818 Fuel Problem?

[rumplecat]

Spent Friday in Hooks TX, picked up my compressor, medical chest and 5Ton Winch, had to wait an hour since someone came in early and got my appointment, no problem, I'm picking up my 5Ton! Traveled the 4 miles to Lone Star to pick up my long awaited M818 (6000 miles since rebuild), check all fluids hooked up the 4 batteries, made sure the fuel shutoff was not out, piston was in, she turned over great about the first minute or two had good smoke but would not crank! Primed each time, preheater light came on quickly. Turned over good and steady no more smoke, checked to make sure fuel cutoff was in, again. Both tanks are almost full, I added octane booster and five gallons of new fuel very little smoke no run. Sprayed a little WD 40 into breather would run for a few strokes. GL guy was ready to go(less that 2 hours), didn't have time to blow out fuel lines.

I am going back Monday week, I am going to blow out the fuel lines from tank to Filter(fuel in filter looked great no water). GL guy said this was the first one out of the 40 on the lot that did not start, am I lucky or what. When it smoked good for a min. or so when I first started does the IP have a small reserve the engine could have been running off? I had high hopes when it was truning over good and I had good smoke but that only lasted about 1-2 mins. of it truning over then almost no smoke after that, unless WD 40 was being sprayed? Its a 6 hour drive to test starting theories so I need some good advice before I get there!!!!
Thanks,
James G

 

[Pappa-G]

I see you looked at the fuel filter. Make sure the filter housing is full of fuel otherwise it takes forever to get it to run. I would turn the override out on the injector pump incase its not seeing battery power. Try switching tanks from left to right or vise versa. My left tank line draws air and makes the truck run like snot, switch tanks, problem gone.
Good luck with the recovery.

 

[rumplecat]

Tried the Tanks

Pappa-G:
Thanks for the response, I tried both tanks, same result, what does the bypass you mentioned look like? I am worried the IP is screwed up, that would stop me! If it runs with WD40 would that indicate the IP is functioning or would it run with the WD flowing through the air intake alone? One other piece of the puzzle is that the primer pump will not go into the locked position without a struggle on the first pump, and when you pump it the gage will show the pressure dropping off faster than you can lock it down. I tried pumping it while starting still no result. The primer will not hold pressure, and one pump of the handle runs it over the 120 mark and then it falls to 0 before you can hit the starter.
James

 

[jasonjc]

I can't find your # give me a call today and I will give you some more thing too check.

 

[Stonepicker1]

I see you looked at the fuel filter. Make sure the filter housing is full of fuel otherwise it takes forever to get it to run. I would turn the override out on the injector pump incase its not seeing battery power. Try switching tanks from left to right or vise versa. My left tank line draws air and makes the truck run like snot, switch tanks, problem gone.
Good luck with the recovery.

Sometime the top bolt on the filter housing doesn't seal letting air into the system. Had this happen to me before with the same problems as you. again, make sure the filter is good and the housing is full of fuel. Good Luck

 

[rumplecat]

Call Soon

Jason I will give you a call this afternoon, another question, to back up my batteries I have a 3kw diesel gen set with a slave cable connection, has anyone used a gen set to backup your batteries as you try to start. My batteries were pretty much drained after my last encounter with this 818? I am guessing the amps. from the gen set shouldn't be too much for the batteries are would the slave cable connection run straight to the starter pretty much bypassing the batteries?
James G.

 

[Stonepicker1]

James, I don't think a 3kw Gen with one 24 volt battery will start a M818 with four 12 volt batteries. The amps are just not their with the Gen running or not. (unless you are using the 3kw to charge the M818 batteries for a Loooooong time)
I would try to take some fully charged batteries their or see if the guy at GL can give you a jump. Ya, i know, some are a pain on the helping part.

 

[rumplecat]

Batteries are up

SP1:
I pulled the batteries and they are being charged now, I was just wondering if the gen set would keep them charged as I am starting the truck, cause I am not planning on leaving there empty handed this time. The GL guy is very helpful just not real handy with the truck, he did say he had some slave cables, but to be sure I will carry a set as well.
James G

 

[Pappa-G]

James,
on the forward side of the injector pump below the fuel shut-off lever is a knurled knob. Turn this in or out I cant remember which, anyhow what this thing does is by turning it you override the shutoff solenoid there by allowing the truck to be tow started in the absence of a charged battery though you will have to use the center dash mounted engine kill handle to shut the motor off.

