LS 125 diesel fuel delivrey problem in cold temps

[cbucner]

Hello guys and happy holidays! As you know by now I'm using my LS125 for snow removal and is pretty good. I finally installed the cabin heater and i'll post some pics soon for all the 125 owners if they want to do it but my main concern is that in temps that are lower than 20F the machine doesn't start anymore. It doesn't start not because of engine problems or fuel injection problems but because of the gravitational fuel delivery system. I mean come on this machine doesn't have a fuel pump???? I replaced the fuel filter from a 20 micron to a 50 micron which is twice the size and it works like a charm in the 25F up. If I heat up the line and filter the diesel starts to come to the pump with the fuel hose removed from the pump otherwise nada - zero. So I had it since the machine let me down 2 times already , I'm going to install an inline fuel pump to see if that helps. I was looking to install a 5/16" inlet and outlet with a 5-10 psi fuel pressure. What do you guys think about all this setup?? Thanks

 

[92LX555]

I have a 555 and it uses an in-line fuel pump. I paid $52 for mine at CarQuest. Only problem with this is these units take a beating and the fuel pumps don't last long. I get about a year out of mine. Other than that have you tried anything to keep the diesel from gelling?

 

[mllud]

ebucner
I dont think it would hurt anything. The pressure is low enough to gaurentee positive pressure to the pump but not to much pressure to have an adverse affect. Its done a lot here with people here on the forum.
Do you have a block heater. Or are you air cooled. Im not familiar with your engine. I use a block heater and mine never fails. I just pushed snow off our road this morning. 13 f with a wind chill of -5. The guys up north are probably laughing and saying that aint nothing. Still cold.
Winter be gone. Mike

 

[Tazza]

ebucner
I dont think it would hurt anything. The pressure is low enough to gaurentee positive pressure to the pump but not to much pressure to have an adverse affect. Its done a lot here with people here on the forum.
Do you have a block heater. Or are you air cooled. Im not familiar with your engine. I use a block heater and mine never fails. I just pushed snow off our road this morning. 13 f with a wind chill of -5. The guys up north are probably laughing and saying that aint nothing. Still cold.
Winter be gone. Mike

I welcome winter over here, our summer gets to over 40C, but only for a week or so. Currently low 30's but high humidity, its the time of year everyone looks for air conditioned places to huddle around.
Back on topic, can you get anti-gel additives? even with a block heater you will have problems with the fuel. The block heater will warm the engine but not the fuel in the tank and lines to the engine.

 

[skidsteer.ca]

I welcome winter over here, our summer gets to over 40C, but only for a week or so. Currently low 30's but high humidity, its the time of year everyone looks for air conditioned places to huddle around.
Back on topic, can you get anti-gel additives? even with a block heater you will have problems with the fuel. The block heater will warm the engine but not the fuel in the tank and lines to the engine.

Your on the right track with the electric fuel pump imo. Get a brand name one like Carter or Holley with the 5 to 10 psi you mentioned. Both have vane style pumps.
I don't have much faith in the diaphragm pulse style electric but a good vane pump should last years. Some may include a pressure regulator too.
-28C here this morning. -42 with the wind chill. Fire wood pile shrinking rapidly. Anything that has to run is either plugged in or in the shop
Ken

 

[Tom Brown]

Your on the right track with the electric fuel pump imo. Get a brand name one like Carter or Holley with the 5 to 10 psi you mentioned. Both have vane style pumps.
I don't have much faith in the diaphragm pulse style electric but a good vane pump should last years. Some may include a pressure regulator too.
-28C here this morning. -42 with the wind chill. Fire wood pile shrinking rapidly. Anything that has to run is either plugged in or in the shop
Ken

Interesting. My 125 starts better in the cold, although I've never tried it without being plugged in at -40. When it's plugged in at -20C, it will fire immediately and come up onto idle within 5 seconds of cranking. It takes 20+ seconds of cranking when it's +20C out. When I was having fuel problems, a buddy who works on all kinds of diesel equipment in the oil patch told me to swap in clear fuel hoses. It was amazing. I could immediately see, not only was I getting air into the system, but where it was coming from. Good luck. I look forward to the pics.

