Detroit diesel problem

chrisdvorak · Feb 13, 2014

The machine is a trojan 164a loader and the engine is a 2 stroke 3-53 detroit. the problem I am having is the engine will start and run for about 10 mins then it will slowly die. if you try to start it again right after it will not run, but if you wait awhile it will start again and do the same thing. when it does run it revs up and idles fine and blows no smoke. This problem seemed to start when the weather got cold but I don't think its gelled fuel. the fuel filters have been replaced recently. I am thinking fuel pump but I haven't seen one fail like this before.

- thanks

aczlan · Feb 13, 2014

When it starts to die, have you tried opening the fuel cap? I have seen similar issues on smaller equipment from a plugged tank vent which caused the tank to end up in a vacuum after running for a while.

Aaron Z

chrisdvorak · Feb 14, 2014

Yes I have, unfortunately it makes no difference.

nspec · Feb 14, 2014

Air leak on the fuel side of things?

nspec · Feb 14, 2014

Hey, one more thing I just thought of. (we had the same loader on the farm when I was a kid) You have the shutoff behind the seat to the left? You pull out the handle on the cable to shut the engine down? That cable shuts the damper on the air box. The cable can freeze and the damper will remain partially closed. This will allow the engine to 'kinda run'. I would check the blower housing on the motor air box and make sure the damper is fully open. They usually have a small mechanism that rotates the damper. If you have an electric shutoff, you will still have an emergency air shutoff cable somewhere. They have a spring loaded lock - when you pull the emergency shutoff cable, you move the latch holding the damper open and there is a spring that will shut the damper. Perhaps it's not latched open?

If it's not that, I would go with the gelled fuel theory. Once gelled, filters need to be changed. Go to wal mart and buy a bottle of power service. Works awesome for keeping fuel from gelling.

chrisdvorak · Feb 14, 2014

thanks nspec, I will look at the shutoff cable and see if it is hung up anywhere. I do use power service additive and did dose it pretty heavy the last tank to keep it from gelling, but I am running out of options on what it could be so I may just change the filters anyway.

chrisdvorak · Feb 18, 2014

ok, I have changed both filters and pre-filled them before installation now it will not start at all. I am sure you do not have to remove the valve cover and work on the injectors just to change the fuel filters but I must be missing something?

aczlan · Feb 18, 2014

chrisdvorak said:
ok, I have changed both filters and pre-filled them before installation now it will not start at all. I am sure you do not have to remove the valve cover and work on the injectors just to change the fuel filters but I must be missing something?

Usually you have to crack the lines going onto the injectors until you have fuel coming out to bleed them.

Aaron Z

Paystar · Feb 18, 2014

Just a thought.....have you checked inside the tank? I have had a loader and a big truck do this and discovered a piece of debris floating around in the tank. When you started it.....the debris would be pulled up to the pickup tube, block it, then die. Then when you let it sit......it would unsuction and fall back to the bottom allowing you to start it and run for a bit before it does the same thing. I've seen mechanics at shops puzzled by this.

chrisdvorak · Feb 18, 2014

I have thought about this. there is a small clear inline filter mounted right outside the tank outlet and my thinking is if there was something blocking the tank outlet inside, the fuel would be used up in the line and the small filter would be empty right after it stalls but this is not the case as it always has fuel in it. by looking at the system it seems that one line of the pump goes from the primary filter and the other goes to the secondary filter which supplies pressurized fuel to the injectors. If my thinking is correct the only way fuel is transfered from the tank to the primary pump is by a vacum and when I changed the filters it lost its prime. do you think by pressurizing the tank and cranking the engine that It would get fuel back to the main filter?