rlortie

A Newbie! First time owner of a 1992 D250, need input on VE pump: Ran home cooked bio fuel and now engine will not start once up to running temp. I carry and pour water on pump to cool it or have to sit until it cools off! This can get very embarrassing when stalled in a service station after fueling!
Looking for input and am wondering if possibly there is a repair for this other than replacing VE pump. Once started engine seems to run and pull OK! Always starts quickly with Just a touch of the switch when cool. .

rlortie

maybe368

I am no expert with the bio-fuel stuff, but a question: Was the truck run on bio-fuel previously? Maybe run it out and see if it runs ok with commercial diesel fuel. Did it do the same when you got it? The pros will chime in soon, good luck.Mark

rlortie

Thanks for responding to my thread Mark! I am the original owner of this 92 D250, I ran two 55 gallon barrels of bio-fuel until it clogged the pickup screen in the tank, this was over 1-1/2 years ago. been using commercial fuel since. Cleaned the screen and replaced the Water In Fuel filter. Being an older trucker I remembered years ago how we would dump a quart of ATF transmission fluid in the tank to clean the pump and injectors, tried that! Being the original and only owner of this vehicle for 27years, I have never had any major issues such as not starting once brought up to operating temperature. To continue the diagnostics: Pressure gauge attached between lift pump and Injector pump: reading and holding at 7 pounds. Read somewhere that an overheating pump may be caused by plugged return line. For what it is worth, a couple of years ago I replaced the original bed with a self designed flat bed. I installed a trap door directly over the fuel tank pick-up. Removal of four bolts gives me access to pull the unit from the tank! Ralph

maybe368

Ok, you had said "first time" owner, I thought that it meant that you had just bought your first, first gen. I have limited knowledge of the inner workings of the VE, but the experts will chime in. I think they may be at a rally this weekend....Mark

edwinsmith

I don't know for sure about the VE inj pump but if it's the original it probably has non-methanol resistant rubber seals and o-rings etc... It's possible something let go and you're on the bleeding edge of your pump going out completely.

You can get a re-seal kit on FleaBay for about $30 and try resealing it yourself or you can spend ca$1000 to get you pump repaired. The reseal kit has newer methanol resistant rubber parts I believe.

Edwin

rlortie

Edwin, thanks for your input! First off let me tell you a bit of my occupational career, I was a fire control tech in the Navy and went on to spend twenty years with the US Army Corps of Engineers as a hydro-electric mechanic/technician. attended many college classes learning to use "Occam's Razor" in trouble shooting. That is to say: If the problem is not probable then we look for the improbable.

I question the problem being bad seals as the pump will hold pressure, it will start (when cool) in a couple of revs or sooner without the lift pump having to build pressure. Once running it preforms good but appears to be using more fuel than it did before the problem started. Cannot be sure as my odometer gave up the ghost re-setting the trip odometer at 156K Recently pulled a 26' 5th wheel with a 14' slide out over hilly terrain for an estimated 60 miles without any problem. After completion of the trip the engine would not restart, I let it sit for 45 minutes and it immediately fired up!

Cannot find any threads on this forum or others related to this problem. I do not feel comfortable attempting to tear into this pump on my own. but your right! spending a grand on a rebuilt is not favored either!
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1992 D250 club cab 8' flat bed, Under bed Napa tool boxes the rest is all original.

Alec

If pouring water over the distributor head of the pump solves the problem, then it is most likely that your injection pump head assembly is worn out. However, if you have not already, remove the banjo bolt that attaches the return line to the pump, and make sure that the metered restriction in that bolt is not clogged. It is remotely possible that the pump is overheating due to insufficient fuel flow-through. It is also remotely possible that the plug in the end of the distributor head is loose (the large one, with the three-sided head, not the small one that can be removed to measure the timing/piston lift).

Both the poor mileage and hard/no start could be attributable to low injection pressure. This is normally due to excessive clearance between the piston and the head, or to fuel leaking past the aforementioned plug in the head (this leak is internal to the pump, injection pressure is sealed by a crush edge against a passage passage open to internal pump pressure which is sealed to the outside by an o-ring.)

rlortie

It has been suggested elsewhere that my problem may be with the fuel shutoff solenoid even though it makes an audible click when ignition is turned on. I have ordered a new solenoid and gasket rebuild kit from flea-bay! This brings another probable to mind. If the solenoid is working, this may explain the pressure gauge holding that is between lift pump and IP.

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1992 D250 club cab 8' flat bed, Under bed Napa tool boxes the rest is all original.

rlortie

Thanks for the input Alec! I will check out the return line banjo and distributor head plug first thing in the morning.

Ralph