I Hi-jacked this off another thread about non starting 5-tons;

This is one of those issues that the Cummins and the 818 has, or any of the 800 series with a fuel selector switch.
The 800 series does not have an in tank fuel pump so it is very unforgiving of any air leaks and can loose prime every quickly.
First off any time one removes the fuel filter canister to check or replace the fuel filter the system need to be re-primed. That is done by opening the bleeder valve under the hood up by the air intake tube next to the cold weather stating plug. Work the priming pump on the dash till fuel flows from the bleeder valve then close the valve. Then when you go to start the truck pump the priming pump till the truck starts and you may have to keep pumping till it is running. You will know when the system is primed because you won’t be able to pump the handle.
Now there will probably be a problem with the six fuel lines that go into the fuel selector valve. They are notorious for dry rotting and allowing air in. Even if they look good change them when you get a chance. To replace them it is tight but can be done by only removing the fuel can holder and the tool box.

There was another meathod mentioned for priming the system by pressurizing the tank with 1-2psi of air. I would be VERY cautious using this method it has JP-8 bath written all over it.

Good luck with the truck!

 

[derby]

Yes, prime the pi**out of it. When I changed my filter ,even full of fuel it took a lot of priming. My primer looses pressure,as does some other 800 series I have messed with.The IP is realy just a big fuel pump it only makes about 190 psi give or take. Did You try to start it before You pulled the filter can? and how about those gaskets? A little air will make a lot of work good luck!

 

[ARMYMAN30YearsPlus]

I don't know if you saw what was causing my M109 to start and then die. It was forklift damage to the fuel line smashed flat as a few sheets of paper and when bypassed the truck started and ran great.

 

[jasonjc]

There is a bleeder you need to open on the intake manifold to prim it.

 

[WillWagner]

Pappa-G: and when you pump it the gage will show the pressure dropping off faster than you can lock it down. I tried pumping it while starting still no result. The primer will not hold pressure, and one pump of the handle runs it over the 120 mark and then it falls to 0 before you can hit the starter.
James

That could be you issue. The primer will cause air to be introduced into the system. There are 4? o-rings on the primer pump shaft that could be the issue, or, the nut could be loose at the top of the primer, or the lines on the primer could be loose. It will run on WD-40 and has nada to do with the pump...it is an uncontrolled fuel source supplied in the intake. Keep us posted.

 

[jwaller]

James,
on the forward side of the injector pump below the fuel shut-off lever is a knurled knob. Turn this in or out I cant remember which, anyhow what this thing does is by turning it you override the shutoff solenoid there by allowing the truck to be tow started in the absence of a charged battery though you will have to use the center dash mounted engine kill handle to shut the motor off.

unscrew that bypass and make sure your electric shutoff solenoid isn't stuck shut. seen it several times.

if that works remember you will have to use the handle or put it in 5th and let the clutch out with the brakes on.

 

[jwaller]

2 orings on the primer pump. I found a set at ace hardware.

 

[bugei]

mine had simular symptoms, turned out to be the rubber hoses going to the tank switch was the problem. you rcan replace the hoses by just slitting the old ones at the connector and pushing new hose on (easier than a bunch of wrench work )

 

[Army Ed]

Slightly pressurizing the fuel system and spraying water on all the unions and so on helps out as well.Checking for bubbles .The fuel selector switch can be a pain but its were we had allot of issues in Iraq.Another big issue we had was having the fuel [ick up tubes breaking off in the tanks.but that was mostly with the M931A2 we had.

 

[Pappa-G]

Well did ya get it home?

 

[jasonjc]

YES YES UPDATE please. Did you get it home yet,did you get home yet????????????????

 

[rumplecat]

Not Yet

My son and I are heading down to Hooks this Sunday night so we can be ready to enter the Lone Star Munitions Depot as soon as they open. Jason I still plan on calling you for pointers. I am taking an air tank to blow out the lines and maybe pressurize the tank if needed to make sure I am getting fuel to the IP, the GL guy has slave cables so we are going to give it a hard run before I have it shipped!
James G