• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

Holy hell 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

87cr250r

Well-known member
1,267
1,988
113
Location
Rodeo, Ca
Ball valves do not tolerate frequent opening and closing. The wipers wear out and manufacturers don't put much effort into the stem seals because the wipers wear out regardless.

Be mindful of materials used in your solenoid valve. Buna-N diaphragms have a similar life expectancy to your lift pump. If you can get metal, FKM, or PTFE diagrams your valve will be lifetime.

I do suggest using a normally open valve. What are the chances that you have a runaway and loss of 24V power at the same time?
 

Autonomy_Lost

Well-known member
687
1,537
93
Location
Pennsylvania
Unlike a solenoid value, no power is used once the valve is opened.

Got a run-away? Turn off the ignition, the value does not get power, automatically closes and shuts off fuel.
How can both things be true? If it needs no power once opened, then how does killing power turn it off?
 

frauhansen

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
276
538
93
Location
switzerland
simple! a spring loaded valve... with power a electro magent is opening the valve. Without power, the magent can not force against the spring and it closed.

But remember.. all this electric and electonic toys brings you anotehr point of failure.
For a case like this, a simple mechanical ballvalve is enough.

Life is a bitch! And if she can find a rusty fire extinguishers, she will **** you with this!
So it's up to you how many of them you want to install in your car.
 

Retiredwarhorses

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
4,397
4,181
113
Location
Brentwood, Calif
Guys, this is a rare occurrence, most of you have never even heard of this sort of thing happening let alone hearing of an owner
experiencing this failure, just dangle a pair of needle nose from your rear view mirror, or better yet for all the guys who like clutter in the cab, install a small box with the needle nose inside and a glass lid and a sign reading “smash glass in case of runaway motor”.
 

HUMMER H1

Well-known member
225
820
93
Location
California
Guys, this is a rare occurrence, most of you have never even heard of this sort of thing happening let alone hearing of an owner
experiencing this failure, just dangle a pair of needle nose from your rear view mirror, or better yet for all the guys who like clutter in the cab, install a small box with the needle nose inside and a glass lid and a sign reading “smash glass in case of runaway motor”.
defiantly agree that this was extremely rare situation,
over the years I have had about 20 H1 and humvee trucks, put over 400.000 miles combined,
I have never experienced something like this, or heard ( only you Steve)
this is so rare that even online can’t find any fake news about DB2 run away,

needle nose player or ball valve is the simplest solution
Ball valve before in between the line where in enters the injection pump, so it can be accessed from the cab, or needle nose super handy somewhere accessible.

those trucks are one reliable units, drive the heck out of them and enjoy.
 

Mainsail

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,502
1,676
113
Location
Puget Sound, WA
I have done a bunch of thinking and searching and I think, which is always questionable according to the wife, that I might have a solution that might satisfy both an anti-theift and run-away concerns without opening the hood.

I found a Motorized Ball Valve 24VDC with Auto Return. This valve is normally closed. So the theory goes, just power it with "Run" off the ignition switch, well almost, and the valve will open, let fuel flow and the engine run.

Unlike a solenoid value, no power is used once the valve is opened.

Got a run-away? Turn off the ignition, the value does not get power, automatically closes and shuts off fuel.

Live in da hood like me? Add a hidden switch that you can turn off the power and they won't get too far without fuel.

My only dilemma? Ignition Run does not provide power during cranking, so value will close during cranking. I am not sure if the engine will fire up without fuel during cranking.

I might just order it just to try it.

Thoughts?
The best engineering is the simplest engineering.

Unless you can find a solenoid strong enough to pinch a rubber fuel line, you'll be breaking the fuel path somewhere whether you use a manually operated valve or an electrically operated valve. If you use an electrically operated valve you'll be running wires, tapping connections, installing a switch... adding many failure points.

A manually operated valve needs no wiring, may be installed in the cab or somewhere in the left wheel-well accessible without opening the hood (that location allows it to be a theft device as well) and has such a high MTBF it isn't worth worrying about.
 

