Bus/RV Towrig project

Yeah, fuel is pretty much the main ingredient in making a diesel run. It's somewhat important to have a fuel supply!
 
Especially so if it just shuts off on its own. That problem diagnoses itself.

So long as it turns over freely and didn't go "bang", I mean...
 
well replaced fuel filters last night and that sucked big time.. had to drive a screwdriver threw them and then it took all my muscles to get the damn things off..put new ones on but still wont fire.. seems to have lost prime so I plan to work on that tonight and see if I can get that fixed
 
Been there done that. Had to get mine towed too. Saved big time on the bill with the coverage. On these fuel deliveries, the prime is a big deal. I learned that the hard way. Be careful, you'll get drenched in fuel. Ask me why I know.
 
Carry extra filters with you!!!
 
Apply oil or grease to the seals, diesel fuel isn't enough to let the rubber slide when they're (over)tightened, I go thru this a lot working behind someone else, it gets old. Changing Filters shouldn't be a strong man competition.
 
Did you fill the filters with diesel before you put them on? I'm guessing it's all mechanical pump?
 
i am going to try to put an inline pump to fuel filter to help prime system tomorrow.. have a bus guy coming to help and see if we can get it to fire
 
My coach has a 8.3L Cummins with all mechanical fuel delivery. I finally got mine primed by loosening the injector compression fittings so fuel could squirt out while I was cranking it. After that, tightened it up and it fired up. Good luck with it.
 
Yeah, but don't get too far down the "why won't it prime?" rabbit hole without first examining the "why did it shut off" issue.

Are the fuel filters open element? When were they last changed?
 
Yes. Good point Shawn. I knew what happened to mine...it ran out of fuel.
 
well it looks like it was the fuel filters.. I put on new filters, bus guy stopped by and we hooked up a 12 volt pump on to the side of the fuel filter mount and pumped some diesel in and then hit the starter and the damn thing fired right up like it was nothing..

I know have extra fuel filters on bus and I am going to buy a 12 volt pump for priming and that way if it ever happens again I just need to run for some diesel to prime it..
 


I drove an old IH cabover with a sander body when I was a youngster in New England, same engine with straight stacks.....sounds way cool but gets old REAL QUICK !!!!!! I can't imagine you would want to do that to a pleasure vehicle LoL
 
is there any way to access the fuel pickup in the fuel tank ?

A lot of vehicles have a sock at the pick up, diesel fuel is good for algae build up and plugging up this sock, as well as rust and other crud that can ( and does ) build up in the fuel tank.

Your tank is 30 years old, how much crud is in the bottom of it ? it might be worth investigating this before you have another issue on the road, replacing fuel filters SEEMS like the fix, and it may be, BUT, that crud came from somewhere........

I see this a LOT in equipment, and this is usually what I find after several other mechanics have been and gone

If there is a hand operated fuel primer pump, run the engine and watch the primer, it may suck down, which is the first thing I look for when I have a diesel that has shut down or down on power.
 
Blkvoodoo said:
is there any way to access the fuel pickup in the fuel tank ?

A lot of vehicles have a sock at the pick up, diesel fuel is good for algae build up and plugging up this sock, as well as rust and other crud that can ( and does ) build up in the fuel tank.

Your tank is 30 years old, how much crud is in the bottom of it ? it might be worth investigating this before you have another issue on the road, replacing fuel filters SEEMS like the fix, and it may be, BUT, that crud came from somewhere........

I see this a LOT in equipment, and this is usually what I find after several other mechanics have been and gone

If there is a hand operated fuel primer pump, run the engine and watch the primer, it may suck down, which is the first thing I look for when I have a diesel that has shut down or down on power.
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the downfall is that to check this I have to pull the entire tank out :(

this tank is the width of the bus, 3' tall and 2' wide.. it is HUGE..

I am doing a bunch more research on what is inside the tank ( socks, filters etc ) to help me better understand if it was just nasty fuel, algea etc.. I do put in that algea shit every 100 gallons trying to help reduce that.. but I also found out that I put in 75 gallons on a bio blend mix.. I was at a pump and turned it on and did not realize it was a bio blend until after.. I was not happy.. manily because I used to make bio and I know that will break up all the old crap in your tank which will clog filters quick..
 
Black Bear said:
Something else to think about is a vacuum gauge in line with the fuel system. Once the filters start to get clogged you'll see the vacuum increase. Something I heard from the sailboat crowd.
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well I also found out that my bus came with a sensor on the filters and when it starts to clog it is supposed to light up a light on the dash.. well the sensor is missing and the wires are direct wire so that alarm will never work.. the bus guy is now looking for a new sensor for me
 
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