Sudden shutdown (again) - Truck will not re-start

[cattlerepairman]

*updated* Sudden shutdown (again) - Truck will not re-start

Had one weird episode two years ago (almost exactly to the day): http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?77049-Sudden-shutdown-cause

The same thing happened again. This time en route to home, with a 4 1/2 ton load of gravel.
Driving normally, about 45 mph. No feeling of power loss, no excessive smoke or strange engine noises. I went up over an overpass and on the downhill the engine simply shut off, as if someone had pulled the shutoff lever.
I coasted to a stop at the side of the road. My tank is, again 1/4 full, so initially I thought "darn, ran out of fuel". I have not worked on or tampered with any component of the fuel or injection system in a long time. Truck has been running flawlessly for two years.
Last weekend (!!) I installed the tow bar brackets in the bed and carried the tow bar for the first outing. A friend towed me, gravel and all, with his Toyota Tundra (!) in 4WD low about a kilometre to his yard where the truck sits now, safe and off the road. Don't ask how we rigged the tow bar to his ball hitch; we got there, slowly and safely.

Here is the result of the primary examination of the patient:

• fuel in tank
• in-tank pump runs
• cracking the bleeder on the spin-on primary fuel filter drenched my shirt in diesel spraying out under pressure (in-tank pump works).
• With the in-tank pump off, the fuel merely runs out slowly.
• cracked injector lines at the injectors with shop towel around the fitting; cranked engine: no fuel at injectors
• shutoff appears to operate normally; the collar slides backwards when pulling the shutoff and forward when released; it appears to sit against something when it is forward; appears normal?
• took batteries out and put them on a charger; they were getting weak.

• Unrelated, when pulling the snorkel off the air intake there was a "nest" of torn up shop towels and hair. Looked like a mouse or chipmunk nest. I have no idea how they can get in there. The air filter is on one side and the "snorkel" with the wire mesh on the other side. I had everything off two weeks ago when I installed the hood lift and it was clean then. Weird. Cleaned it out but that still does not give me fuel at the injectors.

I stopped at NAPA and, following the principle of simple things first, picked up a new primary and secondary spin-on fuel filter.

Where do I go from here? I have never tampered with the HH and am reluctant to start. Advice welcomed!
I am planning to follow the advice in this thread: http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?69241-Removing-rebuilding-reinstalling-Hydraulic-Head

 

[Woodsplinter]

I can't really help but I think the experts are gonna have you check the HH. I've never messed with mine but you might wanna start reviewing threads on removing the HH and checking that "button" thing, etc.

Good luck- keep us rookies informed how this turns out!

 

[Jeepsinker]

Yep, the button fell off. Pull the HH.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Did you pull the plug in the center of the Hyd head and check to see if the plunger goes up and down? Thats what I'd do first, after what you posted.

 

[cattlerepairman]

Did you pull the plug in the center of the Hyd head and check to see if the plunger goes up and down? Thats what I'd do first, after what you posted.

Will do right after work today and report back.

 

[RAYZER]

Worked on a multifuel a couple weeks ago that wouldn't start, pulled the HH center bolt to check for plunger movement and got a little because the button (although fallen off) was laying in the right spot to cause a small amount of plunger compression.
So.....don't be fooled, i was!

 

[gimpyrobb]

Yes, there should be about a quarter inch of movement(calibrated finger scale!).

 

[Floridianson]

Ray brought it up and I think it was decided that checking if the plunger is going up and down is not a good test. It will still go up and down with the button off. Someone with a dial indiacator would have to measure a correct working plunger then remove the button and take another measurement to get us a reading.

 

[oddshot]

I am planning to follow the advice in this thread: http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?69241-Removing-rebuilding-reinstalling-Hydraulic-Head

THAT is a GREAT thread with a lot of very import and useful information. Somehow I had missed it before. I learned a great deal from it.

Thank you for bringing it up, and a belated thank you to everyone who contributed to it.

