'96 Diesel quit suddenly.

[gordr]

A little background: the fuel gage had been getting progressively more unreliable for several years. Bought a new sending unit, and dropped the tank to replace it. Lo and behold, the tank was caved in several inches top and bottom, and the fuel pickup and return lines bent into a "Z" and kinked. And it ran like that! So I used compressed air, and popped the tank back out, installed the new sending unit, and reinstalled the tank. (PITA of a job, too.)

Put in ten gallons of fuel, went for a six-mile drive, shut down for an hour or two at the halfway mark, and all was well. Started it yesterday morning, moved it a few yards, shut it down, and there it sits. Figured the fuel filter might be clogged, or have water in it, so replaced the filter, and bled out air from it. Bingo! It started, and ran about five minutes, and then quit dead. Started again after turning the key off, and it ran a few seconds, then quit. Bled more air out of the filter. Next start attempt, it fired a few times, but didn't catch. After that, crank all I want, nada.

Open the flare nuts on the left-side injectors. Nothing comes out. Fuel is getting to the injection pump. I removed the fuel solenoid, and cranked it, and plenty of fuel wells up in the recess for the fuel solenoid, and overflows. So fuel is making it by the screen on the inlet fitting. Took a spare solenoid, installed it, and ran wires direct to the battery. Solenoid clicks OK, still no fuel coming OUT of the injection pump (which is a rebuilt, about 4 years old).

Is it possible to have such a bad air lock inside the injection pump that it simply won't pump? I could tee in a pressure gage to the pump inlet. How much lift pump pressure should I see?

Anybody have any suggestions? The pump driver has been remote-mounted for a long time, on a heat sink in the air filter box.

Scanner returned "old code" P0215, fuel solenoid, but both solenoids I have appear to work.

 

[gordr]

Update: since it seems to be an injection shot timing issue, I decided to do the timing from Square One. Pulled the water pump, harmonic balancer, and timing cover. Timing chain was awfully slack, but had not jumped a tooth. Nor was the key sheared that locates the pump drive gear on the front of the camshaft. If there is an injection timing issue, it has to be within the injection pump itself.

I am going to go ahead and replace the timing chain and sprockets, as well as the water pump, lower rad hose, and bypass hose. All of this falls under the rubric of preventative maintenance, anyway.

If it fails to start upon reassembly, I guess it's time to order a new injection pump.

 

[zora]

thanks for the update, not too many Diesel posters here

 

[Chuzz]

What I know about diesel engines would probably fit in a thimble. I wish I could help you out, man, but I don't know diesels and would not even venture a guess.