper.

 

[JGrefenstette]

thats strange, i never heard of crap flexpipe. maybe were talkin bout 2 differnd things. ill take you a picture of some of the stuff i got, see if were on the same page here.

 

[JLEONARD]

Plus flex pipe or anything that is not smooth inside will cause some restictions to the flow. But flex 4 inch is better than 3 inch smooth for flow

 

[Greenleaf]

I build exhaust system here at the shop. I use a lot of flex at the appropriate location. It's generally not very long, say 16" and isn't put into much of bend. I use only stainless and it lasts longer than the aluminized pipe. Some of the pipe I buy is stainless. I use that for the down pipe.



I enjoy it so much that I will fab a new system on my diesel pickups just for the heck of it. Different look/sound etc.

 

[Tippin Spotted Cow]

Like I said, for a while there I was changing my exhaust system as much as women change their hair color.



February is not a good month for it though. Greenleaf, wanna weld me up a 4" turbo to stacks system?

 

[JGrefenstette]

matt, ill give you pictures of my 4inch system as i build it. im doing it starting on the 7th of march. ill probly endup useing a fair amount of flex to get around the TC and to go up to the stacks.

 

[PToombs]

Not to screw up where this thread is going... ... which is out there!

Did you get the non-shut down problem figured out?

 

[Tippin Spotted Cow]

Yeah, oddly enough, the "left in the dark" thread became the shutdown problem thread... .



For the time being, the motor shuts down if I push the throttle toward idle, and hit the manual shutdown lever. This tells me that my high idle might be whats keeping my manual shutdown from working on its own. I'm gonna pull the solenoid when I get some time this weekend and replace as neccessary. I'll keep you updated, but for now, I have to pop the hood to kill it.



This would be the perfect week to get a date with some girl. How classy would that be, "hang on, I gotta shut off my truck... "