M109 She Beast is down - Fuel System Failure

[LowTech]

On 6 between the Cali stateline and the turn to N 360. It looks like we are West of Mnt Montgomery on the map.
Have food and shelter w/ the rig.
The problem - non starting. Will start on starting fluid, then dies. Don't have loads of info because I'm not driving her. I do have the Draggin here as well. Also sounds like its missing. Have been leaking around hh/compresser. Haven't been able to pinpoint it.
Will be starting some trouble shooting now.
Have limited cell access.

 

[LowTech]

No fuel to bleeder on secondarys . Pressure at primary. Changed primary filter. Still no fuel at bleeder. Pulled secondary. Low fuel in can. Activated pump w/ can off, no fuel. ???

 

[shenkmen]

Pinched hose between primary fuel filter and secondary filters?

 

[LowTech]

Checked that. Put in New primary & secondary, even though they were fairly new. Spent long time getting fuel to bleeder. She's running now and we are rolling south to Bishop and down 395. Please keep an eye out for us.
Hopefully all is good.

Thank you all, it's nice to know we have this helpline.

 

[Trailboss]

Glad you're rolling again, hopefully with no further hiccups. Do you carry a tow bar for emergencies since you have 2 MVs?

 

[LowTech]

Thanks, and no we don't have a tow bar, yet!
I often think about getting one it just hasn't made it to the top of the list.
Takes a lot just keeping them both rolling
My live-in trailer project will be eating the next batch of funds. Now if someone wanted to sponsor us w/ a towbar we would def be singing their praises

 

[Jeepsinker]

Replace that in tank pump. Or put an air fitting on the tank so you can use air pressure from the truck or another truck to prime the fuel system when it leaks down like that.

 

[LowTech]

Like that idea. I'm still wondering what would cause the filter can to be half empty.

Could a Mod remove the "Emergency" from the title please. Thank you for putting it there, it made us feel important

 

[Adrian A]

Glad all is well.

 

[Jeepsinker]

Filter can was half empty because there was no fuel coming from the tank pump to fill the void. Did you check the fuse on top of the pump?

 

[LowTech]

The fuse was good, could hear it running, and the bottoms can't fall off ours.
I guess it's the physics that I don't get. If the fuel in the filters is pulled from the top, how can it drain half the can? Doesn't seem like it could suction it up. And we weren't able get it running in the morning, after driving all day the day before. So what? We pulled that much fuel, suction wise, out of the can trying to start it?
Like I said, it doesn't make any sense to me. :-/

 

[Adrian A]

The transfer pump is suppsed to fill the filters and such. Perhaps the transfer pump is not strong enough to overcome the air. Have you pressurized the tank to Help the pump out? If you have any air available. Perhaps there is an internal leak in the tank bleeding pressure passed the pump. If the pump is running but your not getting pressure at the filters, id suspect the transfer pump or lines.

 

[peashooter]

Might want to look at the transfer pump thats attached to the Injector Pump a bit more if you had fuel pressure after the primary filter. Here is a recent thread on a different problem but its about the transfer pump or "mechanical boost pump" as its titled in this thread HERE

 

[KaiserM109]

Replace that in tank pump...

!!!!

I struggled with my M109 after I let it run out of fuel. I went cheap and put on an inline pump ($75 instead of $220) and it still wouldn't run right. Finally I put on a brand new in-tank pump from Olympic and a lot of problems went away.

You can get pull-out pumps, and they are better than none, but be very skeptical.

 

[welldigger]

The in tank pump is also supposed to fill the secondary filters. If it pushes fuel to the primary filter then the pump is working. I suggest pulling the in tank pump and checking the fuel line that goes from the pump to the top of the tank. It seems to me you have a leak that is small enough to allow fuel to the primary housing but won't allow enough fuel to reach the secondary housing. This leak could also feed air into the fuel system causing priming issues as well.

 

[HanksDeuce]

Pull your in-tank pump and check the discharge hose. Mine had a hole in the hose and it completely fell off with a touch of my finger. I replaced the hose and put better clamps on.

Here is a page dedicated to pulling my in-tank pump and repairing the damaged/loose discharge line.

http://hanksdeuce.com/fuel_pump_hose_fix.htm

 

[Jeepsinker]

I second all of the above.

 

[61sleepercab]

I had a fuel filter on a gas engine that had fuel just touching the paper element and the paper element wicked enough fuel to run the power unit. Maybe your duece was wicking fuel out of the filter leaving 1/2 in the filter can?

 

[goldneagle]

I think it is the intank pump. Either partly clogged with debris or the hose on it is damaged or leaking. Easy fix. Replaced the hose on the pump on mine.

 

[gimpyrobb]

This thread is a year old. Pretty sure its up and running again.