On any given day, my truck starts up with just a bump to the starter.

This morning, I go to start the truck and it takes several sessions of cranking on the starter before she starts.

I get to work, she sits about 10 hours and I end up repeating the process to get her to start... several cranking sessions before she starts.

I cranked with my foot slightly on the throttle, and again with no throttle.

Once she starts, I get her warmed up, turn her off, and she'll fire right back up with just a bump to the starter.
While running, I can sense no difference in performance or hear nothing unusual.

Is this a sign of a leaking fuel return line?
If so, does anyone have any tips/tricks on how to get to that return line?

Do I have a failing fuel solenoid?

???

Thanks to all.
Rich

 

Sounds like your fuel pump is going. The diaphragm isn't holding (kinda like a check valve) and instead it's letting fuel drain back into the tank.

 

Could be as you said to, hole in the fuel line. Only way I can think of finding it is block the fuel outlet off on the fuel pump then pressurize the tank to no more than 10 lbs. Look all along the fuel line for leaks. No leaks, bad fuel pump.

 

Fuel hose from the injector return always start leaking. If never replaced most probable cause for long crank time. Runs behind the fuel filter and up to a bracket left side rear of cylinder head then down to a steel line on left side of trans.

 

Easy to figure out, after she has set long enough to normally be hard to start, use the priming function to prime it, if you don't hear the overflow valve the first time you push the pump, keep doing so until you hear it sing. If it starts right up, you have a leak, probably on the return line. If it doesn't start right up, try manually running the solenoid lever, sometimes they get stiff with rust.

 

By far the most common cause of hard start is a leak in the 5/16" x two foot hose in red below.
Remove fuel filter to get at it.

 

Thanks for all the responses. I really appreciate the input.

Thanks infidel,
I did a quick check last night by running my hands as far around the fuel filter as I could reach... I did not feel any signs of fuel moisture. However, I could not reach that far back there very well.
That pictures helps a lot.
I will see if I can grow some more joints in my arm and neck to reach those locations and check it out again tonight.

*** ON EDIT ***
Thanks for the pic Infidel.
That helps a lot and answered some of the questions that I had originally posted


Rich

 

You can't see the hose in red unless you have a really skinny head.
It all has to be done by feel.
The hose clamp where the return line changes from metal to hose is just forward of the fuel filter.

 

I called Cummins this morning and they were sure it was a lift pump as they say thats what most commonly fails.
( I speculate thats one of the most expensive items to fail and, of course, the first item they will want to replace ).

Truck still sits in my garage as I didnt even try to start here today and caught a ride into work with a nearby co-worker.
Is it going to cause anything to dry out and damage anything by letting her sit with the fuel drained back to the tank?

 

I checked on the fuel lines (noted in red above).
The fuel line is a bit chaffed where the hose clamp is located (Between the thread holes in the clamp itself), but the hoses appear to clear of cracks and moisture from fuel.

So, it was sitting for two days.
After checking the lines, I finally found the primer button and pushed once, I could hear a 'hiss' sound. I assume that was the over-flow valving "Singing" as described above.
I pushed it again just to make sure and heard the same 'hiss'.
After checking out everything one more time, I went to start it up and it fired right up on just a bump of the starter.

I plan to let it sit for a while and try to start it again without using the prime button.

 

do you still have a fuel heater on your truck? this will give you the exact same symptoms as the cracked fuel line

 

Here is a very good write up on the whole system. Several things can make it hard to start.

http://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/94...m-writeup.html

 

Thanks guys.

I'll provide a quick update:

As mentioned, I got her to start last night, but I did prime the system by pushing the primer button twice.
So, I let her sit all night.
When I went out to start her this morning, she fired right up with no issue.

Now, Im really perplexed.

 

Take your IP solenoid off and look for a rusty rod end or dirty/glopped up plunger.

That can start out as an intermittent no start as well. The boot rots off the solenoid and gunk builds up.

Clean it all up, foster truck sells just the rubber boot cheap.

 

Thanks patdaly.
Will check that out.