air in lines? sucking noise by pump, dead in the woods
05-05-2006, 01:32 PM
#16
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Originally Posted by carl20320
If you are hearing a gurgling when you are pumping the lever, I'm guessing that you are pulling a vaccuum so I would suspect your pump is probably OK. That would mean you are pulling air in somewhere from the tank pickup to the lift pump inlet. As best as I can remember, that means 3 fittings ... One one the inlet of the lift pump, one where the steel line connects to the rubber line, and the one where the rubber line/connector connect to the "fuel pump" module. The last is what I woudl suspect first. That is a very fragile piece of plastic. Granted, it si pretty well protected up on top of the tank but it does not take much to break it ... trust me. 
It is also possible that the rubber hose has worn through somewhere as well.
If you are on a steep incline, especially nose down, your pickup couls easily be out of fuel as the pickup is pretty far in the back of the tank. I have run out of fuel coming down an overpass with a red light at the bottom of it when I had to stop pointed downhill.
OK, just thought of one more thing since I read you are running veggie oil. ARe you running 100%? Is there anyway that it has gelled? Since you can pump and build pressure but then start hearing the gurgling, if you have an obstruction, you are essentially vapor locking the system. When you let it sit, it will then pump fuel again briefly until you vapor lock again. Your fuel pump module (yes that is what it is really called even through there is not pump there) has a screen all the way around that serves as a course filter. Ifyou somehow had some unfiltered fuel or it is gelling, it could easily keep your pickup from pulling fuel.
Carl
It is also possible that the rubber hose has worn through somewhere as well.If you are on a steep incline, especially nose down, your pickup couls easily be out of fuel as the pickup is pretty far in the back of the tank. I have run out of fuel coming down an overpass with a red light at the bottom of it when I had to stop pointed downhill.
OK, just thought of one more thing since I read you are running veggie oil. ARe you running 100%? Is there anyway that it has gelled? Since you can pump and build pressure but then start hearing the gurgling, if you have an obstruction, you are essentially vapor locking the system. When you let it sit, it will then pump fuel again briefly until you vapor lock again. Your fuel pump module (yes that is what it is really called even through there is not pump there) has a screen all the way around that serves as a course filter. Ifyou somehow had some unfiltered fuel or it is gelling, it could easily keep your pickup from pulling fuel.
Carl
05-05-2006, 06:04 PM
#17
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Originally Posted by flashgordon
I due beleve that the first gen.are a copper line comeing out of the tank modgul,2nt and 3ds are plastic thow....but i still woun'nt rule it out!
One more thought. Veggie oil is actually a pretty good sovent for some things. Is this going into a tank that has had other stuff in it? A common problem with conversions to veggie oil/biodiesel is that the new fuel actually washes all the crud off the sides of the tank and breaks it loose from the bottom. Plugging has been an issue for several I have heard of.
Carl
05-05-2006, 06:28 PM
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theres a vary fine filter in the bottom of that tank modgul that would love to stop the crud and the fuel creating a vac on the suction side.......Ya, no it might just start and run for a little bit if thats the problem!
05-08-2006, 12:18 AM
#19
You will not BELIEVE this...
so I get up there, after purchasing a batch of new fuel line, hemming and hawing about buying a new pump... crawl under the car and start following fuel lines around, thinking it through...
and then I start focusing on the lines around the pump, as that's where I'd heard the noise... and before I can even start thinking through which line is which, I sort of grab each one and give a little shake and tug...
and the line into the lift pump just pulls off in my hand. When we put the whole veg system in and cut into that line to add the veg inputs... we (I swear it was my buddy, not me) never put a hose clamp on the thing.
It had been just *sitting* on there for well over 500 miles. I don't know why it was last week that it started taking in air, but it finally decided it had had enough.
I'm amazed. I'm amazed it took me this much to figure it out.
Anyway, on to the next thing.
Tys
and then I start focusing on the lines around the pump, as that's where I'd heard the noise... and before I can even start thinking through which line is which, I sort of grab each one and give a little shake and tug...
and the line into the lift pump just pulls off in my hand. When we put the whole veg system in and cut into that line to add the veg inputs... we (I swear it was my buddy, not me) never put a hose clamp on the thing.
It had been just *sitting* on there for well over 500 miles. I don't know why it was last week that it started taking in air, but it finally decided it had had enough.
I'm amazed. I'm amazed it took me this much to figure it out.
Anyway, on to the next thing.
Tys
05-08-2006, 11:28 AM
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Originally Posted by tyssniffen
so I get up there, after purchasing a batch of new fuel line, hemming and hawing about buying a new pump... crawl under the car and start following fuel lines around, thinking it through...
and then I start focusing on the lines around the pump, as that's where I'd heard the noise... and before I can even start thinking through which line is which, I sort of grab each one and give a little shake and tug...
and the line into the lift pump just pulls off in my hand. When we put the whole veg system in and cut into that line to add the veg inputs... we (I swear it was my buddy, not me) never put a hose clamp on the thing.
It had been just *sitting* on there for well over 500 miles. I don't know why it was last week that it started taking in air, but it finally decided it had had enough.
I'm amazed. I'm amazed it took me this much to figure it out.
Anyway, on to the next thing.
Tys
and then I start focusing on the lines around the pump, as that's where I'd heard the noise... and before I can even start thinking through which line is which, I sort of grab each one and give a little shake and tug...
and the line into the lift pump just pulls off in my hand. When we put the whole veg system in and cut into that line to add the veg inputs... we (I swear it was my buddy, not me) never put a hose clamp on the thing.
It had been just *sitting* on there for well over 500 miles. I don't know why it was last week that it started taking in air, but it finally decided it had had enough.
I'm amazed. I'm amazed it took me this much to figure it out.
Anyway, on to the next thing.
Tys
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