oh man, guess what happened on the way home...

i was driving slowly and the motor just quit, i shifted my automatic tranny into neutral and pulled over to the side of the road.

my truck is 91 3/4 4wheel drive heavy duty with the CTD.

i started to troubleshoot, but everything seemed okay. although, my tank guage said i had just about 1/4 of a tank, i have always been able to drive it on down past the 1/8 mark.

but anyway, i made sure my electronic fuel cut-off switch was still hot, and it was. then i loosened the fuel filter and hit the lever on the fuel pump and instantly fuel overflows from filter on to the ground. so i have plenty of fuel too.

so then, i figured i must have gotten air in the lines, or some gelling or something (gelling not likely in my opinion as today was rather warm @50degrees f.) but anyway, i broke loose five of the six fuel lines on the head and turned the motor over to see fuel shoot up in the air from all of them. so now i know the motor is getting fuel.

then i undid the airbox and pulled filter out of the box a little to get in some air, just in case the orignal duct had something in there blocking air flow, and turned motor over again, still it would not start.

now i decide to remove 1 valve cover to see if the valves are opening and closeing. and yes they are. i put that back on and spin the motor a few more times. its spinning really fast but just wont start.

so i called a friend and she gave me a ride home and my truck is still out there waiting for me to get it. i guess tomarrow i call a wrecker and tow it home or something and try to get it going.

right now, all i can figure is that it may not be getting enough fuel pressure anymore, any ideas out there guys?

 

If you are getting fuel and you have no air into the system. The only thing left to check would be the fuel shutoff solenoid. Did you check the spade terminals on the solenoid to make sure they are making a good connection? Those plastic coverings on them can fool ya. If this does not cure the problem, I would suggest unscrewing the solenoid and taking the spring and seat out. Try to start the truck. If it starts, you will have to use the fuel cutoff lever on the drivers side of the VE pump just behind the throttle lever.

 

is it really that easy to remove the silinoid or is there more to it than that?

im going to try that tonight after work. thanks

97catintenn

 

The hardest part is getting a wrench on the rascal. You may have to remove your throttle linkage bracket to gain access. Be careful when you pull the solenoid out to not loose the spring and seat.

 

well, i just got home (7pm) from trailering my truck home. i had to call up good ole dad and his 99 dodge CTD to save me, heehee.

so nows its in the yard in the dark in the cold (30f), and i have changed my mind about working on it tonight. maybe in the morning or after work, ill do some shade tree mechanicing and see what happens.

oh and that solenoid is like 150 bux at dodge! yikes!!

 

Your VW dealer has it cheaper.

 

If shut off looks OK (plunger moves up and down and rubber tip is all there) when you pull it out, I would crack 3 injector lines and crank engine over to see if you are getting fuel to the injectors. If not then you have air in the system or the pump is bad.

 

As far as I can tell it cant be your fuel shutoff solenoid. If the fuel is getting through the lines to the injectors where you broke them loose, it has to be something else. Correct me if I am wrong, but the shutoff soleniod stops the fuel flow completely correct?

 

redwhite, i asked a freind of mine and he told me that it could be stuck half way open, thus the fuel at the head. he also says i could have a stopped up return (fuel) line causing the problem. what he suggested was trying to start it with starting fluid after disconnecting the heater grid.

so today when i got home, thats what i did. and yep, she fired up and then died. so at least now we have narrowed it down to fuel supply. i have rewired the shut off solinoid (i mean, i undid the orignal electrical wire and ran a new one from the battery stright to it) in case it wasnt getting enough power and while doing so, all was quite.

are you suppose to hear that thing click or something, cause i was right there under the hood running a short (fused) peice of wire to it and never heard anything? maybe thats a sign of it being stuck? i dunnno.

attempting to dissemble it doesnt look as stright forward as it sounds, or maybe im not looking at it right. wish i had a manual, what manual do you guys have? a few years ago, i got the haynes edition that had 91 3/4 trucks in it, but it doesnt have any deisels and i havent seen one yet.

guess i'll go back to tinkering, i just wanted to let you guys know that it did fire up with starting fluid.

hey nascar mark, i have already bled my fuel lines, read my first post

97catintenn out...

 

Yes, it has met an untimely death. It should click when 12V are hooked to it. They are kind of a PITA to get out, they are not in there real tight though. Backyard trick would be a pin punch and hammer and tap on the flutes to loosen it. (counterclockwise). Once loose and every thing is spotlessly clean around it, take it out. There will be a small spring like a ball point pen either in the end of it or in the pump. Underneath that is a small plunger like thingee, like a carburetor float valve. Other people have mentioned the VW replacement, I've had a used one in mine forever. Just ask for a fuel shut off solenoid for a 78 Diesel Rabbit and you'll be fine. Cleanliness is of utmost importance, so prepare ahead of time to be able to eat off of it. Good Luck, JIm

 

okay, here is a pic of my injector pump. now, correct me if im wrong on any of this, but the wire with the blue connector is connected to the fuel shut off soleniod. that is what has to be removed. now, when i loosen the 6point located just below that electrical connection, does something left stright up? if so, it looks like it will hit that thingy above it, that has four screws, one at each corner in it. does that get removed too? i mean, depending on how long this thing is it might hit it.

and 2manydogs, you did an excellant job of confusing me with the use of the word flutes ; )

whats a flute?

 

The six point thing is the solenoid, you unscrew it and pull it out. It will clear the AFC housing. Don't lose the plunger and spring that are inside it.

A flute is something you toot.


Actually a flute is a groove in a cylinder, like a spline but shallower. I think he meant to say "flat", though.

 

yeppee! thanks for all the help. i just now finished removing the shut off soleniod, spring, and plunger w/oring.

then i placed my thumb over the hole and fired up the motor, and after a few roll overs SHE FREAKIN STARTED IDLEING ON HER OWN!!! i even hit the throttle to hear her really purrr, and she did just as she should.

but then the pressure on my thumb grew too strong, so i decided to remove my thumb and release the fuel pressure so the motor would die. so i remove my thumb and fuel just starts shooting everywhere, like a fire hydrant, and then it doesnt even kill the motor! it was still idling and just letting the fuel spray!! so i did what any other red neck would do and hit the throttle wide freakin open...she reved up for a second but then choked herself calmly down to zero rpm.

monty mentioned a lever that would shut the fuel off in his first post, but i cant find it. where the heck is it? what does it look like?

 

Good to see you got it running again. However, be sure you screw the solenoid back in without the plunger and seat. Do not leave it open as you will get the outcome that you encountered. (Hey we all gotta learn sometime. )

Looking at the picture posted above..you will see a throttle lever right in the middle of the pump right above the KSB. This is your shutdown lever.

 

you guys kill me with all your lingo! KSB, whats a KSB? VE pump, is this the fuel injector pump? AFC housing? whats in there?

whats all that stuff do?

Monty, thanks for a fast reply. i'll go out and tinker a little more.

oh and i ordered the VW part at work today, just on the facts that were given to me here.

the guy in NV said "that part list for 110.00"
i said "what? that part is worth less than 40"
he says "well, thats the list price, lets see how much it is? humm, ahh, here it is. 40.90"
me "okay, i need it shipped to tennessee."
him "tennessee? you cant find it out there?"
me "nope, and i heard you had one so im calling you."
him, and this is were it got intresting "really? whats this going to go on? a dodge truck or something?"

hehe, so i guess im not the only one calling him for a vw shut off peice. thanks to the link by wannadeisel, i had found a phone number posted by another member.