• Welcome to The Truck Stop! We see you haven't REGISTERED yet.

    Your truck knowledge is missing!
    • Registration is FREE , all we need is your birthday and email. (We don't share ANY data with ANYONE)
    • We have tons of knowledge here for your diesel truck!
    • Post your own topics and reply to existing threads to help others out!
    • NO ADS! The site is fully functional and ad free!
    CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

    Problems registering? Click here to contact us!

    Already registered, but need a PASSWORD RESET? CLICK HERE TO RESET YOUR PASSWORD!

so yeah - i got (semi) stranded... in nashville, TN. some help with failure analysis?

I had exact symptoms in the summer of '07. It did turn out to be the OPS. Did a fuel pump relay mod for piece of mind and a fuel pressure gauge after the replacement.
 
If there is a harbor frieght in/near that city or any autoparts store a fuel pressure guage for about 10 bux with 10 feet of rubber hose to see in cab.

FWIW, when my intank sock clogs up, the IP will start to run vacuum instead of pressure as its sucking so hard to get fuel.

Eventually it will make me stutter, but it does code me. OBd2 '97.

Why on earth would you take it to a dealership to change the fuel filter?

With a ton of continuous driving, and random spots to get fuel, getting a cruddy batch is a REAL possiblility. Since your LP is new, if your OPS is powering your LP and no fuel pressure, could need a blast of air (lungs even) into the tank from the LP inlet.

1/2 socket, 5/8 and 3/4 wrenches IIRC is all you need. And a big breath of air.
 
OK, so here is what i did wrong.

I am a type A personality, i cannot handle if something does not work.
anything NEEDS to be fixed immediately right then and there.
I am sure some suspected that I MIGHT be anal-retentive and plagued by Obsessive Compulsive Disorders ;-)

All i would have had to do is wait 3 hours for morning to come around in Ellensburg, WA and ask Bill Heath.

he carefully listened to my symptoms, thought about it for like 25 secs and said:

Nick - I want you to crack open the fuel cap so there is no vacuum created in the tank. It sounds like there is a fuel "leak" and that the vacuum is causing the fuel side to draw in air.

I did as the Obi-Wan Kenobi of 6.5s said and I thought I will be damned. the truck has started as normal ever since then EVERY SINGLE TIME. Bill's further instructions was to wash out the valley underneath the intake and monitor and see if i can find the leak.

A similar occurrence for TurbDoc was caused by just "lossened" clamps on the fuel lines on the bottom of the fuel filter manager - so I am keeping an eye out, since i cannot find a leak and will change them lines and replace the clamps with real hose clamps.

But seriously - the truck really has not skipped a single beat after loosening the fuel cap. I wanted to kick myself for not showing patience and waiting to asking....
Ben_Kenobi.jpg


But now the force is strong in me again ;-)
All that is still bugging me is the rattling heat shield now and I just might sneak out one night and take out the turbo just to fix that ;-)
 
Nice, and your fuel cap is a diesel cap?

Its odd that you never had the problem before. Sucks that things have to spring when you really need it to work right.
 
Maybe I am reading Heath's advice wrong, but wouldn't he be speaking of a leak between the tank and the lift pump?
 
no he is / was assuming a leak between fuel filter manager and the IP.
Maybe my wording is off, but his advice was right on the money (as always).

Nice, and your fuel cap is a diesel cap?

Its odd that you never had the problem before. Sucks that things have to spring when you really need it to work right.

Yeah - murphy's law i guess. Is there a non diesel cap ?
you caught me off guard with that question. it is the same as always i know that,
i was not aware there were different ones.
i will take a closer look - let me know if there are differences i can see right away.
 
Well, the easiest way is the diesel cap will say "Diesel" and gas cap usually don't say anything. With environmental issue, gas cap usually seals very tight while diesel will be vented cap. There is an article at the Place FAQ about the cap.

The challenge is that there are not too many part store sells diesel cap.
 
I know there is foam and all that stuff going on in your tank if it is not under vacuum, but I gutted my fuel cap 3 years ago and have never had any issues. Knock on wood!
 
finally, finally, finally

OK guys, without many words I would like to reveal the culprit of all the symptoms of this and some of my last posts and one pic of the solution. I am not going to say much more about it because if I did i might throw up thinking about it. Just needed to post this as reminder for you guys and that my example might be of use to others....

And FYI - the diesel cap is SUPPOSED to create a minimal vacuum in the tank. this is what it is supposed to do.
It was just a work around until I found the "leak".
 

Attachments

  • IMG_9220.jpg
    IMG_9220.jpg
    39.1 KB · Views: 43
  • IMG_9223.jpg
    IMG_9223.jpg
    40.8 KB · Views: 43
  • IMG_9228.jpg
    IMG_9228.jpg
    47 KB · Views: 41
  • IMG_9235.jpg
    IMG_9235.jpg
    40.9 KB · Views: 41
yeah, but if I told you what it cost my in the end you are might throw up too.
I actually almost did not get the truck back when i refused to sign the bill.

what a nightmare.

but at least the truck runs as new again now.
we finally made it this morning .....

90 miles to cuba.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_9469.jpg
    IMG_9469.jpg
    56.8 KB · Views: 12
Sounds pretty bad, thats why I do everything myself. When I work on the tank like that I brush paint all that with epoxy paint and primer. They seem to rust up like crazy, I guess they get alot of salt water splashed on it. In the high school auto shop would would gover it in a big glob of greese.

My dad replaced all that on his 89 gasser and had to order it from a dealer and I think it was around $700 for the whole new unit, pump and all.
 
Back
Top