Per advice gratefully received from this site, I want to remove the fuel cut-off solenoid to see of there is some sort of obstruction that is preventing my truck from idling reliably. How is this done? Do you just unscrew it? I've looked & it seems pretty straightforward, but I thought I'd check with the more experienced. Thanx in advance for any help, & ESPECIALLY any pix provided.
- Chris

 

Well, if your mess is anything like mine, the solenoid pretty much just screws in and is sealed by way of an O-Ring.

The biggest stink is getting a dag-gum wrench to fit. And IF you can, you've then got to get the wrench past all the stuff around it. It's a PITA!.

However, to make life much easier, do as another good member here suggests (I can't remember who it was that said it).

Where the two wires connect at the top, go ahead and unplug them. Now remove the little nut at the top of the solenoid. That will allow you to remove the dual tanged thing that the wires connect to. You'll need to do this as when turning the solenoid, the tangs will run into the pump.

Having done that, now take a hammer and chisel and with the chisel set to the right of one of the flats on the solenoid, smack it so as to bump the solenoid loose. You may have to pop it a couple or three times to get the solenoid loose enough to finish removing it by hand. The goal is to loosen the threads.

Works like a champ.

Hope this helps.

 

Remove the accelerator linkage bracket from the engine, 2 nuts, 1 bolt, and a few pieces of linkage and springs. Remove wires from solenoid. Use 15/16 open end wrench to initially loosen solenoid (you should be able to loosen then solenoid even with the wrench at a 45 degree angle). Use common pliers to remove from pump quickly.

 

Thanks very much for the help-- just what I needed!
- Chris

 

It also helps to hack the extra material off the injection pump bracket. That thing sticks up way higher than is needed. If you chop it down some it gives you room to swing a wrench.

When you put it back together, replace those two spade connectors with ring terminals. Much more secure connection that way.

 

Dont feel bad, those solenoids can be a pain. Listen to there advise.
I believe those solenoids can cause a slight power loss on the top end.
unfortunately both my trucks have the plunger removed so it is totally useless other than stopping a fuel leak.
I still experience an idle fluxuation when it is really hot out. It seems to idle at a lower RPM when its hot and I have been working it hard.
Maybe that is the question for our CTD experts. What causes the engine to idle way low in the summer after a good hard run.

 

I have been having this same problem and it was especially bad if I had the AC on. Even stepping on the brakes would lower the idle. I then did some rewireing of the main harness and since then its not as bad, although it hasn't been as hot lately. So I think some of it is if the voltage at the solenoid is low it will cause the low idle. I also think my pump has a lot of wear on it. I wonder if a new/reman pump would do that same thing?

 

Interesting, What I dont understand is the voltage does not matter, my plungers have been removed. It still does the low idle after a good work out. The pump is less than 2 years old. HMM

 

After I went into my solenoid the second time I removed the plunger and the spring and joined the Pull Cable Club.