Neglected my 350C, now she's giving me the silent treatment

[MarkW]

Argh, where to start....

I hadn't run my JD since April/May, and it has been under a tarp since then (it is always under a tarp when not being used). Needed to unload a wood stove out of my pickup, so I fired it up and let it warm for 5 minutes or so. Drove it 100 feet or so to the truck (at moderate RPM, maybe 900) and had it ticking over at idle while I hooked up some chains from the stove to the bucket. After a minute of idling the engine died.

As most everyone knows, that is usually not something simple (except fuel!) so after 10 seconds of cranking to verify it wouldn't start right up I cranked it while tilting the bucket and was able to get the stove lifted enough to get the truck moved.

So anyway... diagnosis was no fuel at the lift pump which cleared up with a shot of air. However, I removed the fuel filter and was shocked at how much junk was in there, and the filter was installed last summer. I also cleaned out the sump on the bottom of the tank, which I'd never done before and I won't tell you how much junk came out of there. Installed new fuel filter. Also, while there was sediment there was not really any visible water in any of the fuel.

Anyway, now I get fuel to the injection pump but it does not seem to be coming out of the injector ports. I've removed one of the banjo fittings and cranking does not get me any fuel squirts at all.

Does anyone have some suggestions of things to try before I remove the pump? I drained the pump by loosening up the timing cover, and it has refilled. I also zip-tied back the fuel cut off solenoid and tried it that way just to see if by chance the solenoid had gone bad, no change and when I was checking that I was also getting fuel from the return line so diesel was making it to there.

At any rate, my next move will be to take the injection pump off and look at it on the bench but I'm posting in case I am missing something or perhaps the pump needs to have all 3 injector lines loosened and purged of air instead of just the single one that I did.


Thoughts and suggestions at this point would be appreciated, especially if there might be something I've overlooked.

The only other item I need to mention is the fuel was over a year old and smelled a little stale, so I've drained it all out and will be getting fresh fuel later.

Thanks all!

Mark

[wizner85]

I had a 350 a couple months ago. Hadn't been started in 6 months or so. I drained all the lines and cleaned the pump, lines, filters, tank everything. I had the same problem you had, no fuel to the

I cracked the line between the injection pump and the manual pump and hand pumped the heck out of it at the manual pump on the otherside of the engine.

After that I loosened each line at the injector one at a time until fuel came out ( cranking over the engine to do this). Once each injector had fuel running out I closed the line, moved onto the next one and repeated. Fired after 30 seconds of cranking and ethering ( not sure if that is a word but sounds good to me).
Wasted a good 2 gallons of fuel on the ground, about 4 beers, a couple of bleeding knuckles, one or two cuss words, and my old neighbor laughing his ass off when it fired and the black soot/ water covered my entire head.

[MarkW]

OK an update...

I pulled the timing cover off and alas the mark did not move.

Removed the pump and the drive shaft is broken, at least I found the problem! Or at least part of the problem, still need to inspect the pump and hope is has not seized in any sort of serious way.

Could I have caused this by either running out of fuel or having old fuel?

[MarkW]

I had a 350 a couple months ago. Hadn't been started in 6 months or so. I drained all the lines and cleaned the pump, lines, filters, tank everything. I had the same problem you had, no fuel to the

I cracked the line between the injection pump and the manual pump and hand pumped the heck out of it at the manual pump on the otherside of the engine.

After that I loosened each line at the injector one at a time until fuel came out ( cranking over the engine to do this). Once each injector had fuel running out I closed the line, moved onto the next one and repeated. Fired after 30 seconds of cranking and ethering ( not sure if that is a word but sounds good to me).
Wasted a good 2 gallons of fuel on the ground, about 4 beers, a couple of bleeding knuckles, one or two cuss words, and my old neighbor laughing his ass off when it fired and the black soot/ water covered my entire head.

LOL, I've been there too.

[Craig Williams]

you running straight diesel or bio-diesel?

[MarkW]

Straight diesel, and also it is the un-dyed road fuel grade.

Lastly, I went out again and removed the broken off drive key part of the drive. I looked and noticed there was a significant coat of gummy varnish on the shaft. Not heavy but measureable, it scrapes off easily with a fingernail. Anyway, tried putting a screwdriver in the keyway and the pump is stuck tight. Guess I have to disassemble it to see if it is also varnished stuck or if there is some worse galling involved.

[DrLoch]

Do you have the PN of the pump? There are a number of post dealing with rebuilding the pump if you are up to it.

[wizner85]

If you are working on a straight 350, I have a good pump that I would sell.

[Toomanytractors]

Many diesel injector fuel pumps are not designed to run out of fuel. If they are not primed after replacing the fuel they will break. I found this out many years ago when I was a farm hand. My boss cranked over the engine of a Ford 8000 after it ran out of fuel, breaking the injector pump. You will find this warning concerning priming the pump in many service manuals.

It's a pain in the neck to do, but might well save you hundreds of dollars in repairs or replacement. If you run out of fuel for any reason manually prime the pump after replacing the fuel. It includes disconnecting the injector lines one at a time and pumping the air out of each injector piston pump cylinder.

I assume this is the reason your injector pump shaft broke.