oregondave

I have a 98 dodge 24 valve. when i shut the truck off i am losing fuel pressure. after 1 to 2 hours it wont start. if i open a few injecter lines and get the air out it will start and run fine. i replaced my lift pump and fuel filter but still no change. any ideas. could it be my injection pump

Shovelhead

It sounds like you have an air leak in one of your fuel lines.
A likely culpret is the return line from the rear of the head to the tank. (number 9)
They have a tendancy to develop fine cracks with age.

nickg

next time leave the fuel cap loose or park nose down hill to see if it starts right up, if it does you have an air leak, basically the leak on the return side allows the tank vacuum to draw the fuel back to the tank, kinda like using your finger on a straw, soon as you lift your finder off the top of the straw all the liquid runs out

DIESELWRKS

OregonDave where do you live at. wondering if I can help, there is a couple of us in southern Oregon, also the oregon chapter Pres lives down here. send me a message if we can help.

oregondave

I live in Dallas near Salem. thanks for the ideas. i'm parking it with it facing down hill and with the fuel cap off right now we will see if there is any inprovements. thanks for the ideas you guys are a lot of help. when the injecter pumps go bad is fuel pressure loss while it is shut off a possiblity

oregondave

I seems to have made it worse for some reason parking facing down hill with the fuel cap off. Even after just 15 mins it wont start. Any ideas

KATOOM

Dont bother leaving the fuel cap off. There's a vent on the tank that eliminates any vacuum from building up in the tank. Do you have a fuel pressure gauge? That would answer a lot of questions. It sounds to me like your VP is on its way out, but I'd surely make sure first before you go replacing it. You need to know what fuel pressure you're running before anything. If you have a leak then parking with the nose downhill keeps fuel from running out of the leaking fuel lines but if you have to crack injector lines just to get it started is not good. If you had a leak bad enough to have to do that regularly then you'd be seeing fuel dripping under the truck, or at least a clear indication as where the leak is.

oregondave

Yeah that makes since. I think i can get a hold of a pressure gauge to test pressure and go from there. thanks for the advice

oregondave

ok i put a pressure gauge on the fuel filter and at a idial i am running 12 lbs pressure. after starting the truk a few times it suddenly died and wont start again so im thinking maybe my vp gave up the ghost?

KATOOM

I'm going to agree with you. Sounds like the VP failed.