I am stuck.

I have owned this car for 7+ years. It has always been harder to start warm than cold. After letting the cart sit too long, it began fouling the pre filter, to the point of stopping the car. Jump to present, I have cleaned the gas tank, replaced the in tank filtr, pre filter, spin on filter, most rubber fuel lines, all leaking braided fuel return lines. Found some broken 3 way vacuum fittings, replaced. Car ran the same, but suddenly my transmission shifted MUCH better. BUT Car would start cold, but not when warm. Adjusted valves. Ran better, but would not start if warm. Ran 2 cans of diesel purge through the system from a bottle under the hood. For 20 minutes the engine ran quieter and more smoothly than I have ever heard it. Right before I ran the bottle dry, I stopped the engine, attached fuel lines, pumped with bosch black pre pump and bled the low pressure side of the fuel system, and restarted the engine. It ran beautifully for about 10 seconds, stalled, and has not run since. I have stretched the fuel pressure relief spring, put a clamp on the cigar line, engine spins, sounds like it is hitting on 2 cylindars, but will not catch. I have loosened the hard line on cyl 1 and 2 injector, no fuel coming out when cranking. I suspect the injection pump, but do not know how to trouble shoot this. Any ideas?

How many miles are on the vehicle?

I am going to have to guess. I would disconnect the vacuum shutoff hose to eliminate vacuum getting to it from a faulty vacuum switch on the Steering Colum Lock. Alternatively you could stick a Vacuum Gauge in the disconnected hose and see if you are getting vacuum during cranking.
You don't want vacuum getting to the Vacuum Shutoff on the Fuel Injection Pump when you want the engine to run.

Concerning the no start hot. A build up of crankcase pressure can push the inside of the vacuum shutoff on the fuel injection pump towards the shutoff direction. For trouble shooting starting without the Oil Fill Cap on should relieve any crankcase pressure. If it starts with out the cap on you know what the issue is.

Try getting again on the hand primer and bleeding the low pressure part of the system out and loosen all of the fuel injection hard lines at the injectors. Have someone else crank for you while you continue to pump on the Hand Primer and see if you can get fuel up to the Injectors like that.

If is starts while you are working the Hand Primer it is likely your Fuel Supply/Lift Pump has issues.
The rebuild kit for the Fuel Supply/Lift Pump can be about $29-$35+ depending on if you get a generic kit or a real Bosch kit.

Another troubleshooting direction to go is do a compression test. But in your case it would be best to do that with the Engine Hot.

Also having trouble starting hot can be due to valve clearances too tight. I know you said you adjusted the valves but I thought I ought to mention it.

Blocking/clamping off the Cigar Hose would hold the pressure in but if there is air in the low pressure system it won't let the air out.

When attempting to start you could also put a little bit of foot into the Accelerator Pedal and see if that has an effect.
Best wishes.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

I have already tried opening the oil cap, opening the fuel cap, removing vacuum line. I am still waiting for a lift pump rebuild kit-should arrive in the next few days. I am stuck on the fact that I could start and drive the car immediately before a purge, but not at all after a purge.

by the way, 245000 miles, In the past 10,000 miles I have replaced ignition switch, shutoff valve. EGR is blocked with a plate, but vacuum is attached.

I'm assuming that I should get visible fuel at the top of the injectors during cranking?
During the purge I noticed a slight fuel leak under the #1 injector. No other visible fuel leaks.
Also waiting for a new battery charger.
Thanks again for the input.

Since I am not there I can only guess.

What can happen to the Fuel Injection Pump to keep it from putting out Fuel:
Air in it.

Insufficient fuel supply and or pressure

The rack is stuck in the off position. (If the Vacuum Shutoff is removed you can move the rack with your thumb)

Something causing the Element Plungers to stick upwards.

Something causing the fuel feed holes in the elements to be plugged up. On the MW Fuel injection Pump the feed holes are small.

