I have never had any problems with this engine. I have always had a little white smoke out the back, it has always run fine with no loss of power. It always started up on a dime. However, lately it is hard to start I have to hold down the ignition key for a while and then it slowly starts to build up rpm and then finally starts up but then when I throttle it back it shuts down. I replaced the fuel pump & fuel filter. I had the boat sitting for about 2 months on a 1/2 of tank of fuel thought this may be problem with contaminated fuel so I used a seperate gas can of fresh fuel to see if that made it better but no change. It cranks and turns over after holding the key down slow to build up rpm. What is going on?
Universal 5411 Diesel won't stay running!
- Thread starter coolkat
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Dirty injectors? Diesels are pretty simple - you put fuel and air in the cyl, add compression, and she runs! If she doesn't, she's not getting air (usually not a problem), compression (doesn't happen suddenly, unless there's something sticking out the side of the engine...?), or fuel (BINGO!)
If not injectors, I'd suspect the HP pump. First things first: pull the injectors and send them to a shop to get tested. I use Fred Holmes Injectors.
druid
If not injectors, I'd suspect the HP pump. First things first: pull the injectors and send them to a shop to get tested. I use Fred Holmes Injectors.
druid
I had the same symptoms with the same engine a number of years ago and after trying a number of fixes, the only thing I can definitely tell you is there could be a number of issues which cause the slow cranking and stalling.
First, don't assume anything - the slow cranking and stalling problems may be unrelated.
You didn't mention service history of the engine which might be useful to some of the engine gurus here - things like compression levels, exhaust elbow condition, battery and alternator condition, timing chain condition, start circuit wiring, etc... all of which can cause the problems you listed. I doubt it could be an injector but that is possible as well.
It's really difficult to diagnose engine issues on the internet and you are likely to get lots of opinions and possible causes so the more info you can provide, the more focused we can get.
First, don't assume anything - the slow cranking and stalling problems may be unrelated.
You didn't mention service history of the engine which might be useful to some of the engine gurus here - things like compression levels, exhaust elbow condition, battery and alternator condition, timing chain condition, start circuit wiring, etc... all of which can cause the problems you listed. I doubt it could be an injector but that is possible as well.
It's really difficult to diagnose engine issues on the internet and you are likely to get lots of opinions and possible causes so the more info you can provide, the more focused we can get.
I AM NOT suggesting you switch fuels.
I had an F150 with a 300 CI straight six. It always ran but got to be hard to start. After a while I figured our if I dumped about 6 oz of gasoline through the carb, it would start right up -- and run. Yet, once turned off, it would not start unless I "primed" it with half a soda can of gasoline.
Take everything off the air intake, put you hand completely over the intact, and crank the engine. Do you feel the suction, hard on your hand? I will veture a guess -- probably not.
Now, get a diesel mech or a friend to do a compression or temperature test. It's likely that your ring/motor is shot/wornout.
Looked at fuel did not see any contaminates in it. If I look at the fuel would I see anything with the naked eye? Got to the boat today. Will not fire at all. Use to fire off if I held down the key for about 10 seconds. The color of the diesel fuel is red is that what color it should be?
Not starting
It takes electricity to start the engine, right? If your fuel is good, and it was working before, and you didn't add any possibly bad fuel, and you took off that stupid intake screen, then it's the power.
Most starting problems we've seen have to do with the engine ground wire which is usually bolted to the bell housing of the transmission. Take it off, check the lug connection to the wire and clean up the area where the lug resides on the engine metal. Then check the wiring at the back of your 1-2-B switch and make sure of the connections there. Then do the same thing on your positive wires at the battery.
If that doesn't work, check the wiring at the back of the switch, and as a last resort, check if the switch is working.
You HAVE to play detective. A diesel engine needs two things to run: air and fuel. But BEFORE that, it needs electricity to start. And most, if not all, electrical issues are the connections.
It takes electricity to start the engine, right? If your fuel is good, and it was working before, and you didn't add any possibly bad fuel, and you took off that stupid intake screen, then it's the power.
Most starting problems we've seen have to do with the engine ground wire which is usually bolted to the bell housing of the transmission. Take it off, check the lug connection to the wire and clean up the area where the lug resides on the engine metal. Then check the wiring at the back of your 1-2-B switch and make sure of the connections there. Then do the same thing on your positive wires at the battery.
If that doesn't work, check the wiring at the back of the switch, and as a last resort, check if the switch is working.
You HAVE to play detective. A diesel engine needs two things to run: air and fuel. But BEFORE that, it needs electricity to start. And most, if not all, electrical issues are the connections.
There was a screen installed at the factory in the pickup fuel hose. If it's still there, it could be clogged. Remove it.
You can't see anything with the naked eye - fuggedabout it.
