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The reason you don't slash a fuel filter to get home, or what was he thinking?

SlowBoat

Member
Messages
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Location
Henagar, AL
Been looking at a 99 3500 w 6.5L that's been sitting a while. The owner said it just kept getting slower and slower till it wouldn't do anything but idle in neutral. The fuel filter manager filter was supposedly replaced on the road by a mechanic who charged him $100 for the repair and let him go on his way. The owner didn't know what had been done, just that he made it about 50 miles farther up the road and it quit pulling and he had it towed home. It had been parked ever since. So the story goes.

I took batteries, and went to look it over. The flatbed had already been removed, so the tank sending unit/pickup was easy. The tank was full of water, sediment and sandy mud, literally. The pump was inoperative and the lines were almost completely plugged. The FFM was almost full to the top with the same junk and when I pulled the filter out it was slashed vertically all around in order to let fuel through it! The last ditch screen was missing. I pulled the line to the injection pump inlet and it too was plugged full. The actual injection pump fitting was removed and guess what, it looked halfway decent, on the outside. Pulling the top fitting revealed internal plugging and destroying the outer screen revealed a disgusting mess.

I looked around the place and see next door older farm tractors in various states of disrepair at a former large farm operation. An OLD diesel fueling trailer is sitting in under a leaking lean to shelter among the grain silos. EVERYTHING is about an inch deep in dust and cobwebs everywhere here. The fueling hose is actually laying on the ground partially covered in mud. I'm having my doubts about his story about now. Me thinks that poor maintenance has caught up with this one, and I am going to pass on it. No incriminating photos will be provided other than the injection pump inlet fitting. It says it all. You don't slash a fuel filter in order to get home!

The pics show the fitting as I rotated it on its side.
 

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Garuntee the IP and injectors are trash. Possible ring and wall damage too. Good inspetion resulted in a good "pass". Many time everyone gets caught up looking for the good deal to buy. Just as important is knowing when to pass.
 
If the frame is in good shape, offer to haul the carcass away for free. Then do a complete frame-off overhaul (powertrain, brakes, etc).

Reason for expecting to do a complete overhaul is that based on the descriptions so far, I'd expect *all* moving parts to need replacement in addition to the motor (and most likely the tranny, and the diff(s), and . . .).
 
What's he asking for it?

What condition is the seat and rest of the cab in?

What did the engine/transmission oil look like and with this depth of an inspection what is the result of the $10.00 UOA?

Engine spin over and compression sound even?

Throw fuel system away from the tank, all lines, IP, Injector lines, injectors, return lines, hell even the fuel tank cap just to be sure. IMO that looks like a bugs in fuel situation - don't mistake the dead bug build up for "junk", "rust", or "mud". A filter will not stop the bugs and they will grow everywhere. The IP isn't even a core as it is rusted from the corrosive slime the bugs make. Let me be specific without repeating myself by pointing you here: http://www.thetruckstop.us/forum/th...ulsd-and-biodiesel-this-can-affect-you.35096/

Yes, the fuel system can take an engine out. It may have just taken the fuel system out.
 
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Never got around to a price after what I found. I was led to the truck by the mans wife. They left me to spend all time I needed to look it over.

The oil was about the same consistency of sludge, the trans fluid was brown and smelled burnt. Never got the engine to turn over with starter but it wasn't locked up. The interior was trashed, the door hinges worn out along with the latch strikers. Cracked windshield. Busted dash. I was wanting it for the rolling chassis, but the front suspension would have had to been totally rebuilt along with brakes and rotors, the hydro-boost was missing and the frame was cut at the rear where the bed was torched off of it along with the cross member. Standing behind it you could actually see that the frame rails weren't vertical anymore but spread out at the bottom and the axle u bolts had been shifting around on the tubes. Abused farm truck.

He eventually came out to check my progress. He just GRINNED when I told him I wouldn't be interested it, and told me that "he figured he'd done got all the good out of it"! THAT was the understatement of the day! Not worth the price of getting it to the local scrapper.

WW, currently fighting the bugs in my cousins 3500HD with dual tank setup. Both tanks have already been pulled along with the FFM and the 100 gallon transfer tank on the bed. I don't think he'll consider filling the truck from the tank again before a pump filter is added. Biocide treatment for everything!
 
Send a sample of the buggy fuel to a lab so you know what "pesticide", biocide, will be effective. Gasoline WILL do the job of killing them if all else fails. GM makes a fuel system cleaner for Diesel engines you run from a 5 gal diesel can. Caught early enough the fuel system cleaner can save the injection system including common rail.

Wife wants someone to pay to haul off scrap metal... :p
 
I agree with a comment above about knowing when to pass on a deal. Unless you are a very handy wrench with a lot of time on your hand amd a good place to do the build, I think you will save yourself a lot of time, cussing, breaking, & probably injuries passing by that one and looking further. Just my honest opinion if it matters
 
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