Unusual stuff like something broke inside of the Fuel Injection Pump and or the Governor.

There is also valve and or injection pump timing

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

People hate when I mention this but I have seen it done too many times with no negative effects.

Disconnect the Glow Plug Wire Connector at the Glow Plug Relay so they won't turn on.
Remove the air inlet tube at the Turbocharger. Have someone start cranking the engine while you spray in the minimum amount of starting fluid to get the engine started. Or you can try something else like the claimed WD-40 is supposed to work. (Have not tried that)

When I worked 5 years at the fuel injection shop we did not frequently use starting fluid but if it I done the way I suggested it never did any damage.

Damage happen when you spray a bunch of the Starting Fluid into like the Air Filter Housing and then run to crank the Engine. That ensures that a big gulp of the starting fluid hits the engine all at once not to mention leaving the glow plugs connected detonates the starting fluid too soon.

Again before you spray glow plugs disconnected and someone else starts cranking the engine before you spray.

Also without disconnecting the glow plugs when you are cranking a Mercedes car diesel the glow plugs are on. So you do need to pull the connector.

The Diesel Purge stuff has a cetane rating that allows it to ignite easier and burn faster which is why it sounds nice when you are running on it.

I sometimes use Diesel911 fuel additive and it has a similar effect on the sound and on one vehicle I have seen it clear up hazy smoke.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

update:



Charger arrived today. after letting it charge for a couple of hours, cranked a bit faster, but no start.
Loosened the hard lines at the injector. Cyl 3 and 5 were the only ones that showed fuel. Cranked for three 10 sec bursts. Tightened lines at injector. Cranked engine, no joy.
Loosened cyl 1 hard line at pump No fuel showing when cranked.
Loosened all 5 lines at pump. Fuel showing only at cyl 5 when cranked. Again three 10 sec bursts.



I am waiting for lift pump kit to arrive.Once you get the part off the IP, is that a fairly simple repair? Monday I plan to explore the shutoff valve area of the IP. I am a little nervous taking things off a device that I don't fully understand, but I will reread some of the FSM first.


Will keep you posted

I am presuming you have an MW fuel injection pump. The hazard is not in removing the vacuum shutoff from it but in re-installing it.

Go to a parts site and see a picture of the shutoff and you will see a bent metal part in the shape of an "L". That bent part goes into a slot on the Fuel Rack. The problem is there is 2 slots and the "L" only goes into one of them.
If you get it in the wrong slot when you start the engine runs away. People normally prepare to block off the intake are before they start after replacing the Vacuum Shutoff.

The rack inside of the Fuel Injection Pump has bend at the very rear of it. That bend has a slot in it right in the bend. DON'T put the "L" of the shutoff in that slot.

Repair Links
Fast navigation http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diy-links-parts-category/146034-fast-navigation-do-yourself-links.html

The only picture I have is of it with the ALDA and top plate removed. The rear of the fuel injection pump would be at that bottom of the picture.

Attached Thumbnails

 

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Installed new parts in the fuel pump, reinstalled, no change. I still get fuel on #5 cylindar at the injector, or at the IP pump, but that's all.
Today I will remove the vacuum shut off, and try to move the fuel rack. However, I'm not sure what that accomplishes. What does the fuel rack do and why should I move it? Nor am I sure which of the parts I will be moving with my thumb is actually the fuel rack. FSM does not use the term fuel rack when it lists parts in the diagrams.
Diesel 911, please clarify what I am trying to do here.
I do not understand why I am only getting fuel at one injector while I am cranking. I can understand why that will prevent the car from starting. Thanks again for all suggestions.

Did the fuel pump kit have the little 5mm O-ring in it?

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Well I mentioned the rack because in the beginning it appears like you were not getting fuel to the injectors.

I do not have a diagram that shows the rack and other parts of the governor. The diagram in the manual is just an abstract representation of how the governor works.

There is threads on removing and re-installing the shut off in the repair links.

