80 bird with 3208 cat keeps stalling - PLEASE help

[one_dusty_hoot]

Hey there John in Flint, I haven't seen my solution to a problem
similar to what you are experiencing so I'll chime in here.---

There is a check ball in the Racor filter that can get lodged in the
filter so as to stop all fuel flow from the tank and create one heck
of a vaccum in the line to the final filter at the engine..

So much in fact that the primer will spring back with a snap from
the suction that the engine fuel pump produces.

I used a rubber tip air hose, and after removing both inlet and
outlet of the Racor, I first blowed into the tank, the uncoupling at
the final filter blew that way also, clear..???

When I blew air into the outlet of the Racor it was stopped up
momentarily then I heard a PING! Could have been something else but
I believe it was the check ball coming loose.

After priming the engine ran fine.

If..if you want to bypass this system just to ascertain that the
engine runs OK (may even be used in a fuel stoppage emergency) Get a
clean can, fill it 3/4 full of FRESH diesel, then, disconnect the
short piece of tubing from the inlet to the final filter , attach
this to a 3-4 foot piece of hose and prime the engine, start her up!
BTW if you drive the coach it would be highly adviseable to latch
the can down. I like these Surplus tanks with the open ridges on the
handle. This is not theory, it works!

Be wary, diesel stinks, to me anyway, and the smell can stay in
fabric forever.

ernie....A 5 gallon paint bucket would not fit under my tank. A
yellow plastic waste basket would though. I cut a 1 1/4" hole about
4" from the top, then using PVC pipe, cemented a threaded coupling,
some homemade gaskets piped the rotten diesel about 15 feet to a
point lower so I could put a 5 gallon paint bucket under the stream,
matter of fact many. I even filled up a couple 35 gallon garbage
cans too. My thinking here was that the crud, a lot of it, would go
to the bottom of the waste basket and not be drained into the tube,
it did.

It is amazing just how much crud comes out and I'm sure a lot
remains in the bottom of the tank, just hope it remains as a solid
on the bottom for a long time.

One young man removed most of the diesel for use in his oil burning
heating system after filtering well. He later said he had no problem
and appreciated the winter fuel. Free and Tax paid at that!!

Yes, the solids at the bottom does create a blockage with the plug
removed. Screwdriver works well.

Someday, someday--Im sure you have heard that story, here's what I
plan to do to help with this dirty fuel, theory, may be too far out.

Anyway, there is more fuel going to the tank than the engine burns.
This comes about by a pressure spring in the pump prior to the
injector pump that supplies an abundance of fuel drawing fuel from
the tank and through the filters.(Except in the case where a facet
pump is pushing the fuel from the tank forward, mine doesn't have
this.)

I plan to open this return line, install a "T" fitting and a check
valve, could be solenoid operated. Add a 24 hour timer which can be
set at some determined amount of time per day, and a 12 volt pump.
I have the pump, some $35 or so.

So in my thinking here's what will take place: daily for 2 hours
(maybe??) the timer will start, energising the motor and solenoid
valve. At the end of 2 hrs. it will stop returning to normal.

What will happen: Fuel will be circulated for 2 hours to the engine
area completing a pass through primary and final filters returning
to the tank.

Will it work?Sure, Is it beneficial ? I don't know? It just seems to
me that circulating fuel in this manner would certainly reduce
problems with algae and fuel contamination problems for bird that
roost for long periods of time.

Suggestions, ideas, constructive critism, all welcome.

Bob Janes
77 FC31
Greenville, SC



In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Adria Haynes" <mrbeebody@n...>
wrote:
> Gurus,
>
> I had been here for a while, took a break, but have been lurking
> again
> for a while. I NEED HELP!
>
> What I have is a Wanderlodge 35fc with a newer 3208 Cat. We just
> used it last month for a long weekend that was 2 hours away and
> everything went excellent. We started the trip with 1/4 tank,
> filled up, and had 1/2 tank when the trip was over - which how it
> has sat for the past
> month.
>
> I fired it up for a few minutes on Thursday night to make sure we
> were ready to rock for the long weekend. After getting everything
> ready to head out - it wouldn't stay running. Per advice from
> friends and family, I changed the fuel filter at the back of the
> motor with a brand new one that was FULL of fuel. I also changed
out
> the water seperator and filter under the LP compartment door. I
> removed, refilled, and reinstalled the engine bay fuel filter a
> number of times. Each time priming it with the primer.
>
> After removing the air filter, the bus would start and run if I
shot
> and kept shooting starting fluid down the intake. After a while,
it
> seemed to be able to sustain on its own. I had to keep the
throttle
> pulled back to keep it idling a little over 1200. While the tach
> indicated steady RPM's, the cloud out the back indicated
sputtering
> within. Again, after a while it would run on its own, seem to run
> well, but not for long before it would start to sputter. At that
> point, I would remove the new fuel filter and find it to be only
> about 1/4 full of fuel - making me to believe that it died when
the
> fuel filter ran out of fuel. When removing the new filter, at the
> point when the seal breaks, it gives out that "shtook" popping
sound
> as though it were under heavy suction.
>
> Another interesting thing is that after having been run, I would
> turn the valve on the water seperator. Not only would the liquids
> not just stream out - it would "burble and chug" out the bottom
but
> only do so after it looked like it sucked air IN - as though there
> were a natural vacuum.
>
> After having the vacation already wrecked, I need to focus on
> getting it back up and running again ASAP. I read a post on the
> vintagebirds.com site in which a gentleman indicated that he had an
> 81 with a 1/2 tank that acted like he was out of fuel and that he
> added more fuel and it behaved as long as he kept it above the 1/2
> tank level until he did something with a 1/4" copper line.
>
> I'm unclear as to what he did to fix it and cannot contact him.
>
> Is it a common problem for a bird such as mine to ALL OF A SUDDEN
> act like it has a heavy fuel restriction or act like its out of
> gas? My uncle seems to think its acting like it's sucking air
into
> the line or there is a restriction.
>
> Please help, I'm desperate. Any help, suggestions, or anything
> would be HUGELY appreciated.
>
> Thanks, John in Flint.