There's probably a few of us - like me! - who would be a little lost if the truck suddenly died like a heart shot lion or gradually sputtered, limped to the side of the road and expired with a wheeze. I know my way around a gasser but diesels are still a little bit of a mystery. Whats the checklist - how do you go about it?

 

Actually, a diesel has far less to trouble-shoot than a gas-burner.

A mechanical diesel only needs air and fuel to run.

Most need a working 12-volt fuel-solenoid to allow fuel into the injection-pump, but this can be eliminated and a manual kill-cable used.

99% of the time, when a diesel quits and dies, it is due to either lack of fuel, or intrusion of air into the fuel system; the other 1% is caused by the fuel-solenoid.

The 1st. Gen. Bosch VE can and will continue to run when the diaphragm lift-pump has ceased to function.

The best diagnostic tool you can have is an in-cab mechanical fuel-pressure gauge, plumbed in between the filter and injection-pump, and keep your eyes glued to it.

Even better is to mount a second gauge between the lift-pump and filter.

I agree; a good trouble-shooting diagram would be helpful, especially to those not yet experienced enough to track down problems.

 

I think the problem might be organizing all the info that would be needed to make a good "flow chart" type thread and fitting into something compact enough to be usefull...you'd wind up having a small book just on diagnosing the problems...

I mean, lets say you are driving along, loose power and die.. will crank strong but not re-start.. or will it not crank? manual or auto? what mods have been done that might affect the trouble shooting guides?( piston pump or FSO by-passed for example)...

ok? so lets just write one for a bone-stock truck.. that still leaves two or more branches to a flow-chart right there at our dead truck scenario...

i mean it just might not be too practical to try and write up one thing that would cover it all...

I guess you could condense it to three areas, but if you can remember those, you realy dont need anything to carry with you........
Fuel- is it getting any? why not?
Air -is it getting enough?
All other....everything else that could go wrong and probably did....
but that would still be a few pages of info....

 

This wouldn't have to be in novel form, just the basics. For instance; to check for fuel, first check__________, then__________, etc. For more detail on something specific I can edjamacate myself with the stickys once I know what I need to edgacate myself about!

 

i like the idea. if i had the talent to build a diagnoses tree i would .