loss of power then stops
 

I have a 1982 300 td that runs fine for a little while then loses power and then shuts off. have changed filters checked the alda line, swaped fuel pumps and primer pump. i don't think its getting air in the fuel line, i had lear lines on it and could see if there was air.
Could someone please help?????? my wife it getting tired of towing the car home:)

Remove the tank screen and clean it.

Second that....

Is your primary filter black after it has been run awhile? If so, you could have algae in your tank.

Fungus, not algae.
Fungus is brown, black. Algae is green.
Use biocide or Valvtect to kill bacteria or fungus, available at boating/marine stores. Especially if you are using veggie oil in the fuel tank.
Cleaning the screen tank, my weekend project, oh boy, can't wait!
Frankie

1984 300 SD
2004 Subaru Forester XT

Fill up with b100 to clean the tank strainer :)

After you check or change your filters, check all your throttle linkage and make sure the engine kill mechanism under the hood is not being pushed closed by bent or misrouted linkage.

After you have got any fuel supply issues dealt with and if symptom remains . Could be the pressure return valve on the injection pump is sticking open when warm.. Not to check now but only if the other suggestions do not work out. Kind of a long shot but could possibly do it. I would read the fuel pressure from a tee after the lift pump. Even if I had to route a gauge hose back into the cabin for a driving test.

My friends car had a similar problem. I cured it with Startron (about 4 oz) left in the tank about 3-4 days (after sloshing it around). he had fungus and startron seems to have eaten it all. pull off the rubber fuel line that attaches to the steel line on the drivers side. if the flow of diesel is feeble you likely have screen/algae prob. personally i would try Startron before I yanked the tank. way easier.

I need to do this too. I have an 85 300D sedan. How do you remove the fitting? The fuel line attaches to a metal fitting that either attaches to a hexangonal bracket or "plate" on the underside of the tank or is part of that bracket. It looks like I would need a pipe wrench to remove the bracket or does the fuel line fitting just unscrew from the bracket? Does anyone have a "write-up" on this?

BTW, my symptom is the car runs for a mile or so on veg oil (in the stock tank) and then looses power so I have to switch back to diesel (in alt. tank), then I can switch back to VO for a mile and repeat over and over. All new filters, so I figure it's a clogged tank screen, or air coming in a clamp (but I retightened them all).

when you have the strainer out, be sure to blow out the line from the pre filter back to the strainer. I had one with a clean strainer but would run and shut off after a few minutes and eventually not start at all. There was a clog in the line itself (about 7 inches long, diameter of the line), no idea how it got there.

I'm 54 and for 26 years working on diesels, I have heard about crap growing in diesel fuel, It was called ALGAE.

Algae, fungus, who cares.....:rolleyes: when it grows in your tank, it plugs up strainers and filters.

i believe the hex bracket or plate you are referring to is the fuel tank screen or strainer. you'll need a 12 pt. 46mm hex socket to turn it. or you can purchase a special MB fuel tank filter wrench.

Get an outboard motor fuel tank, fill it full of diesel, run a line to your lift pump and drive it that way for a while. If it runs ok, that will confirm a delivery problem from the lift pump back. You could put the outboard tank on your roofrack.

Make sure you take a picture. Then start a new thread with a photo caption contest.

-Jim

Growth in WVO (or diesel) is from water in your fuel. Try making a pick up for your bulk tank that removes oil from the upper 6" or so of oil. This way your bulk tank oil will constantly be settling out the remaining water. I use a converted free chest freezer, 12V bilge pumps and a $10 waterbed heater. This allows me to heat the oil to 110*F (higher with modifications to the heater controls), pump from the bottom of the freezer for water removal and another pump on the compressor shelf pumps out settled oil. Cheap & it works. Add a biocide to your bulk fuel.