I can no longer say that my benz has not left me walking. I was going to church, and started having problems.

A little background. I am converting this thing to run WVO. I haven't fed it any VO yet, and only have re routed the fuel system so the lift pump pulls through the fuel filter, via a high quality solenoid, and returns via another solenoid to the tank. Extremely soon after solving the air leak problems that I created with this modification, I ran the darn thing out of fuel (reserve light decided it was tired of coming on). I filled up, and then replaced the fuel filter (prefilter has been eliminated since my lift pump is after the main filter now). Since then, which has been about 750 miles, it hasn't run too well. Its been fine, but the idle has been a little rough and very slightly slower, and sometimes is has low power upon acceleration, then picks up and runs fine. The transmission also likes to shift around a lot when I have little power, I suspect because the engine isn't providing much power. I did fill up on ULSD about 100 miles ago.

Yesterday I drove the thing 30 miles, on lots of nice little country roads, then the interstate. It did a few funny things but all in all was fine. This morning, it was a little lethargic. Since it was nice and cold, and I'm not sure how the glowplugs were doing, I figured it was because of that. It seemed that the warmer it got the worse it ran. Finally it completely quit, just plain died, and I coasted to a stop behind a movie store. I fiddled around for a while, cracking the ip supply line and pumping by hand, (my fuel filter was completely full of fuel), all to no avail. It would start after a little cranking, but only if I was flooring it, and would reach 1500 rpms and then die.

Everything I know screams AIR LEAK! However, it is strange that an air leak of this magnitude would just happen while I was driving one day. One day I'm cruising at 80, the next day and less than 5 miles on the ODO later I can't even start it.

I am going to go ahead and try to replace all the washers on the banjo fittings. I don't have a dealership close by, so maybe if I go to a brake shop/auto parts store and buy a bunch of different sizes it will work?

My other thought was a plugged filter/tank screen. The fuel filter is really new, and the tank screen should have been more gradual of an onset I think.

Any ideas?

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1985 300D, 237k.
1994 F-350, 6.9 diesel, 5 spd manual, Banks Turbo. 261k.
Sold: 1985 300CD- 267K

bump for update, its still sitting behind the blockbuster

__________________
1985 300D, 237k.
1994 F-350, 6.9 diesel, 5 spd manual, Banks Turbo. 261k.
Sold: 1985 300CD- 267K