Reduced Power C& Acert

[TGeorge]

I recently installed the kit from https://ifskit.com/the-ifs-kit on my 2006 M1078A1 with a C& Acert Cat. Very Nice kit, a couple hours to installed, everything needed was furnished. Zero complaints with the Kit.

First few startups required extended cranking, but everything starts easy now. Except not much power above idle.

Only change was the filter kit. I've checked the wastegate, it seems to move when I apply air to the inlet. The exhaust brake butterfly assembly seems to be seized in the retracted position, but I suspect it's been that way a while.

Next I plan to replace the fuel filter, mostly because I have one and I'm unlikely to fubar that.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Tobin

 

[Ronmar]

Well if it was OK before the IFS kit?…

Is it possible to install the IFS backwards? Filters are typically designed for flow in one particular direction… Have you removed and inspected the IFS filter? You could probably remove the IFS filter and run it with just an empty filter housing to test a fouled/defective filter theory. You could also probably re-install the original high pressure line between pump and head…

Did you flush all the new lines before installation? If there was debris in a line, that may have fouled injectors…

Have you consulted with the IFS manufacturer?

if I recall HEUI oil pressure is measured and regulated at the HEUI pump by the ECU, so a restriction in flow after the pump to the injector inlet could really cause pressure delivery issues at the injectors, same as a kink in a garden hose restricts flow and pressure at the nozzle when it is opened… But the ECU sampling and regulating before the restriction would probably not throw a check engine light, because it sees everything as OK…

Lack of fuel could also cause this. Does the fuel primer get firm quickly when you depress it? A leak admitting air to the fuel system can cause lack of HP, and fuel to drainback which would lead to hard starts and a mushy primer pump until you pump it enough to push all the air thru the system, providing it isnt leaking faster than you can pump… there is a test port after the HEUI pump and before the secondary filter to test baseline fuel pressure. 10 psi while cranking, ~25@ idle up to 60 PSI by peak torque(1400RPM). It should also be steady. fluctuations usually indicate air being pulled thru the system. Here is a video of my 3116 with a small air leak(The base fuel system on 3116, 3126 and C7 are all basically the same). This gauge has a ”snubber” or pulsation dampner built into it, without it, the needle on a regular gauge is a blur. You can create the same dampening on a poly line to a simple mechanical oil gauge, by squeezing the line down so the gauge will see the average pressure minus pulsations.

 

[Ronmar]

In this vid I show hooking up a basic mechanical oil pressure gauge kit to measure Primary fuel pressure. I used a C-clamp to squeeze the line to dampen pulsations, so it worked like the installed gauge in the above video.

 

[TGeorge]

Well if it was OK before the IFS kit?…

Is it possible to install the IFS backwards? Filters are typically designed for flow in one particular direction… Have you removed and inspected the IFS filter? You could probably remove the IFS filter and run it with just an empty filter housing to test a fouled/defective filter theory. You could also probably re-install the original high pressure line between pump and head…

Did you flush all the new lines before installation? If there was debris in a line, that may have fouled injectors…

Have you consulted with the IFS manufacturer?

if I recall HEUI oil pressure is measured and regulated at the HEUI pump by the ECU, so a restriction in flow after the pump to the injector inlet could really cause pressure delivery issues at the injectors, same as a kink in a garden hose restricts flow and pressure at the nozzle when it is opened… But the ECU sampling and regulating before the restriction would probably not throw a check engine light, because it sees everything as OK…

Lack of fuel could also cause this. Does the fuel primer get firm quickly when you depress it? A leak admitting air to the fuel system can cause lack of HP, and fuel to drainback which would lead to hard starts and a mushy primer pump until you pump it enough to push all the air thru the system, providing it isnt leaking faster than you can pump… there is a test port after the HEUI pump and before the secondary filter to test baseline fuel pressure. 10 psi while cranking, ~25@ idle up to 60 PSI by peak torque(1400RPM). It should also be steady. fluctuations usually indicate air being pulled thru the system. Here is a video of my 3116 with a small air leak(The base fuel system on 3116, 3126 and C7 are all basically the same). This gauge has a ”snubber” or pulsation dampner built into it, without it, the needle on a regular gauge is a blur. You can create the same dampening on a poly line to a simple mechanical oil gauge, by squeezing the line down so the gauge will see the average pressure minus pulsations.

Thanks. I have verified the new filter is installed with the correct flow. I used to operate and rebuild 60,000 psi water jet cutting pumps. They yare giant hydraulic pumps running intensifiers much like the injectors in my C7. I'm a little anal about cleanliness and anything HP. I did contact IFS, great folks, George responded with a couple Ideas. Switching back to the hard line is a bit of chore, but I might try that. Thanks for the tip about the gauge snubber. Pretty sure I have box of those somewhere, takeoffs from past salvage projects. I've done a bunch of work with high pressure gas, 6000-8000 psi and gauge orofice restrictors are pretty common to limit losses if a gauge pops. I'd love to know more about the dual digital readouts in your video, very cool. Thanks for knowledge dump!

 

[Ronmar]

The Dual digital came from Summit or off Amazon, would have to look it up. My CTIS controller was bricked when I got my truck, and I didn’t want to throw money at another when they appear to be a fairly high failure item. So I configured a manual electric control. The top display on that digital is basically wet tank pressure as measured at the fan control solenoid, so it only reads wet tank pressure when it is over the 85PSI protection valve cutoff point. The lower display is CTIS manifold pressure, which when the system is pressurized, shows tire pressure.

I wont be towing anything with air brakes, so I put my finished system in the dash where the trailer control was located.
Here is a vid.

Here was the prototype I made out of the case of my original dead controller…

 

[TGeorge]

Thanks to all for the sage advise. I've solved the lack 'o' power issue. When I installed the IFS kit I removed the induction pipe that runs from the intercooler to the inlet of the intake manifold for better access to the heui pump lines. There is a silicone hose section with pair of clamps on each end of a formed aluminum pipe. Apparently I failed to fully make up one of the clamps and boost blew the hose loose. Refitted the hose and clamps and bingo, full power has returned. Off to the optometrist, as apparently I can't see the forest for the trees........

 

[coachgeo]

Thanks to all for the sage advise. I've solved the lack 'o' power issue. When I installed the IFS kit I removed the induction pipe that runs from the intercooler to the inlet of the intake manifold for better access to the heui pump lines. There is a silicone hose section with pair of clamps on each end of a formed aluminum pipe. Apparently I failed to fully make up one of the clamps and boost blew the hose loose. Refitted the hose and clamps and bingo, full power has returned. Off to the optometrist, as apparently I can't see the forest for the trees........ View attachment 896661

it's always something stupid right.

 

[TGeorge]

it's always something stupid right.

More often it's *SOMEBODY* that's stupid.