Fergavs

I never thought it would happen. The old Cummins is so basic I thought it was dead reliable. As it turns out last night 60km from home its just dead. Cruising down the highway 65mph and truck stalls out and dies. I hit the key and it just cranked, so I coast to the side of the road. 1st check the injection pump wires, they look clean and tight but I spray with carb cleaner anyway but no help. I crack the fuel line after the LP at block and pump my piston lift pump, get fuel right away and pressure is good. No help. Crack 3 injector lines and crank engine, lots of fuel and good pressure but no help. Close those lines and crack 2 more(cant get a cylinder #1 with crescent wrench or pliers,only tools in truck)crank and get fuel and good pressure but still no help. So I'm stumped guys. On these trucks as long as you have fuel it should run shouldn't it? Could I have fuel at injectors but bad wire on the pump? If so do I just need to feed the pump 12v on both wires? Anybody have any other suggestions?

JD730

You can try feeding 12v right to the pump and see what happens, you should hear it click. Or you can take it out and take the plunger and spring out. Put it back together and if it won't start then, then you have some other issues.

jogl

Just for fun crack one or two of the injector lines at the IP and see what happens.

A month or so ago my wife ran mine out of fuel. I put fuel in and started bleeding. Good fuel pressure, no air at LP, filter, IP, injectors, but no fire.

I was almost ready to call for a tow to get her home to the shop when I decided to crack a couple injector lines right at the IP, just for fun.

It fired right off. Coincidence? I don't think so.

Can't hurt to try.

JP.

BearKiller

Unhook the grid-heater wires.

Take the air-intake tube loose at the intake-horn on left side of engine.

Mist ether (starting fluid) into the intake, while someone is cranking.

Don't drown it, just a mist.

It should start hitting on the ether.

When it stops trying to run, crank some more with more misting ether.

If it hits and starts to run, you can probably drive it.

If it hits on ether, but won't otherwise run, it is probably injection-pump time.

Put the intake back together, before taking off down the road.

timb

BearKiller, dont think that I am ******* on you for saying this. But dont use ether on these engines. They will start just as easily with WD40 but with a lot less violent of an explosion in the cylinder. I do agree with everything that you said, except for the ether.

Fergavs

I'm pretty good with these engines/drive trains but is pulling the fuel solenoid something I can do on the side of the road with a few hand tools without hopefully losing any small/tiny parts. Or should I tow to shop first. This is of course if the WD40 Method doesnt work first.

jjdiesel1990

mine did the same thing and even though i had good pressure everywhere, it wouldn't run because there was a hairline crack in the fuel line. IT DIDN'T LEAK ANY VISIBLE FUEL THOUGH but it let air into the lines. get a can and fill it with diesel and connect your in and out line to it, prime the pump and i bet it fires up.

wannadiesel

You are going to need a big wrench, I think it's 22 or 27 mm. To loosen it up it may take a smack from a hammer and a punch. The only things you can lose are the plunger and spring but the truck will run without them.

Drop the throttle bracket (two 1/2" nuts and a 10 mm bolt) and pop the linkage off the pump for more working room.

DBF

The fuel's got to be at a high enough pressure to "pop" the injector. Are you sure the pressure out of the injection pump is high enough?

Regards, DBF

BearKiller

No offense taken.

I used to swear by WD-40 as a starting fluid.

It used to work better than any starting fluid made, even better than ether.

Then, they changed the contents and, from my past few experiences, I may as well have sprayed water in the intake.

WD-40 used to be highly volatile; but, now, it will put fires out, at least the cans they have on the shelves in my area.

Have you used it as a starting fluid recently??

Maybe this watered-down stuff is a regional thing.

Fergavs

OK checked all the lines by poping them off the injectors one at a time, cranking the engine to check for fuel, then reinstalling partially, cranking till good fuel then tightening. This did nothing. Didnt have any ether but the wd40 did nothing. After seeing the spray from the injector line I think maybe I dont have enough volume/presure. There wasnt a harsh intense spray outta the line just kind of a quick shot. I just thought because the line was open it wasnt building big presure. How should it look? I also direct wired the injection pump to the battery to rule it out as faulty wiring. Should I be able to hear the fuel solenoid click or make some noise when 12v is applied? I could hear nothing. I need a reason to build a custom pump but would rather not have to today.

bgilbert

Pull the solenoid, remove the spring and plunger, reinstall the solenoid, then try starting. Use ether not WD. I use it ALL the time, minus grid heater.

1stGen545

Mine did the same thing It got some fuel but not enough to pop the injector. If you are not getting any smoke wile cranking it is prob the solenoid. Any thing else it will usualy still smoke some while cranking. pull it and take out the plunger and spring like Wanna said. You can do it with a 15/16 crows foot with the edges ground down thin and a woble with a 6" extinsion with out removing anything else. take the spade conecter off the top so it will not hit the anaroid. Then you can put a cable from inside the cab to the manual kill on the side of the pump and it will even run with out a batery.

Fergavs

We are talking about the solenoid at the quick connector towards the rear upper side of the injection pump. I ask because it doesnt look like there is room for a large wrench(22mm+) Am I looking at the wrong connection?

wannadiesel

Yeah, it is tough to get in there. Some guys have used a hammer and punch to knock it loose.