My shop van runs rough

[Earth]

my new shop van came off the trailer with a chain. They drag started it at fort drum and the driver said they "had to pull it a long ways" So we just pulled it off the low boy and then I bled out the filters--getting fuel at all three and no water. But the fuel smelled more like paint thinner than diesel. I cleaned out the filters and had to put the old ones back in because the NAPA ones were too short. The ones on the truck looked Very clean anyways. With the electric pump on I cracked a couple injector lines and was getting fuel all the way through. But it wouldn't fire, just cranked away. Then I hooked it up to a log truck and popped the clutch in 3rd. It started, but rough, and kept stalling. We were persistent and it finally stayed running. I unchained it and started for home. It didn't have power going up the BIG hill, ran incredibly rough and stalled. Pulled it three miles home on a chain.

I started it up here at the farm and let it run for several hours. The oil pressure is good, temperature good, air pressure good. I didn't test it out much but I did drive it around some. Running better. But I'm thinking I should drain out that old crap fuel and use it to start the burn piles? Could old fuel be the hard starting/rough running/ low power problem?

 

[roscoe]

Thats what I would do.

 

[jrou111]

I had the same problem with old diesel in one of my deuces I bought from GL. I put in 10 gals of gasoline. So far has ran great after that. The gasoline will cut down that varnished diesel and it'll run in the multifuel just fine.

 

[Recovry4x4]

You may want to have a looksee at the copper fuel line running across the front crossmember under the radiator. Forklifts are known to crush them limiting the fuel flow to the secondary and final filters.

 

[319]

Would diesel fuel stablizer act the same, or similar to adding gasoline to eliminate the varnish?

 

[jatonka]

Kenny, you are one smart cookie!!!!! I drew a deuce out of Drum last Friday to a newbie in southern NY. As I was showing her around the truck , I mentioned to check the crossover fuel line and showed her where it was, to my surprize, it was crushed very flat on the primary side of the truck and there was a scrape mark on the front of the oil pan on the other side!!!!!
I also suggest to the shop van owner, drain all the fuel out now, put in new diesel fuel, change the filters now. napa 3511 will work in the primary and napa 3540 in the secondary/final locations. This is the way to go if you like the truck and want to keep it for a long time. JT out

 

[Earth]

Well, I drained the tank and put in 25 gallons of new diesel with some conditioner. I already had the 2nd and third filters off to clean them(waiting for my NAPA to get in the new ones), so I took apart the primary--no filter in there and no gasket either. Installed new filter.

She still didn't want to fire on her own so I tried a squirt of either. Fires right up, but needs some feathering spray of either to keep going and then some feathering of the throttle for way longer than it should. She then idles okay. Drives okay around the farm, but lacks power on the uphill--wants to die out on a steep grade. The oil pressure is strong, the temp is good. It idles rougher than my M35a2 (The Jolly Green), which whistles up the hill.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Tom

 

[doghead]

Does this truck have a turbo? If so,is the turbo spinning freely?

Have you confirmed the air intake to be clean with no obstructions?

 

[Earth]

Check on the air intake

Yes it has a turbo, but not too sure on checking its operating status. Will trade syrup for valuable info!

 

[doghead]

Haha, take the C shaped tube off the turbo(silver intake air tube)and see if it spins freely. ENGINE OFF OF COURSE.

Take the airfilter housing off and be sure all the air tubes are clear. Look for mice nests etc.

 

[Earth]

Thanks doghead, will do.

 

[Earth]

Well, the air intake is clear.


I'd like to think I didn't just fall off the turnip wagon, but my shop van doesn't have a turbo.

And she still runs rough. I was serious about that syrup!

I'll check back in here when the milking is done. I've been an MV owner for a week now, and a big thank you to the sponsors and contributors to this site.

 

[doghead]

Well, I'm gonna suggest looking for air leaks in the fuel lines(returns too) and run some fresh fuel and fuel conditioner through it some more. The return lines won't usually tighten up, you will need to replace them with new line using inserts and ferrules.(1/4" DOT air line works well, brass inserts and normal ferrules will work fine).

 

[Earth]

Looks like the next project. Its too muddy to do anything anyways, so I can make the time. The truck is going to replace an old Ford F150 we run around with tools, baling twine, logging stuff ect. Its got 5 new tires, new batteries, new battery box, 2 new doors, air shift front, electric wipers and a place in our hearts. It's a 1971 wo turbo.

Thanks
Tom

 

[JDToumanian]

ENGINE OFF OF COURSE.

Wow, I'd like to think that was unnecessary, but ya never know these days I guess...

"WARNING - REMOVE SHELLS BEFORE EATING PEANUTS"

 

[JDToumanian]

Tom, another possibility is that the injection pump's fuel rate is not correctly adjusted. It's a simple screw to turn to increase or decrease the fuel, and it is generally agreed that is shouldn't be messed with (turned up) too much without a pyrometer, but I have seen several trucks now that ran like crap until I turned up the fuel just a tiny bit... then, the hard starting, stalling, and lack of power went away.

Search using key words like "deuce turn up fuel" and you'll be able to read about it - it's been covered quite a few times. Maybe get a second opinion here before you mess with it, but it has worked for me. Non-turbo deuces tend to be smokey... if your exhaust is clean when heavy on the pedal it's another indicator that the engine is starving for fuel.

Jon

 

[Earth]

Just an update on my shop van. I have replaced the fuel lines. I used 1/4 inch brake line from NAPA that just happened to be coated in OD green. I also replaced some of the 3/8 inch lines. There was ample evidence of leaks. I found several pinched furrels on the short return lines (between injectors). Can anyone suggest a source for the plastic fuel lines that are OEM? I ended up using good sections of the scraped longer lines to cut to fit between the injectors. Also the 3/8 in brake line is fairly stubborn to bend artistically around things.

I also read and studied the posts on turning up the fuel, which I did just a little, and perhaps will some more.

Truck is running way way better.

Thanks evryone
Tom

 

[gimpyrobb]

Glad to hear it! Sometimes it takes a bit of work to get it right, but it is well worth it in the long run.

 

[Katahdin]

When I got my 109 in Jan from GL I drained the 35 gallons or so from the tank and poured it into my home-heating-oil tank. The deuce then got 30 gallons of ultra-clean diesel and 15 gallons of biodiesel when the weather warmed up, and a little WMO got mixed in their too. She runs real nice and the biodiesel will help clean the tank. All filters were change too.

The home boiler didn't complain about the GL diesel. If Carnac's records and my odometer are in sync, and the tank was never drained, the fuel in the tank was 25 years old.

 

[Earth]

Hey, I remember this post.

The happy ending for my shop truck story is that it suffered from low compression (bummer), so I replaced it with a new motor I got for Christmas from Mrs Earth. Now my smoking, low powered NA shop truck has a plenty of power turbo with about three dozen miles on it.

The moral of the story is sometimes it's NOT filters or fuel.