Diesel guys I need some help!

[KGsK5]

About a month ago my fuel filter started leaking out of a pinhole in the bottom of it. So I replaced it. Then, i found that my lift pump was leaking. So I replaced it. Now I am trying to start my truck and I'm not making very good progress.

After I replaced the filter I bled the lines and had fuel dripping out of every injector. After I replaced the lift pump, I cranked it a few times and then cracked the injectors to bleed the lines again and imediatly fuel started dripping out of the lines. I cranked once and tightened the injectors back up.

Then, my batteries died on me. I put them on the charger overnight and tried to start it yesterday. It didn't feel like the engine was spinning fast enough so I hooked it up to a 200 amp jump box. Got the starter spinning fast enough but it still doesn't even try to start.

So then I got desperate and shot just a little starter fluid in the intake (I know... starter fluid + diesel = bad) But even then it still didnt even try to start.

Are the lines not bled enough? Did I do something wrong?

Sorry for the long read but this is really getting old.

TIA
-KG

 

[cegusman]

Are you sure your glow plugs are in good working order? You get any smoke or diesel smell out of the exhaust?

 

[KGsK5]

GP's are brand new. As is the starter. I'm getting nothing out of the exhaust.

I think tomorow I will go out and re bleed everythign really well. Pull all GP's crack injectors and try again.

 

[454k30]

I would say that you just have too much air in the lines. I don't know detroit diesels at all but just going off of the maintenance I would guess air. Since you changed out the lift pump and filter you probably got a large amount of air in there. Did you fill you filter with fuel before installing it? That can help. Might want to try and fill the pump as well if its possible.

 

[stumblefoot]

I put an electric fuel pump inline, makes bleeding the filter and lines a snap. Better than wht we did in the ARMY, we pressurized the tank to about 30lbs, and bled it out that way. A friend of mine with a 6.2L put a hand primer in front of his filter, just pump it up and bleed the system. good luck, sounds like air in the system somewhere. On my 6.2 I just bleed the filter, I dont crack the injector lines. (havent had to yet anyway.)

 

[colbystephens]

when you were initially priming the system, did you pull the pink wire off of the IP? i was trying to prime the engine in my rig and didn't pull the pink wire first, and i was able to get it to start, and then it would die.

here's the steps you need to take, and i'll almost guarantee an easy start:

1. pull the pink wire off the IP, pull your glow plugs out, and while you're at it, crack the injector lines.

2. crank the engine over for 15 seconds, then wait two minutes. repeat 4 times. 4 times is probably not necessary, as 2 should do it, but you might as well.

3. hook up pink wire. crank engine till you get good amount of fuel flowing out of each injector.

4. hook up fuel lines. run your gp's, and fire it up.

disconnecting the pink wire and the gp's are crucial. by disconnecting the pink wire, you're really getting good lubrication in the pump because all the air is being pushed out, but fuel is just filling it up - no fuel coming out, just going in. pulling the gp's will keep you from killing the batteries - 21:1 compression can kill some powerful batteries quick.

ok, get back to me in 10 minutes w/ your success story.

 

[colbystephens]

**ahem**

10 min is way overdue!

 

[KGsK5]

Man, if it only took 10 minutes. I will try that again tomorow when i get home from work.

Thanks a bunch for walking me through this. I supose I haven't beeen thorough enough wiht bleeding the air out the other times.

Hopefully this will work.

 

[rjfguitar]

Make sure you didn't accidently break the IP wire some way. If you used a little bit of starting fluid and it still didn't even fire, then sounds to me like no pump wire.

 

[KGsK5]

I have checked it with a meter. One lead to the pink wire and other to the battery negative, turn the key and 12.XX volts.

I ended up having to work all day today so I didn't have a chance to mess with it. But hopefully tomorow I'll go out and see what I can do.