Personally I would have already used the method I described and the Starting Fluid. Diesel Engines are built to take a much higher combustion pressure the gasoline engines and therefore are stronger.

I wish someone else would comment on your issue who has had a similar problem.
I think you are to the point where I would have to be there to be of any help and that is not going to happen. Perhaps there is a Member in your City that could help.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

when cranking, do you have the throttle pushed to the floor?
do that and test the injectors again, see if you get fuel.

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Found an interesting discussion about stuck fuel racks. This seems to describe my problem. Car would not start, and no fuel would get to hard lines. Following instructions from this discussion, I loosed the 4 screws below the ALDA, gently lifted and rotated the assembly, and was able to manipulate the fuel rack. It moved under finger pressure, and I could hear things moving on the front end of the IP. put everything back together, tried to start car, again, no joy. loosened first hard line. Still no fuel. Next I will try starter fluid.
D911, I am working mostly alone on this, so I havn't tried your suggestion with starting fluid yet.
And yes, I would love to hear from someone in the Savannah, GA area

Yes, It had the o ring. Getting that thing out and replaced was the hardest part of the job. I remembered I had a pair of needle nosed tweezers and finally got it out.



Yes, I have cranked with pedal depressed, foot off the pedal, and pumping the pedal.



I seem to get fuel only at cylinder 5, and a little at cylinder 3.



And because God has a sense of humor, today I broke the small vacuum nipple on the main vacuum line between the v pump and the brake booster.

That was the first damage I did to mine.
Right after getting the Car and a New Oil Filter I changed the Oil and I guess leaned on the Vacuum line snapping off the nipple during the Oil change.
I stuck the cutting end of a drill bit through the broken piece glued the 2 plastic pieces together and the drill bit lined it up.

Then I carefully twisted the drill bit to cut the excess glue out of the inside and free the drill bit.
I did this to both nipples and I removed the line to do it.

I slid the vacuum hose carefully onto the previously broken one just enough to hold the hose on. then I slid some fuel hose down the vacuum line near the hose end and nipple. Then I liberally coated the area with JB Weld Epoxy and I slid the hose over that and I taped over the end so the Epoxy would not run out.
I also did it to the other side to prevent it from breaking.

The Epoxy and hose act as a cast. See the attached picture.

Many years later I cut the plastic tubing off of the main line and that plastic fitting and check valve and replaced it with rubber vacuum hose so that I could rout that line so it runs over the fender well. It is more out of the way there and if you lean on it you push it down on the fender well.

I just got done taking the picture a few minutes ago. The nipple repairs have been there since 2007.

Attached Thumbnails

 

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Are you pumping fuel out the relief valve when cranking?

If so when using the primer pump does it get much harder to push until you hear the relief valve emit a kind of squeel. You do the first test then the second.

Car liked to start cold but not hot kind of indicates the rack movement is probably not the problem. If you pass the first tests and it does not start.

To prove the rack is not stuck in the off position. Remove the air cleaner and kill the engine by denying it air with a board or something. .That way it was killed with the rack in the idle position or higher.

I seriously hope and expect it will not go that far as there is a clue here.

It should clear any concern the rack is stuck in the off position when the injection pump is hot and shut down.

i do not think the pumping elements are bad as even a weak injection pumps elements. Wouid put fuel out the lines when they do not have to reach injection pop pressure. My opinion might change as this thread goes along.

The problem with my rack test is you cannot get the engine to run cold now.

Anyways the first two tests are mandatory as a start in my opinion to get anywhere. Hopefully not passing the first tests will also be why the engine did not like to start hot.

I suspect your relief valve might be almost totally open now from the cleaner perhaps cleaning it of built up crud over the years. It was perhaps pretty weak so when the engine was hot the fuel in the injection pump was thinner and the weak relief valve let it pass even easier.

Humour me as I was out all day doing early Christmas shopping.The wife has retired earlier so I cannot have her verify what i suspect. So I could be wrong as well as tired.