No Fuel, No Start, No Idea

[coolnick73]

Please help. In the fall I parked my deuce with ¼ of a tank of diesel according to the gauge (which turned out to be less than 1/8 of a tank). It never ran out of fuel or coughed or missed, I shut it down in the normal way.
Next spring I went to fire it up and it wouldn’t start. I checked the fuel manually and added 40 gallons of fresh diesel, still wouldn’t start. I researched SS and changed the fuse in the fuel pump (which I found in the home electrical section of a hardware store). The in tank pump now pumps fuel as it will squirt out the purge valves on the secondary fuel filters. It still didn’t start. Next with more research on SS, I changed all three fuel filters, still no starting. Next I looked at the fuel cut-off lever. It was sort of gummy so I cleaned it in place with some carb cleaner and now it springs back to the 7 o’clock position by itself. Still won’t start. Lastly, I took the bolt out of the top of the hydraulic head (HH), with the help of a remote starter button, I was able to observe the plunger spinning and going up and down, still didn’t start. It will kick over when I use either so I know it has compression.
What is my next step? From my readings, it sounds as if the HH isn’t my problem which will make me very happy, however I am now stumped. Any help would be great.
In conclusion:
· Fresh fuel
· In tank fuse replaced, and working
· Fuel filters all replaced and air purged
· Fuel cutoff lever cleaned (in place) an is not sticky
· HH plunger observed spinning and going up and down (fuel will flow from middle bolt of HH when it is out)

Thanks

 

[gimpyrobb]

Once in a while, I have to give the trucks a whiff of starter fluid to get the system primed and it works like normal after that.

Sit in drivers seat with pass windshield open, start to turn motor over, spray fluid out of window toward mushroom cap, a 2 or 3 count is usually all thats needed.

 

[coolnick73]

Wow you must have some Inspector Gadget arms, "Go-Go gadget ether arm". I tried that and it will only run when there is ether, once I stop spraying, the engine stops. Also, there is really no smoke coming out of the exhaust like it would usually do when it is running on diesel.

I never removed the fuel cut-off valve when I cleaned it (I was scared of snipping the safety wire). Do you think the little tip on the end of the fuel cut-off rod is stuck in the wrong spot?

 

[Ferroequinologist]

Crack the lines at the injectors, see if fuel is making it there.

 

[welldigger]

Just because the plunger in the hydraulic head is going up and down doesn't mean the retainer and button didn't fall off of the bottom of the hh.

 

[coolnick73]

I cracked 4 out of six lines just before the injectors and nothing came out.

When you have the bolt of of the middle of the HH, is fuel supposed to shoot out? Mine, when the ignition is off will start to ooze fuel after a few rotations.

Welldigger, by button do you mean the semi bow tie shaped piece of metal?

 

[Ferroequinologist]

No fuel at the injectors indicates a bad HH.

 

[welldigger]

I cracked 4 out of six lines just before the injectors and nothing came out.

When you have the bolt of of the middle of the HH, is fuel supposed to shoot out? Mine, when the ignition is off will start to ooze fuel after a few rotations.

Welldigger, by button do you mean the semi bow tie shaped piece of metal?

No I mean a circular piece of metal on the very bottom of the hh. It literally looks like a button.

 

[Opie]

I just revived mine after six years sitting in the yard. I had the same issue. My brother-in-law found that whatever the fuel cutoff cable attaches to inside the housing for the mechanical fuel pump (forgive me, I'm sure there's a name for it.) was sticking. With some manual opening and closing of this item, then replacing the cable and cover, it started right up. I was really lucky, as I didn't want to go through the rebuild the fuel pump game.

 

[Floridianson]

Crack the lines at the injectors, see if fuel is making it there.

I don't like cracking injector lines or removing the center plug for the head. By just cracking the bleed at the finals or removing the fuel line at the HH and there is fuel there when the in tank is running then something is wrong in the head. Waist more time and can cause more problems than it's worth. Any truck that has sat awhile the shut down cover needs to be removed and fuel control needs to be checked for free play. If the HH has fuel and the fuel control is correct pull the head. Also you do not have to remove the injector lines from the injector to replace the HH.

