A3 Fuel Tank and Lines cleaning?

[my69camaro]

A3 Wont stay running.. Fuel issue.

Picked up my Dads M35A3 yesterday up in Sparta... The guys there wanted to get us loaded up quick so they fired the truck up and drove it out of the lot so we could get it on the trailer easier. It ran for a few minutes while we were getting ready to load it then stalled out. Wont fire unless you hit it with either, and it wont run for more than a few seconds... Turns over fine.

Now the fuel tank is half full of some nasty smelling stuff so were hoping the works are just gummed up.. Fuel filter said it was changed in 06. Everything looks good, just dusty.

What is the correct way to clean the lines and tank? I'm going to drain the fuel out today after work. Can I blast compressed air from the filter back to the tank without damaging anything? I have TMs for A2's but can't find what I need for A3's.

 

[Troll1216]

Let me know what happens, I have a clogged vent line in my multi

 

[tjmilitary]

you used a trailer? I figured you guys would just drive it back. Hopefully someone can help you out with the fuel problem. We have a parade Monday

 

[Heavysteven]

I don't have an A3 but I would drain the tank. Drain plug at the bottom. Clean it with diesel and change the fuel filters. If that fails then I would consider blowing the lines.

 

[my69camaro]

Drained the tank, about 30gal of red off road diesel. There was a tacky/sticky redish paste coating the bottom of the tank thats about 1/8in thick. Scooped it out, very thin layer up the sides of the tank and going up the pickup tube.
Hope to get filters later today and around 10gal of new diesel.

 

[my69camaro]

Cleaned tank, new filter, and 20gal of fresh diesel... Truck fired up fairly quick, ran for a min or so then died... Tried cranking it a few more times and got nowhere. Then used the either start and it fired up... This time we held it at 1,000rpm for about 2-3min then it started to stumble and died again. Tried cranking a few more times but it won't restart.

The drain at the filter is releasing much more fuel now than before the cleaning so there must be issues at the pump?

 

[tjmilitary]

I was hopeing someone on here could give you a little bit of good advice so you would be good for the parade. Oh well I guess no A3 in the parade this year.

 

[my69camaro]

Yep looks like it will just be the 818 tomorrow.

It's something stupid with the A3, when running everything sounds good. After looking it over the filter is after the pump, and I'm getting good fuel flow so the pump must be fine. Maybe air at injectors? Checked return line going back to the tank and there was a very very small trickle of fuel when I first opened it. Didn't seem to get any fuel there after cranking once.