Starting up weird... [UPDATE]

[DodgeFreak]

I deleted my wif and my fuel heater. I still have the heater it never leaked that I know of except when I spun the filter off and the stud came with it, then I noticed the hard oring. I also have the nipple if needed.

[brandonmgreer]

imade a tool for mine. I think i used a piece of 3/16 flat steel 1"x1". I cut a slot in the end of a coarse threat 3/8 in bolt with a 9/16 head and welded the tab into the slot. all in all it was about 2" long, but fit tight all the way across that slot and i could put a ratchet on it. just hold the heater or it will spin into the block and break the plug off. mine was stupid tight...

[slow_90firebird]

yeah I didnt have that kind of motivation yesterday... I was hoping the new filter would show some improvement but it still starts hard.

My buddy told me a new tool to try last nite- called an "internal pipe wrench." I might head up to depot and see if they have a cheap set he was talking about...

[DodgeFreak]

If you end up messing it up let me know I still have one. Have you check fuel pressure?? Dads started hard and we ended up just replacing the lift pump and that took care of it. I might still have my old one off my truck I could send to you to try. Mine worked good I just went to a 2nd gen pump.

[slow_90firebird]

Thanks - I went to depot and they had a set of the pipe wrenches but the smallest one looked a little bigger than what I need.

I don't think its the lift pump - i guess it could be, but I put a new low-pressure piston style pump on the truck last year and it works pretty good. I also dont plan on ruining that nipple, but if I do need one i will keep your offer in mind. I am just working off a guess now that it is the fuel heater seal - i will check tonight with the blacklight but i bet it is pretty dry.

Its not exactly starting real hard - it still fires up on the first crank, but then it either dies or the idle goes real low and it chuggs for a few seconds, then its back to normal...

[slow_90firebird]

Ok worked on the truck again today. Finally got the filter nipple loose. Used a trick I found on google - put a 5/8" spade bit for wood up in there. I held it tight in the slots from underneath while my dad put an adjustable on it from above. After the bit actually flexed a few times we heard "tink" and then the damn thing twisted out by hand...

Anyway I put a gasket on the heater from a napa 1040 oil filter. It's alot thicker but it fits perfect! Tightened the heater up, put the filter back on, bled it out. Cleaned and de-greased the area. Drove it around, bone dry so far. No more drips.

Unfortunately, the starting problem is still there. Other than that it runs great. I wonder if it's the injector pump or something?

[PToombs]

Well, at least you the 1 problem whipped! The other problem may be the pump, governor sticking or something. You don't run veggie oil or anything like that in it do you? Maybe run some cleaner stuff thru for a few tanks of fuel and see if it helps.

[slow_90firebird]

Yeah i ran a bottle of the white power service thru recently for the cold weather. Maybe i need to try a bottle of the grey- even tho its winter. I never run veggie oil - only just those few tanks of Bio B15 or B20 in oklahoma and texas, they put it on the pump in such fine print i dont usually see it until its too late!

Here is a quick vid I took yesterday. It is after I re-sealed the heater and drove it around a while.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAkfc0Kv ... e=youtu.be

funniest thing is - the best start I got was after I got it back together and bled out the filter by loosening the 10mm screw and priming the lift pump.

[PToombs]

May still be leaking air back in someplace, it should hit instantly warm like that. Have you tried to pump the LP before you try to start it? (I can't remember if you said you tried that) Or maybe the IP is getting bad.

[slow_90firebird]

I think there is still air getting in somewhere... i cracked the bleeder after it sat a while and pumped the primer, and it looked like I got air bubbles before I got strait diesel.

Is there any way the fuel could be draining back to the tank? I was forced to fill it up since I put the dye in, but I can get another bottle if I need to... but I dont notice any leaking to the ground or anything.

I have also been keeping an eye on the oil level too, with no noticable increase.

I am wondering about my lift pump now - its only like maybe 2 years old, but I remember I got the delphi HFP702 because it was like $60 vs like $200 for the cummins one. I dont have a way to test the fuel pressure either.

[PToombs]

You can get a test banjo fitting that is tapped for the gauge at Geno's Garage for about $7-8. Then just use any 2--30 psi gauge to check it. Maybe put air to the tank and look for leaks. My other truck didn't show a fuel leak but sucked air back in. I ended up putting an electric pump in the supply line at the tank and pinching off the return at the same place, then pumping the LP until I had 30 psi on the whole system. (I had a gauge tapped into the filter head to check pressure) It didn't show a leak until I unplugged the heater, and then it poured out the plug. Try plugging the return at the tank and pump the LP and see if you get a leak, it should show that way.

[slow_90firebird]

Pete, I read your post last night before bed thinking that I really was not inclined to do that much work haha, well I wake up this morning, and my mom tells me theres a puddle under my truck! This is a good thing and a bad thing - good because I know its leaking, but bad because now I gotta scrub the driveway again!

anyway, preliminary looks like its leaking from the plastic fuel line. I will get a better look when the sun is up. But it looks like it might have rubbed through where it touches the frame after it comes off the piston lift pump. Probably never would have happened if I used a stock lift pump...

Im gonna start searching around, try to see if there is any easy way to repair these plastic lines...

[slow_90firebird]

Sure Enough, there was a pinhole rubbed in the fuel line where it touched the framerail. For a temporary fix, I just took a 2" piece of rubber fuel line and sliced it once lentghwise, clamping it tight over the pinhole with 2 hose clamps.

So far, it has been starting up perfect every time! Now I just need to figure out a permanent solution before I go back to oklahoma! I have never worked with that nylon fuel line before, but I have seen someone messing with it using steam from boiling hot water to soften it... what a pain.

[ellis93]

Find a truck center and ask about a compression union for the nylon air brake line,they work.

[PToombs]

Yup, what Ellis said! It's basically a compression fitting that has a sleeve that goes inside to support the line when you tighten it. You can also just cut the plastic at the hole, and slide a piece of rubber hose over to connect it with some hose clamps.

NAPA should have those fittings too, take in a piece of the line so they can match it up. Sometimes the line has different diameter inside or outside than what you think it is, tubing size is by OD, and pipe and hose go by ID. (FYI)