Hi to Everybody... been a while since I've been to the site. I see Steve opened another site, and after I get registered there, I may ask the same question, so don't waste your time answering both, but thanks in advance. I just purchased a 2008 (pre-dpf) International 4300 with DT466. It has 113,000 miles, and according to the title, has been sitting on this dealer's lot for almost 2 years. (And unsure of how long it had been sitting before titled to that dealer.) Foolishly, I didn't do much to it before trying to run it. (I was pre-occupied with trying to get the bed/etc set-up, and it seemed to run good on a 10-20 mile test run.) Filled up with diesel. (70 gallon aluminum tank) First day out, sputtered and stopped. Changed main fuel filter. (it was veryyyy dirty, gunky, big particles) Ran great for several days. Friday... "Fuel filter" light came on. Then sputtered to a stop several miles down the road. Changed bottom filter, was verrry dirty. Sputtered for 10 miles, filled up with diesel, sputtered another 10 miles, then shut down and would not restart. Towed to my place. Next morning it starts, but I didn't drive it. Later in the day, it wouldn't start. Changed main filter later in the day. Was able to start it. I know it could be many problems. But seems like fuel issues is a good place to clear up. Suggestions on how to do this? Oh yeah, what tool is the "correct" one to remove the top of the fuel filter canister? For what it's worth, I sell sod for a living, and just doing my best to understand my equipment and repair what I can.
Hopefully it's plugged up outside of the injection pump. The fact that it ran for several days is a good sign. I'd take the whole fuel system apart from the tank to the last filter before the injection pump. Blow out every line and fitting. Take the tank off and clean it if you have to, or at least drain it and rinse it in place. You don't have to dump the drained fuel, let it settle and siphon off the top to use to rinse the tank, until it comes out clean with no particles settling out after time. If the tank has gunk stuck to the inside surface, then remove, strap to a concrete mixer, add a quart of gravel and water and run it for as long as it takes to get clean.
Thanks for the help, Delmer. My mechanic determined the manual primer pump was leaking, supposedly, and replaced it. That helped, but it still stumbled and fell down on the highway. Then he decided it was electronic after his laptop would show it shutting down. He determined that a wiring harness that looped through the frame rail had pulled tight and was pulling a wire coupling apart. I have a friend with a 4300 who said he had the exact same problem. It's the harness that runs through the frame on the driver's side, right behind the front tire. Good luck, and good trucking!
I am going through the same thing with one of my 4300's. First replaced the fuel filter housing, then the fuel pump. It is still doing it. Mechanic now thinks it could be a pin hole in the fuel line creating a vacuum leak. Was the wiring harness the culprit?
Are you getting bubbles in the fuel return?