 

[Woodsplinter]

Hey Gimp- would you please change your avatar? Takes me forever to get past your posts. Lol

 

[gimpyrobb]

Hey Gimp- would you please change your avatar? Takes me forever to get past your posts. Lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsnEIjgqW7A

 

[Woodsplinter]

Uuuh, no...

 

[cattlerepairman]

Update:

• removed injection lines and centre hex bolt
• unplugged in-tank pump so I could bump the starter without fuel spills
• measured plunger, bumped starter, measured plunger again - it seemed to have moved (have no soldier B)
• removed shutoff cover - lever sat in the 6 o'clock position and moved to 7 o'clock after playing with it
• removed hydraulic head.
• no parts had fallen off; it all looked good
• re-assembled with 3 new Viton o-rings
• upon re-start she would not idle; would run ok on 1000+ rpm.
• tore it all back down; had a terrible time finding the timing mark in the vanishing daylight, so did not pull the HH again.
• Found nothing amiss; put it all back together
• now it ran fine from the get-go, idles perfectly, plenty of power, back to normal. No visible leakage although I tore up the metal fiber gasket for the shutoff cover.
• New Chinese HH on order - just in case. That is a spare I'd like to have.

My sincere thanks to everybody that posted pictures or descriptions of removing the HH. Without this information I would not have attempted to tear into the injection system like that and my truck would still be u/s. This is a great site and a helpful community!

 

[cattlerepairman]

I am positive that the only abnormality was the "stuck"(?) shutoff lever under the cover. How this could "trip" while driving, with the shutoff lever locked into place by the arm of the acc switch, is beyond me.

I have another question:

While disassembling, I noticed diesel fuel in all the injection ports of the hydraulic head. In the hole for cylinder #6 the fuel looked rusty. What's up with that? Fuel comes from a common source. I cleaned up the port, but...????

 

[Wildchild467]

Make I would pull your in tank pump and check how far it goes down per the TM. If you said you had a 1/4 tank of fuel and we're going up or down and incline... I bet you starved the pump. Sometimes it's good to start with the simple things like making sure it has enough fuel. When I changed my in tank pump I checked the depth of the pump per the manual and it was actually a couple inches too high. So I lowered it to the right depth that is specified in the TM. So mix that factor in with your fuel gage might be off a little (maybe) and that could cause you to run out of fuel. Just another thought.

 

[cattlerepairman]

Make I would pull your in tank pump and check how far it goes down per the TM. If you said you had a 1/4 tank of fuel and we're going up or down and incline... I bet you starved the pump. Sometimes it's good to start with the simple things like making sure it has enough fuel. When I changed my in tank pump I checked the depth of the pump per the manual and it was actually a couple inches too high. So I lowered it to the right depth that is specified in the TM. So mix that factor in with your fuel gage might be off a little (maybe) and that could cause you to run out of fuel. Just another thought.

Thanks, very true. That was actually my first thought, so I poured a jerry can of diesel into the tank right away. Still did not start. A diesel soaked shirt later (note to self: put rag around drain plug on primary filter when loosening to check for fuel pressure) I also knew that the in-tank pump was pushing fuel up the line and it was getting to the IP.

 

[Wildchild467]

Try putting more fuel in the tank. I know you already put some in, but its not like it would go to waste since you are going to keep using the truck after. You said you replaced all 3 filters, right?

 

[mobileauto2000]

The rust was most likely from the fuel line. It will grind to a powder and fall into the HH head as you unscrew the line.

 

[Djstorm100]

The rust was most likely from the fuel line. It will grind to a powder and fall into the HH head as you unscrew the line.

Is there a way to remove the rust form fuel line by soaking or only getting replacements. Would hate to think rust is getting in to the engine.

 

[mobileauto2000]

Just rinse the fittings with some brake clean and install, You will be fine. It comes from the outside of the line and is not a problem once they are installed.