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Poor running engine

3bals

3bals

Retired Firefighter
Messages
428
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297
Location
Minnesota
Today I went to use my 98 K3500 and it was hard to start, smoked like crazy and took awhile to clear up,
kind of.

It doesn't have much power and wants to still smoke some, but not as bad. It kind of acted like a dirty fuel filter, so I changed it after I drained the T valve to get out any water that might have got in there. That's what I was thinking this may have been from. I have a suspicion I may have some water that got into my fuel. (it's a long story, but not al lot of water like gallons or anything, just some)

I had two codes. P0236 Turbocharger Boost System and P0216 Injection Timing Control Circuit. I cleared the codes and ran my errand. When I got home the was another P0216 Injection Timing Control Circuit code. Just wondering what my next step will be? Add some Power Service Red bottle and top off the tank with clean diesel and run it through?
 
From a search, running bets are the stepper motor. Adding an overdose of lube to compensate for the ULSD might fix the P2016; if not, the cure is likely to replace the stepper motor. Another search result was the PMD.
 
resistor in PMD?

Putting new diesel should help if it has been sitting long.
Also, I would add 2 cycle oil to the fuel.

Drive it around more.
 
White smoke that smells like diesel is well... unburned diesel. Chances are this is your deal.
White smoke that smells sweet is not sweet at all, it's coolant- which I doubt by your description.

Other than what Jay said, the only other 2 things that hits me as possible at the moment is:1. the two prong temperature sensor that tells Mr. Truck how cold you are and to advance timing for it. Somewhere here someone posted a chart that has the voltage rating at specific temperature you could test against really easily with that info.

2. glow plugs not doing their job, but that really shouldn't cause the coding.
 
So you suspect maybe, possibly, remotely, you may have bad fuel or water in fuel.

I suggest one re-thinks letting bad or wet fuel anywhere near their diesel. :frown2: So lets dilute it and ruin more fuel and then try and force the questionable fuel through the engine. If it doesn't ruin the entire engine from an injector hanging open: bad wet fuel can just take out the expensive IP and injectors. With a scrap core charge this is just under $2000.00 in parts plus labor. Factory filters are not very good at knocking the water out of fuel.

Your fuel system has 2 protections from water. One is the tank sock. It (factory style) will bypass and let water through if it plugs up. It will cause power loss to open the bypass valve. The second of course is the factory filter. Aftermarket filters and water separators have better luck saving your injection system than the factory stuff does.

Did you get any water settling out from the FFM water drain into a glass jar? Did the filter have warped pleats indicating it got wet? Does the diesel smell of gasoline? Water can be fixed by dropping and cleaning out the tank. Gasoline means the fuel is waste oil. I would dispose of wet diesel myself because $100 in wet diesel isn't worth the possible repair issues.

Bugs are another concern.

Once you have eliminated fuel quality and contamination suspension then you can move on to lift pump PSI and air bubbles in the return.
 
I'd run about 3/4 gallon into a gallon glass jar, let it sit and take a look at it. You should get water bubbles on the bottom if you have water in the tank
 
I did the fuel in the jar test and there was no water in it, just clear fuel.

It just reinforced my suspicions of what took place. It wasn't so much the amount of water the amount of water in my fuel, but the time that it sat in my system (IP/injectors).

So after discussing the issue with Bill Heath, we concluded that I need to replace the IP and injectors. And luck would have it, I have a spare reman IP in my possession. I just needed to order some injectors.

At this time, I am also doing the FTB upgrade, turbomaster and an upgraded PCM from Heath. there are a couple other upgrades too, but they'll have to wait until after firewood season and deer hunting.

Now that I'm elbows deep into the project, I have a couple questions. You see, it's been ten years since I last changed an IP.

I have all the fuel lines disconnected and only have the last 2 IP bolts to take out and here's where I can't remember the procedure for disconnecting the front pump gear?
 
pull off the oil fill tube and reach thru the hole to remove 3 bolts. you'll have to rotate the engine to get access to all 3
 
Thanks. I kind of remembered that part, but wasn't sure of any special alignments that need to be in place.

It's my guess that the alignment pin takes care of that? And, to careful not to drop one of the bolts? The gear itself can't fall, right?
 
No the gear can't fall. Use a strong magnet on the side of your socket to keep the bolts from falling in when taking them out. Use a magnet on the end of the socket as you put the bolts in by hand. You could also use a paper towel to tighten the bolt and socket, but, the magnet works better. Do not spin the IP after removal and in fact note the position as it first comes out of the engine. Match the other IP to it. It can go in "wrong" but you won't be able to get all 3 gear drive bolts in if it does.

You do not have to remove the IP lines to get the pump in and out.
 
Just a note here, turbocharger boost control circuit DTC may be a broken wire from the boost control solenoid where it enters harness at the firewall I've had this happen to my burb so timing and top dead center relearn could not be set until the wire was fixed, what I did was run a new wire from boost controller solenoid to the computer. The other way is to disable the boost control circuit with a device controller.

Maybe someone with more knowledge can chime in here!
 
WarWagon said:
No the gear can't fall. Use a strong magnet on the side of your socket to keep the bolts from falling in when taking them out. Use a magnet on the end of the socket as you put the bolts in by hand. You could also use a paper towel to tighten the bolt and socket, but, the magnet works better. Do not spin the IP after removal and in fact note the position as it first comes out of the engine. Match the other IP to it. It can go in "wrong" but you won't be able to get all 3 gear drive bolts in if it does.

You do not have to remove the IP lines to get the pump in and out.
Click to expand...

I really didn't remove the lines all the way. While I was replacing the injectors anyway, I just left them loose. It really helped while removing them from the IP. Luckily I still have them intact on my K2500 with the intake removed, so I can make sure they go back to the right place. Although, I don't think it will be a problem.

I've decided to scrap that truck (K2500 in my sig) out anyway. As soon as I strip it of most of the usable parts (like the fairly new 4in exhaust). It's nice to have spare parts supply so close by, but I'm sure the city will be on me soon.
 
3bals said:
Sorry, I was thinking of moving it to the K3500, if it's compatible. I think it is.
Click to expand...

Rats!!! ;) From everything I have read, the manual setup it should easily port. Also, the K3500 probably already has the square hole for the stick ready to 'punch-out' in the tunnel.
 
Well, I'm to the point of removing the vacuum pump that I don't need anymore, thanks to the Turbomaster and upgraded PCM from Heath.

Now, if I recall the new serp belt size should be 101"?
 
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