i been reading alot about this but have some different ques. my truck was dieing so i cleaned out fuel filter full of gunk and put a new one and ran good for about 5 minutes. started dieing again and brought it back and put in new strainer and seals. that was clogged with gunk also. truck starts but has no power and turbo will not cut in.
can the sender in tank clog? can i blow air into it to unclog it? i just ordered new transfer pump and scrubber and gauge to check pressure. anything else i should look at?
i know about the overflow but how could everything fail at once? i will also check that

 

If your filters continue to fill up with gunk you might want to go a head and drop your fuel tank. What kind of gunk are you finding in your filters?(rust, water, sand) Are you finding any water in your fuel, because that alone would clog up your filters and trap stuff you don't want in there.

 

Also where are you located? Is the gunk black slimy glop?

Could well be Algae, will continue until you kill it, you can clean the tank, but you need to hit it with biocide as well.

 

Any time I find the prefilter severely clogged I always assume the tank filter is clogged also.
If the tank filter is clogging the only long term solution is to drop the tank and flush it.

 

If your filter was really bad, it could be that your banjo is to, I had that happen once.

Slev

 

i run b20 biodiesel. i have clogged filters before but this was alot. it was reddish goop. so why all of a sudden after i change both filters that i was getting fuel and now none? anyway to clean out sender without dropping tank? pressure air from lines need motor to clear out sender? do i just hit air pressure to the lines to clear them out?

would the tank clogging make my fuel guage act like on e then would spring up to where its suppose to be?

 

update so i got the 12mm snubber for the out line iof the fuel filter and got a 0-60psi guage. with the snubber bolt out i pumped transfer and fuel comes right out of top of fuel filter. then i put in snubber and put guage on it. start it up and get about 19psi. this is with trucking not moving. i get 19-20psi whether i rev it all the way up or sits at idle.
i will vise grip tomorrow the return line to see if overflow valve. any other pointers?.

i am in south jersey.

 

you NEEEED to drop the tank and clean it. blowing air back into the fuel tank via the lines will only temporarily solve you clogging problem. your fuel system needs to be flushed and cleaned from the tank to engine

 

figured, i will do it at some point. some of the clog must have settled because the truck is running good but stills seems like it neeeds more fuel. thanks guys

 

Algae growth in the fuel tank and lines is a potential problem. Indeed, it may seem odd at first—how can anything grow and live in diesel fuel—but it is true, especially in warm and humid climates. And algae can live in diesel as well as biodiesel.

Algae, which looks like a dark green to black slime, may grow and thrive in the fuel tank and lines. It can be swept along with the fuel as it travels through the system, eventually getting trapped by the filter. As it grows and accumulates over the long haul, the algae can clog the fuel filter and prevent fuel flow.

Sludge

Sludge tends to be a problem that is mostly limited to older diesels that have accumulated years and miles. It’s a “blackish” substance similar to algae—though it’s not living. Sludge builds up in the fuel system over time. Basically, it’s “dirt” that settles to the bottom of the fuel tank. While it is generally harmless settled at the bottom of the fuel tank, when biodiesel is added to the mix, the sludge can be loosened and suspended in the fuel, causing the fuel filter to clog more quickly.

Found this on the internet and thought it might help out...

 

Bowlerman, you remind me of the Veggie Oil days. I used to run a blend of veggie and gasoline. One time when I was dewatering the oil, it got heated a little too long and polymerized. It gummed up every strainer I had in the truck. Biofuel and Veggie Oil blends seem to have a risk of leaving behind gunk. I had to drop everything and clean it out

 

It is easier for me to remove the bed than drop the tank, that is how I got to mine to clean it last week. I'm still working through some pointers Infidel and a few others offered me to correct my fuel pressure.

 

I had algae shut me down, did just what you describe. Only difference is mine was running good, then just shut off. Would start and run for about 20 seconds, then die. I changed the fuel filter (it was black), and then cleaned the pre-filter strainer, which was black also. That still didn't get me going so I had to call the tow truck. I had my fifth wheel hooked up and it was the first time I have ever been on the hooks. Dropped my tank the next night and the strainer was completely coated in the black slime. I was running Power Service Diesel Kleen at the time. Now I run a biocide and StaBil diesel formula fuel additive. I don't want that to happen again. I find it very easy to drop the tank, much easier than taking the bed off and can do it in about 15 minutes. Don't really see the big deal. I do have a couple of floor jacks though, one being a motorcycle jack that works great for lowering the tank. I just raise the motorcycle jack up to support the tank, loosen the tank straps all the way, disconnect all hoses and fittings, and then lower the tank. I then take my other floor jack and raise the truck just enough for the tank and jack to roll out from under the truck. Do my business and reverse the process. No problem.

 

I prefer to tilt the bed up to get at the sender but if you must drop the tank and don't have jacks a couple of ratchet type nylon webbing load tie down straps will do in a pinch.