Diesel keeps dying, injector pump?

[greenerdreams]

I have a case 350b dozer with the 188 diesel. It runs great but recently the engine begins to lose power fairly quickly and then eventually dies. I can usually start it right back up and it will sometimes run for a little while sometime just do it right away. I am getting fuel to the filters and just changed both fuel filters. Does anyone have any experience with a diesel doing something similar or is there a way to check if maybe the injector pump is not sucking fuel? When it is running everything is great, Not losing antifreeze due to a head gasket or anything like that. Any ideas would be helpful. This one is hard since it doesn't seem to be consistent.
It is not running like it gets fuel in the system since I can start it right back up, more like it is just not getting fed fuel.

 

[banjodunn]

G'day go through all your fuel lines from the inj pump back to the tank and blow them all out it sounds to me that you have got a floating blockage take the filter off and the top off the lift pump (primer pump) if you can as sometimes there is a screen in the top of them remove any banjo bolts and blow out and if you can unscrew pickup out of the tank and blow out. If you can start straight up again it does not sound like inj pump to me. Good luck with it



Jon

 

[greenerdreams]

thanks for the input. I have actually tried blowing backwards and using a vacuum to pull through the filter. each way I get flow. I did some checking at ibdozing.com and someone had a similar problem and recommended the return line check ball. I don't have a manual and don't know exactly how to check this. Any ideas?

 

[banjodunn]

G'day the return line check holds head press in the inj pump the easiest way to check is to crank the prime pump up and you should feel it get harder to pump and then hear a squawk at the inj pump as the ball lifts off it's seat. I dont think this is your prob though as you would be suffering hard starting and costant lack of power also it should not make it shut down. Good luck


Jon

 

[greenerdreams]

Thanks for the input, I got some more info from Dale at tractorstuff.com. It turns out that it is common for older injector pumps to start losing rubber fromt the internals on the pump and get clogged in the return check ball. I took this part out and surely it had junk clogging it. After thoroughly blowing with the compressor it was all clean and I installed to have everything work great. Based on the info I got my only recourse is to get a rebuilt unit and in the meantime clean the check any time the engine starts to stall out.