Hi y'all!

1989 CTD 2WD single cab with automatic transmission.

I drove my truck the other day... and it was fine and running terrific like it normally does. The next morning went to start it and it would crank, and crank, and then barely catch.. run terrible... till the idle got slower and slowwwwer then die. Then crank & crank & it acts like wants to start... but not. Then Crank & crank & nothing....

I changed the fuel filter, and then cranked & cranked... then vroom... ran like a champ! I was thrilled, took it for a test drive for about 15 minutes, perfecto

The next day, today, I started it up the first time and it ran terrible. Glug glug glug... like a cylinder wasnt firing... revving the motor sounds just like a gasser would if there was a bad plug wire. I went ahead moved the trailer I needed to with the truck in the yard, got the truck stuck (Not unusual) so I shut it down. When I came back to start it and put it in nutural to pull it out... it cranked, cranked... acted like it was gonna catch... gonna catch... closer... and then its started again... but still running like it was last time... glug glug glug and revving like a gasser with a bad plug.

I dont think its anything major... I hope not at least... but I dont know what to check! Any ideas? Thanks!

 

Check your fuel supply lines for an air leak.

 

It's not cold enought to be gelling where your at is it?

 

Hi,

No... its not really that cold here... mid 40's or so. How do I check the fuel lines for air leaks??

 

Pressurize the fuel tank (just a couple psi is enough, the "standard procedure" is a shop rag wrapped around your air nozzle) and watch for drips. The steel lines rot out where they touch the frame and the hoses crack.

 

Kewl deal thanks, I'll give that a shot and see what I can see! I'll let ya know.

thanks

 

Real quick... I just went outside and cracked open each of the injectors... thinking there was air in the lines... some foamed... then just shot diesel at me... but as I cracked each one open... the engine smoothed out and its sitting outside right now idiling perfect! BUT at the place where the injector goes into the motor.. there is a larger nut... and the second one in (From radiator back) is foaming at the base. I suspect thats where my air leak is... I'm fixin to go back out and see if I can tighten that one up and hope that fixes it....

 

its a 24mm wrench or socket for that big nut,hope that helps

 

A leak there will not put air in the injection system, you are leaking compression there. You do need to fix it, but it's not what's causing your starting/running problems.

 

Sounds like you may have a tank full of crap. Did you try changing the fuel filter one more time? In a truck I had, I clogged a couple fuel filters in just a few min of run time, I was getting a bunch of rust/crap from the tank. Sounds kind of like that to me, it slowly chokes it untill it runs bad and eventually wont start.

Just a thought.

Jason

 

Hi... just wanted to update the thread. It seems that the problem is fixed I believe that I got a sudden burst of crap that clogged the old filter... before I changed it I burned off all the fuel between the filter and motor... I put on a new filter and didnt prime / purge it properly... and eventually when I cracked the injectors to bleed them when the motor was running... it lined itself out and has been running terrific since! No hint of a problem at all anymore.

Very soon, I'll address the compression leak I described that wannadiesel pointed out for me, but for the moment... I'm back in business!

My wife thinks its funny that I'd rather drive this 89' truck... than my gas 03' chevy 1500 I think she understands though...

Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

Torque spec for the injector nut (24mm/ 15/16") is 44ft-lbs when you get around to it.