Do you have a fuel pump? Is it working?
You can't see anything with the naked eye - fuggedabout it.
Do you have a fuel pump? Is it working?
If you have some white smoke coming out of your exhaust - especially at start up, that might indicate steam, which means you might have a head gasket problem so that cooling water is passing through to the cylinders. Did you ever over heat the engine? Sometimes that will warp the head and the same problem.
Diesels usually don't run because of water in the fuel, air in the fuel or contamination. Water can get in via condensation or from a bad rubber o-ring in the fuel intake deck fitting when it rains. If you have an air leak, then that will kill an engine. You have to bleed the air out of the system and make sure all fittings are air tight. If you have crap in your fuel, then that should show up in your filters.
Also, compression might be a problem which could lead you to your rings on the pistons. A diesel engine starts with compresssion which heats up the fuel in the combustion chamber which raises the temperature to the point of combustion - hence it fires.
If your rings are stuck or old or rusty, then you can have a loss of compression. Try taking an ounce of oil and pouring it into you air intake so it gets to your pistons. This might give you a temporary seal so the engine starts better, and which will suggest that problem.
If your oil in the crankcase is milky, then you have water in the oil which brings you back to the head gasket or warped head.
A diesel mechanic will be able to rule out these things if you want a quicker solution to the problem. good luck. He will most likely start with a compression test.
Diesels usually don't run because of water in the fuel, air in the fuel or contamination. Water can get in via condensation or from a bad rubber o-ring in the fuel intake deck fitting when it rains. If you have an air leak, then that will kill an engine. You have to bleed the air out of the system and make sure all fittings are air tight. If you have crap in your fuel, then that should show up in your filters.
Also, compression might be a problem which could lead you to your rings on the pistons. A diesel engine starts with compresssion which heats up the fuel in the combustion chamber which raises the temperature to the point of combustion - hence it fires.
If your rings are stuck or old or rusty, then you can have a loss of compression. Try taking an ounce of oil and pouring it into you air intake so it gets to your pistons. This might give you a temporary seal so the engine starts better, and which will suggest that problem.
If your oil in the crankcase is milky, then you have water in the oil which brings you back to the head gasket or warped head.
A diesel mechanic will be able to rule out these things if you want a quicker solution to the problem. good luck. He will most likely start with a compression test.
One note with respect to the "white smoke". The 5411 was often installed as a raw water cooled engine. As such, the only discharge from the exhaust is steam particularly until the thermostat opens after which the engine only spits water. The "white smoke" is easily confused with steam which is normal.
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I replaced the fuel pump & fuel filter.
A friend of mine did just that. His engine wouldn't start. After tons of worrying, he rechecked the fuel filter and found a small nick on the edge, like the cans in the grocery your mom said "Never buy one of those!"
He got a new one and everything is fine.
Once I forgot to replace the old O ring with the new one and had problems. I replaced the ring with a new one, problem solved.
Barnacle Bill has given an exhaustive explanation of everything that can go wrong, and it's very good.
I suggest you start with the filter and the electrical first. Why make a possibly inexpensive issue into a major income producing event for a diesel mechanic (an oxymoron - unless you have incontrovertible proof from your very best buddy that someone he know really IS a good diesel mechanic!)?
I replaced the fuel pump & fuel filter.
A friend of mine did just that. His engine wouldn't start. After tons of worrying, he rechecked the fuel filter and found a small nick on the edge, like the cans in the grocery your mom said "Never buy one of those!"
He got a new one and everything is fine.
Once I forgot to replace the old O ring with the new one and had problems. I replaced the ring with a new one, problem solved.
Barnacle Bill has given an exhaustive explanation of everything that can go wrong, and it's very good.
I suggest you start with the filter and the electrical first. Why make a possibly inexpensive issue into a major income producing event for a diesel mechanic (an oxymoron - unless you have incontrovertible proof from your very best buddy that someone he know really IS a good diesel mechanic!)?
You may want to consider siphoning a gallon or so of fuel from the bottom of the tank. This will tell you if you have water/contamination at the bottom of the tank.
I would start with all of the easy things. Once you have to throw in the towel you can tell the mechanic what you have already done. I would also suggest that you look for ANY potential air leaks.
Your original problem sounded like you may have a leak down problem where there is no fuel at the injector when you try to start. I don't know much about this, but some of those old Yanmars were like that. They had to crank & crank when they had been left sitting for a while.
I would start with all of the easy things. Once you have to throw in the towel you can tell the mechanic what you have already done. I would also suggest that you look for ANY potential air leaks.
Your original problem sounded like you may have a leak down problem where there is no fuel at the injector when you try to start. I don't know much about this, but some of those old Yanmars were like that. They had to crank & crank when they had been left sitting for a while.
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