L785 3 cylinder fuel troubles

[JWD]

Died on me suddenly ran the battery down trying to get it to start. Charged the battery overnight and pulled the sediment bowl because the drain wouldn't come out it was 1/3 full of some black goo and the glass was stained a dark red color. cleaned all that up and installed a new fuel filter. filled the sediment bowl and filter with fresh diesel pumped the primer bulb a whole bunch of times. crank and crank and crank never hit a lick. With the line circled in red loose I get a squirt of fuel with each pump of the primer bulb. I cant get anything out of the bleeder circled in blue pumping or cranking and I had a helper cranking while I loosened the line to the injector circled in green nothing. Is there a good way to check for a failing fuel shut off solenoid? Any help is greatly appreciated. I'm also looking for a manual for this engine if anyone knows where to order one. https://imgur.com/a/kpX3F7W

 

[JWD]

 

[JWD]

https://imgur.com/916bFWq

 

[JWD]

https://imgur.com/916bFWq

I couldn't get the picture to show up automatically but the link in the #3 post works.

 

[JWD]

I couldn't get the picture to show up automatically but the link in the #3 post works.

I got it running. I removed the shut off solenoid key on I held it against the chassis with it's wire connected and it pulled in removed from chassis and it popped out. reinstalled. Next I pulled the line off coming from the fuel tank and hooked up a siphon hose with one of those pump balls in the middle and pumped it until fuel ran out. ok supply of fuel seems good. Next removed the strainer/filter assembly layed it on the ground and hooked the other end of the siphon hose to the inlet. Had fuel running from the tank through the strainer/filter. held the strainer/filter upright and opened the bleeders on top of strainer/filter housing made sure fuel was coming out. reinstalled strainer/filter assembly with new rubber hose from tank to strainer/assembly inlet since I was there and the old one was hard and crusty. opened the bleeder on the side of the injection pump pumped the hand primer a bunch more times got a little fuel. cranked the engine had no helper today. so i get out and opened the bleeder again little bit of fuel. pump the hand primer.crank crack the bleeder repeat. This third time I got a good flow of fuel from the bleeder tightened it down and when I pumped the hand primer this time I could feel a difference it actually had some resistance and felt like it was moving some fuel. I jumped back in the cab and started cranking she made 3 half hearted attempts at starting and then roared to life! Seems to run better than it has since I've owned it. I found some reference that this is a Ford 201 or engine and found a manual on ebay that is supposed to cover it so I went ahead and ordered it. Hope this helps somebody out in the future.

 

[Tazza]

I got it running. I removed the shut off solenoid key on I held it against the chassis with it's wire connected and it pulled in removed from chassis and it popped out. reinstalled. Next I pulled the line off coming from the fuel tank and hooked up a siphon hose with one of those pump balls in the middle and pumped it until fuel ran out. ok supply of fuel seems good. Next removed the strainer/filter assembly layed it on the ground and hooked the other end of the siphon hose to the inlet. Had fuel running from the tank through the strainer/filter. held the strainer/filter upright and opened the bleeders on top of strainer/filter housing made sure fuel was coming out. reinstalled strainer/filter assembly with new rubber hose from tank to strainer/assembly inlet since I was there and the old one was hard and crusty. opened the bleeder on the side of the injection pump pumped the hand primer a bunch more times got a little fuel. cranked the engine had no helper today. so i get out and opened the bleeder again little bit of fuel. pump the hand primer.crank crack the bleeder repeat. This third time I got a good flow of fuel from the bleeder tightened it down and when I pumped the hand primer this time I could feel a difference it actually had some resistance and felt like it was moving some fuel. I jumped back in the cab and started cranking she made 3 half hearted attempts at starting and then roared to life! Seems to run better than it has since I've owned it. I found some reference that this is a Ford 201 or engine and found a manual on ebay that is supposed to cover it so I went ahead and ordered it. Hope this helps somebody out in the future.

You sure had some issues getting it sorted out, but glad you did work it out in the end!
Did you run it out of fuel to cause this issue or did it just stop on you? Seems weird that bleeding and a new hose as it looked aged made it happy again.

 

[JWD]

You sure had some issues getting it sorted out, but glad you did work it out in the end!
Did you run it out of fuel to cause this issue or did it just stop on you? Seems weird that bleeding and a new hose as it looked aged made it happy again.

It just stopped on me with all the junk I found in the sediment bowl I'm thinking the filter was plugged but with the design of the filter it's hard to tell. It starts quicker and runs better now than it has in the short time that I've owned it which is just under a year. I'm still unsure that this has resolved my issue but I have ran it about an hour since getting it running and have had no further problems. When it stopped lack of fuel was for sure the problem and I have fuel again.

 

[Tazza]

It just stopped on me with all the junk I found in the sediment bowl I'm thinking the filter was plugged but with the design of the filter it's hard to tell. It starts quicker and runs better now than it has in the short time that I've owned it which is just under a year. I'm still unsure that this has resolved my issue but I have ran it about an hour since getting it running and have had no further problems. When it stopped lack of fuel was for sure the problem and I have fuel again.

Lets hope it was the issue, filters are easy and cheap to change, you can never keep the fuel too clean. At least now you know it has been serviced, if you ahven't already done so, you should do the air filters too.

 

[JWD]

Lets hope it was the issue, filters are easy and cheap to change, you can never keep the fuel too clean. At least now you know it has been serviced, if you ahven't already done so, you should do the air filters too.

I still haven't ruled out something in the tank that started this whole mess the stuff in the sediment bowl had to come from somewhere. I'd post a picture but i'm picture posting challenged. I did the air filters a couple weeks back and I bought the stuff to do an oil change and fresh antifreeze. was actually planning on doing that this past weekend when I ended up working on getting it running again instead. I'm gonna get the oil and antifreeze done and just keep an eye on the sediment bowl for awhile.

 

[Tazza]

I still haven't ruled out something in the tank that started this whole mess the stuff in the sediment bowl had to come from somewhere. I'd post a picture but i'm picture posting challenged. I did the air filters a couple weeks back and I bought the stuff to do an oil change and fresh antifreeze. was actually planning on doing that this past weekend when I ended up working on getting it running again instead. I'm gonna get the oil and antifreeze done and just keep an eye on the sediment bowl for awhile.

You're right, it came from somewhere, hopefully there isn't a whole lot, and the filter is of an unknown age, so it could be years of trash it has been collecing that eventually plugged up. Think positive

 

[PAWhiskeyfarmer]

You're right, it came from somewhere, hopefully there isn't a whole lot, and the filter is of an unknown age, so it could be years of trash it has been collecing that eventually plugged up. Think positive

We have 2 L785s, both Ford engines. I had one give me trouble a week or so ago. It had algae growing in the fuel tank, kept plugging the filter, it's been hot and humid, so the fuel salesman blames it on. There are several products on the market to kill it. I'd treat your tank and then you fuel supply as well.

 

[JWD]

We have 2 L785s, both Ford engines. I had one give me trouble a week or so ago. It had algae growing in the fuel tank, kept plugging the filter, it's been hot and humid, so the fuel salesman blames it on. There are several products on the market to kill it. I'd treat your tank and then you fuel supply as well.

Whats that algae look like? Black goo by chance? I'll check out the fuel treatment.

 

[JWD]

Whats that algae look like? Black goo by chance? I'll check out the fuel treatment.

 

[JWD]

 

[Tazza]

Damn..... That sure is some goo in there.
I had a tank with algae in it, it looked like black goo, yours might be some. You can buy fuel treatment that will kill it, you simply add it to the tank. Never hurts to add some just in case.