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Deuce won't start

2deuce

Well-known member
1,501
192
63
Location
portland, oregon
I don't understand the IP very well in the M35a2. It hasn't been started in 5 years or so. Can it become gummed up to where it won't pump enough fuel? It began with showing a little smoke at the exhaust, and when I quit trying with running out of light the other day it was smoking a lot more, but wouldn't take off. I removed the cover on the shutoff valve and it now moves freely. I loosened the injection lines at the injectors where they all leak fuel now. In the beginning #4 & 6 would not show fuel, and #6 would not pass anything even with the line disconnected until I tapped on the IP. The in tank pump works good. It's a low mile 1988 truck. It spins fast when cranking, and shows 30# oil pressure, and the temp outside was 60*. The engine sounds even while cranking. The only thing I can think of is to keep cranking it, I have not used ether yet, and since I'm by myself, I want to avoid it. The last time it ran it started easily. Thanks
 

cattlerepairman

Well-known member
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Location
NORTH (Canada)
I think you are doing the right things. I suspect it still has air trapped and can't quite get up to pressure.
I feel the same about starting fluid, but sometimes a whiff to light things up really helps.

In tank pump is running...but is it pushing fuel? Bleeders on the secondary filters tell you.

I suppose you checked air filter canister for rodent homes.

Hope it fires. Let us know!

Sent from my SM-G991W using Tapatalk
 

2deuce

Well-known member
1,501
192
63
Location
portland, oregon
I think you are doing the right things. I suspect it still has air trapped and can't quite get up to pressure.
I feel the same about starting fluid, but sometimes a whiff to light things up really helps.

In tank pump is running...but is it pushing fuel? Bleeders on the secondary filters tell you.

I suppose you checked air filter canister for rodent homes.

Hope it fires. Let us know!

Sent from my SM-G991W using Tapatalk
You are correct about the trapped air. I spent some time with the truck yesterday afternoon, and it was acting the same as the other day. I loosened all the injector lines again. I couldn't get any fuel to show at #1 and #6. The others dribbled(2,3,4), and whether #5 was a little looser or what it pulsed a lot of fuel. Nothing I did was getting anywhere until I took #1 & 6 all the way out. I can only loosen the fittings until they are out of the injector, as the line is still in it. Running the starter made those 2 totally loosened fittings to only spit a couple of drops of fuel. By now I can tell the batteries are spinning the engine a little slower, so I tried ether. First I tightened 1 & 6 back up. I tried a little ether increasing the amount each time until it fired. On the second time it lit off, it stayed running on 4 cylinders. It was very rough. Full throttle it would run about 400rpm. It would stay running with no throttle at 300rpm, but really shaking. I felt the exhaust manifold, and 1 & 6 were cold. With it still running I loosened 1st #6 and got more fuel, tightened it back up and could tell a little improvement. Same with #1. Got back in the cab, gave it some throttle and it cleaned up and ran smooth. What a relief.
I've had other trucks sit longer, far longer but not get air trapped like this one. I had one sit 8 years, and start after I figured out the shutoff was stuck, and one that sat much longer than that at a forest service site fire right up once home, but rusted up brakes were an issue with that one. This one being such low hours (only 340) maybe the difference? It has a brake problem too. They work if you pump them, but release the pedal and back to nothing. Somebody changed it to dot 3. There was a bottle of dot 3 behind the seat, and Dot 3 stenciled under the access door. The story I got from the volunteer FD was they loaned it out to another FD with a water tank on it, and with a full load, and a hard stop the brakes failed. This truck has the dual system so I question that a bit. Maybe I just haven't bled it in the right place, or missed something as I see no leaks.
Anyway I got the truck moved because I need to fall some dead trees that put it in the danger zone. I wanted to work on the brakes this summer on this truck but ran out of summer. I need to find somebody with experience with this brake system. Parts seem hard to get, or expensive, and maybe it has only air trapped somewhere too, like the fuel system did. That would be ideal.
 
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