I have posted in the past regarding the cold start solenoid, which I have replaced. Anyway, long story but machine still not running and frustration level high as I'm not mechanical, so learning. I finally have a service manual, and someone coming to give me some help. I'm hoping someone out there can lead me in proper direction. I have changed fuel lines, lifter pump, fuel filter, as previous owner dumped ??? into fuel resulting in it smelling of varathane and machine sat for a long time. When purchased, I was told to use ether to start, which it did. It no longer starts even with the ether. I have cracked the injectors and I do get fuel to all 4 of them. I'm going to try and put fuel line into a jerry can of diesel to see if there are contaminants issues still due to new fuel just sitting in the tank for month. The normal systems green light does not illuminate, I do wonder if there is an electrical issue. Insights are appreciated!!!!
Sounds to me like she's low on compression.. but it would take a compression test to be sure.. IF the old owner said she was a bottle baby.. & you bottle fed her.. chances are pretty good, its low.. especially if you have fuel getting to the injectors and its not starting.. You could take an injector OUT & hang it outside the engine and SEE if its firing.. OR just check the smoke while cranking..
Agree with pumpguy, if the previous owner bottle fed it all the time to start it and then you continued that till it no longer would start I'm also thinking there is some damage to the pistons and rings. If it is puffing white smoke while cranking over that would indicate fuel is being injected into the cylinders. If you do decide to pull an injector or two to hang them out in the open to see first hand if they are poping off be sure to keep your body parts away from the injectors. Fuel can get injected into you skin and that is a very serious problem!
Thanks for replies, as of now I get no smoke. I did pull out an injector before and looked a little black I just put back in after I wiped it, it also smelled of varathane. I was thinking of trying the diesel out of jerry can then was going to pull injectors out again. I was leant a compression tester, suppose I just hope it's something else. Before I pull apart again, could there be an electronic issue. I have cab forward so not sure if there is a safety switch, and I am curious about that green system normal light not on, as it did light up before. Appreciate replies,
Could it be needing new injectors?
Yes, it's possible, but not likely. Your choice and your cash, throw parts at it or do what has already been suggested. It sure sounds like you have a fuel system blockage or you haven't bled the air out completely. The bad fuel brings in LOTS of ugly possibilities too. Your month old fuel is fine, but the gunk from the old junk could still be causing problems. You should have a good squirt from bleeder or return line on the injection pump when you operate the transfer pump. IF you don't, then go through the fuel system from tank to injection pump, take every fitting apart so you can see through it and verify the flow at every point along the line. Running from a temporary tank is fine, but do the same test and take every fitting apart just the same if it doesn't have good flow. How many wires to your injection pump? If there's only one, then it's either hot or not, easy to check. The other thread you suggested this isn't the original pump, that opens a whole nuther can of worms. A 2001 with 1200 hours shouldn't have low compression unless it was run low on oil, without an air filter installed correctly, or was run on starting fluid alone
Is there a real fuel injection shop in the area? If there is I'd be tempted to pull all four injectors and have them tested. Another somewhat off the wall idea would be do you have anything else with an industrial diesel of some kind in it? What I'm thinking is to take you questionable injectors and hooking one at a time to one of the lines on this other running engine and see if the pop off and appear to spray okay when hooked to that one. Just don't get body parts near the free hanging injector while testing it, fuel injected in to blood stream can be fatal and that would ruin your day! I've used injectors out of an old Mack diesel to test the output of a Cat 3306 diesel injector pump in the past!
Well drained fuel lines again and blew them out. Took fuel filter off and blew air through pump towards filter, and some junk came through. Tried isolating and put fuel line into jerry can, still no start. Pulled injectors for a compression test listed below 1 to 4 one being closest to fan and 4 to bucket. Not sure what normal range is yet but 100 difference seems a little troubling 1-350 2-380 3-340 4-240 Haven't tried shooting fuel through injectors yet. not sure where to go if this sounds like a rebuild or not with compression
Anything over 300 will start.. 4 is bad.. but it should still run.. Have you loosened the lines at the injectors after you loosened everything up & blew air thru.. You probably introduced air in the system & it has to get bled out.. rig up the jerry can, loosen ALL the lines at the injectors & crank till you get fuel & tighten..
Hey pump guy, yes did bleed lines and tried cranking over bleeding each one separate then tight then bleed next etc. After each one then tried starting again still no smoke. I have all injectors out now so I did compression. So hooking up injector and crank over with it out does that test injectors and the pump.
It will test the pump to see if its putting out enough pressure to pop the injector.. AND if the injectors are stuck OPEN, they wont atomize the fuel, {a mist}.. just long streams of fuel..
So that should be my next test I'm guessing. thanks again.
If while cranking over as I've said be fore do not get body parts near tip of injectors, if you are not sure hold a piece of cardboard next to the tip to help see the fuel coming out. It should come out in a nice fine mist each time that cylinder comes up on compression.
This must be a new post from an ongoing issue. Seems like I am late to the party so ignore me if you have been down this path already. Are you getting good, no air, fuel flow to the injector end of the injection lines? I'm wondering if there might be a shut off switch not opening or perhaps a bad fuel pump. You said it no longer starts on ether. Does it still fire on ether and not keep running, or does it not do anything on ether? I would not get to excited to do anything about the low cylinder until you get it running and then recheck it after it has run a while. It may be dry and losing compression from being dry.
Well I,ve taken all injectors out to have tested and rebuilt if necessary. Old irons comment on cylinder being dry, the injector was dry in that cylinder so hopefully compression will come back when I get this to start. Im wondering if there is any way to clean this tank. Reason being, there is still a strong odour of varathane (to me) and there is black crap inside and outside of tank. The first time this tank was drained of fuel or ??? it was very flammable. Anyway, I was wondering if there was something I could add to the fuel now and put some air in to the tank and let it bubble for awhile then completely drain. Or, I've seen on utube people using vinegar and tsp to clean gas tanks but don't want to do if a bad idea. Then I would use a pressure wash then use my air compressor to blow the rest of the gunk out.
Run it off a temporary tank until you know the engine is running right. A plastic boat tank works good. Or a one or two gallon pump up sprayer tank can be made to work. even a gallon oil jug works fine for testing if you're not moving the machine. Eliminate all of that garbage from the system until it works, then come back and we'll tell you how to clean the tank. Is that a steel tank? edit: yeah, I guess so. How hard is it to remove the tank? if it's even possible. Also, is that a thermostart in the intake manifold? does it work?
Delmer, agree on not worrying about the fuel tank until one knows the engine at least starts and runs. The fuel and hydraulic tanks on those 1800 series are actually the rear of the frame. So unless one wants to do some major work with the plasma torch and TIG welder it is a clean in place proposition. Get it to run then worry about the tank!
I would worry very little about the lower compression. If you are too worried about it, spray some PB or something of the likes in that chamber and try again, but it shouldnt keep it from starting. How is your battery, I have seen guy hook up jumpers on bad batteries and have batteries just low enough that a rig won't fire, throw a battery in and it come right to life. These little buggers are real particular on batteries from my experience.