Another surging engine

[RCCUMMINS89]

I've seen allot of cases where the pick up tube in the tank was cracked.... ran fine til under 1/2 or 1/4 tank, then ran like crap....

[SuperiorRam]

Ever dead foot the throttle? As in holding it to the boards then letting off...

[RCCUMMINS89]

uuuuuhhhhh.......what?

[SuperiorRam]

To the origininal poster
Dead footing does a number on these pumps when turned up that's the idea I have on the problem

[RCCUMMINS89]

Ah....... I didn't know what you meant.

[D-dog357]

Re dead-footing --- No never did it during the short mileage (brakes went south) the pump was turned up. If you can call those few minor tweaks turned up. I don't hotrod it at all, it's strictly a work truck . However that is EXACTLY what we call a "snap smog test" that I need to get. Hold it at the floor for 2-3 seconds then foot off the peddle. That's why I turned it back down.

From this end it's starting to look like a gummed-up fuel system as this truck was veg-oil powered for awhile and every fitting I pull has a gummy film. Sitting for a year didn't do it any favors as old veg-oil turns to glue in short order. I thought I had run enough clean diesel through it before parking it but I guess not.

Luckily it seems to wash of very easily with WD40 so I plan on pumping out all the fuel in it and flushing the entire system. Then flushing thru the IP and injector fittings with fresh fuel and a heavy dose of cleaner using the electric fuel pump and a bucket and filter to recycle it thru for a couple of hours. Change fuel/cleaner mix and repeat, maybe twice.

As good as it was running just before it died I'm hoping something is clogged up and just needs a good cleaning to get it running again so I can at least get it out of the driveway so I can do a proper cleaning of the IP and install the 366 at the same time.

[Mark Nixon]

...From this end it's starting to look like a gummed-up fuel system as this truck was veg-oil powered for awhile and every fitting I pull has a gummy film. Sitting for a year didn't do it any favors as old veg-oil turns to glue in short order. I thought I had run enough clean diesel through it before parking it but I guess not.

Luckily it seems to wash of very easily with WD40 so I plan on pumping out all the fuel in it and flushing the entire system. Then flushing thru the IP and injector fittings with fresh fuel and a heavy dose of cleaner using the electric fuel pump and a bucket and filter to recycle it thru for a couple of hours. Change fuel/cleaner mix and repeat, maybe twice.

Suddenly, it becomes all too clear.
The absolute worst thing you can run through a VE is un-processed cooking oil from a restaurant.
Even filtered, screened, heated, centrifuged REFUSE VEGGIE OIL, is just garbage in your tank.

I have been through it, it's hell and it's very hard to overcome once it's in a system.

The first thing you should do is go buy 2 or 3 filters, you'll need them when you do the next thing, which is to go find a place that sells BIO-DIESEL, not B-20 or that blended crap, but the REAL stuff that's basically de-glycerined veggie oil.
It's probably the best thing to combat the garbage in the fuel system right now.

I bought a 1991 Intercooled truck several years ago that had a full tank of raunchy veggie in it, which I ran out.
Problem was, when I ran ULSD it started having similar problems to yours, surge, run rough, hard starting, ect.
It got so bad that the governor would stick in the defuel position and would NOT start unless it was either ethered or nearly stone cold.
It would die coming to a stop. Sometimes tapping on the pump would free the governor up, but mostly it was HOT water and a cooldown to get rolling again.

In my case, it destroyed the pump.
Apparently crappy, waxy, gooey veggie oil smeared all over moving parts is impervious to diesel fuel, but it does respond to bio-diesel, quite quickly,

Once you do the Bio-Diesel, plan on a re-seal of the pump, unless it's been re-sealed in the last 10 years, because the old OEM 1993 'O' rings don't react well to biodiesel.

Mark.

[D-dog357]

Thanks Mark, that's basically what I was thinking but was hoping just a good flushing would clean it out - oh well ! Nearest place that sells B-100 is 50 miles away - looks like I have a drive tomorrow and some more filters to buy.

[Mark Nixon]

There should be a notable affect, good or bad, in a short time.
Try to show up as low on fuel as you can safely do to get as much in it as you can.
Depending on how much "hard" substance is still in the tank and lines, chances are you'll notice the filter plugging up in short order.

Mark.

[D-dog357]

First off I want to thank everyone for all the helpful advice !

So here's the verdict - seems there was/is multiple problems-

The fuel pump was out and the Holley I got off of CL ran hot, so back out it came. Went to look at another pump, it didn't even work. Don't you just love peckerheads that try to sell their junk as "in great condition".

The IP was gummed up so I took a short cut. What I did was flush it with acetone. Got a big two once syringe stuck it in the inlet and loosened the return line. Using the syringe like a plunger I slowly worked it back and forth several times and worked the manual shut-down lever and throttle shaft. Let it sit for a few minutes and flushed it with biodiesel till it ran clear from the return side. The muck came out dark caramel brown.

The truck hard started with a stumble and idled rough for a few minutes. Let idle for half an hour with the occasional rev-up before it finally smoothed out and would actually rev more then a few hundred RPM. After idling for an hour it was running back close to normal and I took it for a drive. It smoked quite a bit but mostly cleared-up after several miles. Still wanted to stall at stop signs and puffed smoke when I rev'd it.

I backed the smoke screw all the way out and off to the smog station - it passed


Now the real test started as it was moving day !! 30 miles to get my ladies trailer and tow it back. Still wanted to stall at stop signs so I turned the fuel screw in till it was flush with the nut, that helped a bit. Hooked up the trailer (6k) and away I went. It would still stall almost every time I let off the peddle. Had to do two foot stops, one on the brake - one on the peddle. Worked that stock motor good coming back with all the stop signs. Ran good for the most part though.

Conclusions-
If you run veg-oil/ blends you need to run straight bio through it too to keep things clean. Perhaps at start up and shut down in stead of diesel. Or perhaps a veg-bio blend ?

Also it seems like the trans is hanging in 2nd at slow down as at stop signs it would lug down and stall in gear. But not so much if I popped it into neutral. Yes the TC on this thing DOES hold the truck back. I was on a steep hill on the test drive, stopped, put it in 1st let idle and never got over 15mph in a quarter mile.

I'm off to Tennessee for 3 weeks. When I get back I need to see about getting this beast properly fixed and that will be a new thread

[Mark Nixon]

The stalling at idle is likely the governor still sticking in de-fuel.
I wouldn't be surprised if you came back after your 3 weeks away and it runs fine, especially if you leave it sit with bio diesel in it that long.

One thing of note, acetone is crude oil-derived, whereas veggie oil is plant matter derived, they don't usually work together all that well.
You'd think that since acetone, or any other crude oil based product, is derived from plant and animal decayed product, it would work, but generally it doesn't seem to.

At any rate, enjoy your trip to TN!

Mark.