 

[92LX555]

Your on the right track with the electric fuel pump imo. Get a brand name one like Carter or Holley with the 5 to 10 psi you mentioned. Both have vane style pumps.
I don't have much faith in the diaphragm pulse style electric but a good vane pump should last years. Some may include a pressure regulator too.
-28C here this morning. -42 with the wind chill. Fire wood pile shrinking rapidly. Anything that has to run is either plugged in or in the shop
Ken

LOL...on the snow removal comment. Used mine last night for the same purpose and temps were warmer. I have used the diaphragm style electric pump but as I stated, they only last about a year. But, they are also only $50. I think the one that I got is set at 7 PSI

 

[cbucner]

LOL...on the snow removal comment. Used mine last night for the same purpose and temps were warmer. I have used the diaphragm style electric pump but as I stated, they only last about a year. But, they are also only $50. I think the one that I got is set at 7 PSI

Thanks guys for the replies. I used a napa pump , it looks like it's a vibrator pump from the noise it makes. and I replaced the 5/16 hose with a 1/2 hose. from the tank to the pump I have 5/16 which is about 1"long then another 1" to the filter and then 1/2 to the injection pump. From what I've seen the one after the filter to the injection pump was frozen or gelled all the time. It started fine yesterday in 14F and I'm going to try it today after a night in the cold outside . That will be the test What I didn't like is that I had to use crass barb reducers to reduce from the 1/2 to 5/16 back at the injection pump. Is there a way to change the barb at the injection pump with a 1/2 one?? I'm going to get a fuel filter that has the 1/2 inlet and outlet next time. I'll post the pics for the machine later on.

 

[92LX555]

Thanks guys for the replies. I used a napa pump , it looks like it's a vibrator pump from the noise it makes. and I replaced the 5/16 hose with a 1/2 hose. from the tank to the pump I have 5/16 which is about 1"long then another 1" to the filter and then 1/2 to the injection pump. From what I've seen the one after the filter to the injection pump was frozen or gelled all the time. It started fine yesterday in 14F and I'm going to try it today after a night in the cold outside . That will be the test What I didn't like is that I had to use crass barb reducers to reduce from the 1/2 to 5/16 back at the injection pump. Is there a way to change the barb at the injection pump with a 1/2 one?? I'm going to get a fuel filter that has the 1/2 inlet and outlet next time. I'll post the pics for the machine later on.

Does your unit have a block heater? If not I would highly recommend you get one and use it. From the sounds of it, your pump that you got is the diaphram type. It will work fine but it will wear out. You will need to mount it to the frame somewhere for proper grounding. My unit has a bracket that I attached it to. Be careful not to mount it to low or mud and junk will surround the pump. The great thing about these pumps that make the vibration noise is that you know if it is working or not. Or I should say has power to the pump. With mine, as soon as I turn the key, not to start, but just turn the key, I can hear my pump kick in and I know it has power. This has been very helpful to me every year when the pump dies because this is the first thing that I don't hear when it does not start and I know exactly what the issue is.

 

[cbucner]

Does your unit have a block heater? If not I would highly recommend you get one and use it. From the sounds of it, your pump that you got is the diaphram type. It will work fine but it will wear out. You will need to mount it to the frame somewhere for proper grounding. My unit has a bracket that I attached it to. Be careful not to mount it to low or mud and junk will surround the pump. The great thing about these pumps that make the vibration noise is that you know if it is working or not. Or I should say has power to the pump. With mine, as soon as I turn the key, not to start, but just turn the key, I can hear my pump kick in and I know it has power. This has been very helpful to me every year when the pump dies because this is the first thing that I don't hear when it does not start and I know exactly what the issue is.

Yeah , it's a good thing the noise it makes. I can hear it when the engine is on glow plugs. Today it was really cold -5F . With the mods I did it started , kinda rough in the begining but that's because i did not use the block heater. It takes 2-3 secs for it to run good. So if it started in -5F then the mods were woth the time and money. Before I could not start under 15F.