[mickri]

I have owned the truck for almost 8 years and have changed the fuel filter several times in the past with no problems. I have read Joe G's fuel system writeup. In the past I bled the fuel filter with the bleeder on the top of the fuel filter housing. Then I crack the bolt on the banjo and pump the lift pump till I get fuel coming out. Then crank the engine and it starts. I am pretty familiar with diesels. My sailboat has a diesel engine and I lived aboard for 11 years. I was gone out the country for 7 years cruising. Did all of my own engine maintenance including a complete tear down and rebuilt of the injection pump on that engine. A perkins 4108.

I screwed up this time by starting at the banjo bolt and pumping the lift pump until fuel came out. The engine started and then stopped. I cracked the nuts on the injectors and had fuel coming out of the 1,2 & 4 injectors. Tightened those and then had fuel coming out of 6. No fuel ever came out of 3 & 5. Cranked the engine but it wouldn't start. I cranked it a lot. I then cracked the 1 nut on the injection pump. No fuel coming out. Cracked the rest of the nuts on the injection pump. No fuel coming out. I went back to square one and pulled the fuel filter. Only had a little fuel in the bottom. What I now realize is that the fuel I saw coming out of the banjo bolt was the fuel in the line from the filter to the banjo. Filled the fuel filter and then bled it with the bleeder nut. Then cracked the banjo bolt and bled it until fuel came out. Cranked the engine and no fuel came out of the injector pump. I then checked the FSS. It energized with the key on and would hold the lever in the up position when I lifted it by hand. Next I turned the key off and then turned it back on and briefly cranked the engine. With the key still on I checked the lever. It was all the way up. I then cranked the engine for close to 10 minutes. During this cranking I cracked the banjo bolt to see if fuel was coming out and had lots of fuel coming out. But still no fuel from the injection pump.

If I take the banjo bolt out can I see if the fuel shut off is moving when I move the lever?

This truck is my only vehicle and I drive it every couple of days. It always starts. Barely have to hit the starter and it starts. I am embarrassed about my initial screw up on bleeding the system. Currently charging the batteries. They will be fully charged later today and I will give it another go to see if it starts. I will tie the FSS up to see if that helps.

Thanks for you suggestions.

 

[mickri]

I will listen for that. My hearing is not the best. I have tinnitus with constant ringing in my right ear. I tried cracking the OFV but no fuel came out. Hard to get a wrench on that bolt. Still waiting for the batteries to be fully charged.

 

[mickri]

While waiting for the 2nd battery to come up to full charge I pumped the lift pump After 10 or so pumps I heard a squeaking sound. Sounds like the squeak is coming from the lift pump. Is this where I should hear the squeak?

 

[mickri]

I wondered about the lift pump. Thanks for the suggestion. They are not expensive. I have also thought about going to an electric pump. But I have to get my truck running. It is my only vehicle. If I crack the banjo bolt on the injection pump and crank the engine I get fuel coming out at the banjo bolt. I don't think that would happen if the lift pump was faulty.

Batteries finally came up to full charge late this afternoon. I will be back at it tomorrow morning.

 

[mickri]

Still no success this morning. I am focusing on the FSS. Specifically the shaft that comes out of the pump. I can not tell if it is moving when I raised the lever. (wrong term??) Will I cause myself more problems if I remove the FSS so I can get a better look at whether the shaft is moving when the lever is raised. Looks pretty simple to remove the FSS.

 

[mickri]

As best as I can tell the FSS is moving the lever all the way up. When I do it by hand after pushing the lever up part way it goes the rest of the way by itself with a load click when it is sucked up into the FSS.

 

[mickri]

I had no success with removing the FFS and tying the lever up. Decided to go back to square one starting with bleeding the fuel filter. After 50 or more pumps no fuel came out. Made a dipstick out of a piece of wire to check the fuel level in the filter. Fuel was down about 2 1/2" from the top of the housing. Did another 50 pumps with little or no change. Did another 50 and still no change. Looks like the lift pump has failed from all of the pumping I have done.

I am going to order a lift pump probably from Ebay. Price ranges from $25 to $150 plus. Genuine Cummins are $50 plus or minus. O'Reilly's has one in stock at my local store for $160. I don't think that I need it that bad. This seller is located fairly close to me, Probably a Chinese copy. Would get it next week. Fuel Lift Pump For Dodge RAM 5.9 Cummins 5.9L Diesel 12V B5.9 W/ Gaskets 94-98 | eBay

Or I may pay the extra $$ for genuine Cummins. Have to see who has the fastest shipping.

I really appreciate everyone's help and suggestions.

 

[mickri]

The pump in the link is not genuine Cummins. The genuine Cummins pumps average $50 to $60. At least the box says genuine Cummins. There are a bunch of people selling the genuine Cummins pumps. Have 3/4 of a tank. So fuel is not an issue. I never let my tank go below half full. I will double check to make sure the rod is rotating. I think that it is. I took a close look at it after removing the FSS.

 

[mickri]

Did not know there was a prefilter screen. Where is it located?

 

[mickri]

Read Joe G's again. Then I found a detailed description with pictures on how to clean/replace the prefilter screen including part numbers on the Dieseldatabase forum. The Cummins/Fleetguard Part number is 3845400-s. Another task added to the list.

 

[mickri]

The prescreen filters seem to be in short supply. After a bunch of searching I finally found one and have it on order. Have made an offer on a lift pump. Should have both sometime next week.

 

[mickri]

My local O'Reilly's has one in stock for $160. I am getting a genuine Cummins according to the box for around .$50. I bought the prefilter screen kit to be on the safe side. Won't know what shape mine is in until I take it apart.

 

[mickri]

The listing on the lift pump I bought said it had a weep hole. Went to install it today and can't see a weep hole anywhere. Sent an email off to the seller. Did some more checking on other listings and only saw a couple of pumps that appeared to have a weep hole. A $152 Delphi pump and the $75 DCEC pumps. The only visible difference between the pump I got and the DCEC pumps is a small hole on the front side of the pump by the mounting flange.

 

[mickri]

And since I had the fuel heater off I replaced the prefilter screen. The old screen did not look dirty but it wasn't as clean as the new one. There was fine grit in the bowl. What really surprised me was the housing was barely finger tight. It came off with no force at all.

Back to the lift pump. The box it came is printed in numerous places that it is a genuine cummins part.

 

[mickri]

When I was searching to see where the weep hole might be I saw them in the same place as in your picture and also higher up on the side of the pump. The weep hole looks like a drilled hole. Waiting to hear back from the seller. Not going to get my truck running today. Bummer

 

[mickri]

Did not get a response from the seller. I have started the refund process with Ebay. None of my local auto parts stores have one in stock. Will be ordering another pump tomorrow. Get it sometime next week.

 

[mickri]

Crazy idea. What if I disassembled the pump and then drilled a weep hole in the same place as in GAmes' picture and in the pictures I have seen online. Clean out any chips and put it back together. I wonder if it is just a hole. Or if there is something inside. I bet the housing is pretty soft and would be easy to drill. Or I could chuck it up in my mill and use a small end mill to drill the hole.

Some Ebay sellers don't like to mess with paying to have an item returned. Too costly. So you get the refund and also keep the item. I have had that happen in the past. Not often.

 

[mickri]

My thought also about the preheater. I am going to take it totally apart today. The center section also doesn't look to be on all the way. The lift pump that I took off my engine was made by AC in England. Probably a replacement pump. Not OEM. It had part #3925709. Searched for that and found listings for lift pumps for my truck with that part number.

 

[mickri]

I have read his write up several times and plan to read it again before I tear into the preheater. Have not yet made the decision to toss or keep the heater.