 

[Floridianson]

No fuel at the injectors indicates a bad HH.

No could be a sticking fuel control. Fuel at the head and fuel control working trouble with HH.

 

[coolnick73]

No could be a sticking fuel control. Fuel at the head and fuel control working trouble with HH.

By "fuel control" do you refer to the fuel cut off lever or are you talking about something related to the throttle? I haven't messed around with the throttle, but I have seen the external linkage working. If something was wrong with the throttle, wouldn't the engine still fire, (either idle only or full throttle only)?

If you can't tell by now I am looking for all options before having to remove the HH!

 

[frank8003]

Another, she was good running and now wont run at all............

Lots of real good information in here
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?78640-stuck-in-full-throttle-multi

 

[Floridianson]

Thanks to gimpyrob for the pic of the fuel control assembly.!

 

[coolnick73]

OK, So I have done more reading and staring at the TM. So the plunger in the HH goes up by a cam, compressing the fuel and the quill shaft spins it around where it then can shoot a pressurized up to the injector (it helps me to be able to understand the mechanics so I am not as intimidated).

I have also worked through the stages of grief and am now on acceptance that my HH is going to have to come off, I will probably swing back around to anger when I go to pull the HH.

So my question is: Assuming the button has fallen off, what should I replace since I am in there?

 

[welldigger]

The clip that holds the button and the hh o rings.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Its best to open it up and see whats going on in there. You might only need a button clip, you might need a button, a clip, a butterfly washer, or even a quill shaft.

 

[NovacaineFix]

This may have been already covered but I'll ask anyway. Does it run, even just, briefly when you spray ether into the intake?

If so, that's good. As for your HH, I'm not familiar with that one, so I will refer to the experts for that one. I find it is easier to bring things down to basics.
In my case, the truck was sitting for a long while.
The fuel filter was bone dry, filled up with fresh diesel, still nothing.
Sprayed ether, would run for a sec then die. Was hoping it would run long enough to start pulling fuel on it's own, it didn't.
Used a transfer pump, siphoned fuel from the newly filled fuel filter up to the IP.
After a few sprays of ether, started sputtering, then came alive.
Probably had a very small air leak in the fuel line that caused it to lose prime.

Now this is all "assuming" that your HH and IP are all in good working order.
Good Luck and hope you get it running.

 

[coolnick73]

This may have been already covered but I'll ask anyway. Does it run, even just, briefly when you spray ether into the intake?

If so, that's good. As for your HH, I'm not familiar with that one, so I will refer to the experts for that one. I find it is easier to bring things down to basics.
In my case, the truck was sitting for a long while.
The fuel filter was bone dry, filled up with fresh diesel, still nothing.
Sprayed ether, would run for a sec then die. Was hoping it would run long enough to start pulling fuel on it's own, it didn't.
Used a transfer pump, siphoned fuel from the newly filled fuel filter up to the IP.
After a few sprays of ether, started sputtering, then came alive.
Probably had a very small air leak in the fuel line that caused it to lose prime.

Now this is all "assuming" that your HH and IP are all in good working order.
Good Luck and hope you get it running.

Yep, she'll kick over with ether. I think I have it narrowed down to clip and button coming off the plunger in the HH. I sort of want to have the parts on hand before I open it up, but I will probably take Gimp's advice and open up first.

 

[coolnick73]

Its best to open it up and see whats going on in there. You might only need a button clip, you might need a button, a clip, a butterfly washer, or even a quill shaft.

Just when I was coming to terms with having to open up the HH, you had to bring out the quill shaft! I am hoping that's OK as I can see it spinning and going up and down through the middle bolt.

Just to be clear when I go to pull the HH. The red tooth and the scored tooth are the same, right? On the Removing the HH sticky, it shows the red mark not right in the middle. There is a little arrow in the middle sort of obscured by the cutoff valve lever if I'm not mistaken.