Deuce stranded me/wife on the Highway

[Ridgerunner]

I took my Deuce out from the barn, for a drive, for the first time from sitting from a five month slumber. (40 deg. out, warmest so far this year) It started right up, as soon as I hit the starter button. Drove it to my shop (10 miles) with out a problem. Parked it inside (72 deg.) while I loaded up 30 sheets of 3/4" plywood in the back. When I went to pull out of the shop, it took a quite a few pushes of the starter button/cranking to get it to start. Enough so, that my wife gave me a WTH look, while she waited to open the overhead door. With the truck running, We headed home. Got about five miles, and the truck quit running like it was out of fuel. So here we sit on the side of the highway with a dead truck. Turns over, but doesn't even attempt to fire. Tank has about 3" of clean fuel in the bottom of it. Opened the petcock on the primary fuel filter and nothing comes out. Lift pump is dead now also. Fuse is good, pump just no worky. My brother was driving by, seen the truck and pulled over. Not much shoulder with all the snow yet, so we tow strapped it off the highway to a house, which it now sits in their driveway. It's not in the greatest neighborhood either, but as they say... any port in a storm.

This is my first Diesel, what should be my plan of attack?

 

[porkysplace]

Put at least 10 gallons of fuel in it , your pick-up may not be set to the very bottom of the tank.

 

[Triple C]

I would rig a aftermarket lift pump to deliver fuel to the IP (don't forget a filter) and get it home. Then work on replacing the factory lift pump.

 

[AceHigh]

Some run fine without the in-tank pump, I had one that simply did not. Some of the pumps just come apart at the bottom but you can still hear the motor.

One time I replaced the in-tank pump with an external one just above the fuel tank, used the same wiring and all. Very easy. A pump can be had at most truck suppliers.

 

[AceHigh]

Put at least 10 gallons of fuel in it , your pick-up may not be set to the very bottom of the tank.

If this is the case you should be able to hear the pump whirring. It has to be a quiet area though. A great suggestion and easy to try.

 

[zout]

This is my first Diesel, what should be my plan of attack?

Tell your wife it was on purpose as you wanted HER to buy you lunch !!

 

[General Mcgregor]

This has happened to me twice, once because the pumping cavity fell apart inside the tank and another time because the pump overheated. Both times I could hear the pump trying to run. I saw a great mod a while ago, an air valve on the tank that let you re prime with your onboard air in the event of a pump failure.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Yup as stated:
put fuel in it
check in-tank pump
I'd bet its one of those 2 things.

 

[zout]

Besides my thought of a free lunch - how much time did ya spend pre-tripping the truck for clearance for take off ?

Ever watch them pilots on the ground before you take off going over the plane for about half hour - taking off without any pre trip would be like your pilot coming on the speakers while your all loaded and staging - comes over the speaker and says to ya all - HEY ya all - WE get to save a half hour on our flight to where ever because I short cutted and did not pre-trip the aircraft - hopefully ya all get there but for one I would be bailing out of that aircraft.

Pre trip - Post trip - just like the big boys do (or are suppose to do)

 

[FormerNewMVGuy]

One of my trucks had the pump set, at least four inches from the bottom of the tank.
Something to check

 

[RodUSMC1962]

I think in some trucks that might not be enough fuel to pick up. Why would you run it down to three inches?

 

[zout]

HEY ROD - When I lived in Mich for many years (and my wife is a Hollander) we use to call them Hollanders - cheap o kind of thing - Take NO Affence to this please and you probably heard it anyhow living up there in Holland Mich - I still deal with Holland 5th wheel company all the time so it never goes away.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My brother had 4 gallon of gasoline in a can for his snow blower in the back of his truck. We dumped that and the three quarts of oil he had also, in the tank just to see if the fuel level made a difference.

Even with that, nothing came out the primary filter.

 

[Ridgerunner]

This is why I assume the lift pump is not working. (fuse good, but no hum or fuel out the filter)

 

[Ridgerunner]

This is my first Diesel, what should be my plan of attack?

Tell your wife it was on purpose as you wanted HER to buy you lunch !!

Funny you say that, we were going to stop to eat on the way home...

 

[ATPTac]

If you ran the truck out of fuel and your in tank pump is dead, priming the system is going to be a blast . You're probably going to need to get the in tank pump working, get plenty of fuel in there, and bleed the system.

 

[doghead]

Go get a $30 12 volt(because thats what is in stock) inline fuel pump at any local auto parts house.

Get 4' od 3/8" fuel line to connect to it(2' on either side).

Stick one end in the tank (remove filler screen).

Stick the other end over the fuel line after removing the nut at the top of the tank.

Connect to one battery, prime system, drive home and fix your intank pump later.

 

[gimpyrobb]

My brother had 4 gallon of gasoline in a can for his snow blower in the back of his truck. We dumped that and the three quarts of oil he had also, in the tank just to see if the fuel level made a difference.

Even with that, nothing came out the primary filter.

If memory serves me correct, a 5gal jerry can(poured into the fuel tank) only raises the level of fuel in the tank less than one inch. If the fuel level is below the strainer "cage" (fuel filler neck thingy) I would say you need more fuel.

 

[Heath_h49008]

You need a hand? Call me and I can be on my way.

Second Idea would be pour 5+ gallons of good diesel in the tank and get an air pig, and blowgun attachment out of the barn, and pump it up to as high as you think she'll take. Grab the cap off of the parts truck and drill a hole in it, then after you've put the fuel in, pressurize the tank with the air pig while you crank it. Once she get's primed the main pump will suck hard enough to draw fuel to get her home. Try a few squerts of WD 40 into the mushroom while you crank her.

The lift pump was bad to begin with, she primed during the long cranking, and when you were driving her the fuel sloshed and she lost prime/sucked air into the line.

 

[dmetalmiki]

With those symptoms (and the intank pump not running) it sounds like it was very low on fuel, hard start then went 5 miles. Now it will be air locked so adding fuel is too late. It will have to be primed and bled to run again. Any truck pump (temporarly) fitted now should get you home.