i have a 96 cummins auto 2wh dr w/278k on it, at times it wont start right away then other times it will. this started about 2 wks ago, i have no probelms with power lost as i tow a 3H slant trailer on the weekends.after the truck is nice and hot, it starts up no problem. i checked the hose that runs behind the filter it seems to be good from what i could see and feel, but other then that, i am lost, 1st time diesel owner, N.M.

 

You are likely on the right track sounds like a bad hose letting air in and losing prime......look at the ones on top of the tank as well as the return line on the injection pump.

One way to tell is if you park the truck facing down hill it starts OK, but won't if you park it facing uphill over night. A pinhole to small to leak fuel is big enough to allow the fuel to drain back to the tank.

Oh and remove that "g" from your Cummins.......that always makes it run better

 

ok i will look at the lines and park the truck down hill tonight and see what happens. yup rookie mistake with the "g" at the end thanks for the head up haha

 

well i did park the truck down hill and it fired right up!! i didnt have time to check the lines after work i got home late. it was pouring rain this morning,so i wasnt able to crawl under and look for any leaks.

 

no leaks from what i could see and i did take a real good look around. 2 things i found; loose clamp on hose that goes behind the water seperator filter and that same line where the mesh protection starts on the line, it was rubbing under the cab, it rub thru the mesh and made a soft spot on the hose. only way i could see that is with a mirror and spot light. i found this out last night, it is far better to inspect your lines in the dark, you can see whole lot better then in day light. now could i just replace the mesh part of the hose with 3/8 fuel line?

 

oh yes.... i did park the truck nose up hill and had hard start.

 

Lots of us just replace that whole mess from the tank to the engine with diesel rated hose........ 3/8" and 5/16".

The way Dodge did it may make sense from an assembly line perspective, but it sucks everywhere else.

 

where can i get diesel rated hose for cheap, also can i just replace both
lines with 3/8 hose instead of buying to different sizes. thanks for your help friends, everyday since my hard start im learning more about my cummins.

 

Hose is available at most marine equipment stores and on line. All the fittings are built for those size hoses so that's what you should use. You can have an air leak on a hose and never see a drop of fuel, it just loses it fuel head as it all drains back to tank.

 

Any auto parts store sells rated hose, can't remember which SAE standard, J30R9 perhaps? Anyway, it isn't exactly cheap, I seem to remember 2 bucks and a half or so a foot.

I wouldn't use 3/8 for both, for one, hose clamp or not, greater chance of a small air leak, and for two, it makes it harder to see which one you re dealing with laying under the truck.

 

sorry for not getting back with my problem i had issue with my 07 chevy that needed my attention. another problem came about along with my hard start, i had to order a rebuild kit for my starter which i changed out 2 days ago. the truck had just been parked all this time. i am going to order the fuel lines from http://www.genosgarage.com/ they have the lines for 2.50 a ft. until i get them i will check back in also looks like i will need to replace both batteries haha i guess its maint. time for me.

 

replace fuel line from top to bottom yesterday so far so good, fires right up.

 

Hey glad to hear it

 

it took awhile but got it, tough part was the line behind the filter. best way for me was to remove the truck bed halfway so i know for sure everything was on and screwd down tight. i notice the truck running smooth and at a higher rpm it seemed like.

 

ok i spoke to soon, after i replaced the lines all was good !!! this was Sunday, Monday morning it fired up no problem drove to work parked, AFTER WORK, HARD START!!! and this morning, it fired right up. any ideas on what i should replace now?