Mainsail

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,502
1,676
113
Location
Puget Sound, WA
defiantly agree that this was extremely rare situation,
over the years I have had about 20 H1 and humvee trucks, put over 400.000 miles combined,
I have never experienced something like this, or heard ( only you Steve)
this is so rare that even online can’t find any fake news about DB2 run away,

needle nose player or ball valve is the simplest solution
Ball valve before in between the line where in enters the injection pump, so it can be accessed from the cab, or needle nose super handy somewhere accessible.

those trucks are one reliable units, drive the heck out of them and enjoy.
Risk has two components, likelihood of occurrence, and consequences of occurrence.

Scoring this risk on the matrix seems to fall under 1 or 2, and neither scores high.

1706898743525.png

Agree. It's something to think about but enough risk to go crazy over.
 

FlameRed

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
345
527
93
Location
Florida
Do you have a link of that part ?
I just received mine and had not had a chance to play with it other than unboxing it. It opens when 24VDC is applied to the leads, and automatically closes when the votage is removed. It uses a capacitor to power the close without power.

It has some sort of dial on top of it with an arrow marked S one way and O the other. Turning it does not seem to do anything. Instructions have no mention of what it does. One would think this opens and closes the ball valve manually - one direction would Shut and the other Open, but it does not.

So I would wait until I have some time to try it on the truck.

Google: Motorized Ball Valve 1/2" Brass Ball Valve with Manual Function, Full Port, 9-24V AC/DC and 2 Wire Auto Return

I got the brass one because I found some 1/2" NPT to 3/8" barb fittings. But they offer a SS version also.

I would recommend waiting till I have it installed and see how it does. No need for other to suffer it it just another ChinesiumCrapulance!

EDIT: Finally figured out that if you pull up on the dial on top, it disenguages the motor and capacitor, and you can then open/close the value manually by turning the dial. As long as the dial remains clicked up, the value will stay at the manually set position. So if the motor/electronics fail, you should be able to easily keep the engine running if you mount the thing where it is easily accessible. There is a sight glass with a line that shows the valve's position so you know if it is opened or closed.
 
Last edited:

FlameRed

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
345
527
93
Location
Florida
My apologies for taking so long trying this ball valve out.

My first mistake is that the output line of the fuel filter is 3/8" while the input line is 1/4" from the tank. I had to go to Ace to get new fittings. I decided to connect it to the 1/4" side, which is the fuel filter intake, the hose with the easiest access.

I mocked this up and here are my findings.

  • The value take about a little over a second to open. More than enough time to open while you wait for the glow plugs to heat up with the wait light.
  • Once you crack open the fuel lines, the beast is a bit hard to start until the air is purged.
  • After purge, starting and stopping the engine and then restarting does not cause the valve to have any impact on the way the engine starts or stops. You will not know it is there.
  • If you turn the valve off electrically, using a switch, the engine will turn off at idle in 19 seconds. I assume a runaway would be faster.
  • I attached it to a 24V source that was easy to access nearby. The poster above is correct in that it has 24V during cranking too so the valve does not attempt to close during cranking.
  • I mocked up a bracket, to mount it. So what you see below is just me trying it out.
  • Electrically, there is 24V switched at the Cadillac value. at lead at lead 54A on the IP. Do not use any of the circuits involved with the fan clutch/Cadillac Valve as they can be switch off dead for Fording and guess what - your engine dies!
  • So it you turn off the ignition, the 24V goes away, the valve automatically closes, and the engine runs out of fuel in 19 seconds - all from the comfort of the driver's seat.
  • I will rig a switch on the underside of the interment panel inside on the ground side as a theft deterrent device I can turn on/off. Don't forget to put a fuse in it!
  • It has a dial that you lift up and it disengages the motor and you can manually turn it on or off. There is also a sight glass that shows you if the valve is opened or closed on in-between. So mount so that is easy to get to. I am also going to put nearby a simple trash bag tie-wrap to make sure the dial stays in the up position if the thing broke and I had to manually open it. The dial is spring loaded and with all the vibration will probably shut and the value will automatically turn off. So something to positively keep it in the up position.
20240206_154811.jpg

I cannot yet comment on the durability of this setup and how long it will may last. It may not. After-all, It is definitely Chineseium!
 
Last edited:
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks