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Posted by Paul(in NY) [12.64.126.210] on Friday, October 05, 2012 at 16:27:54 :
This may help some one if your engine is shutting down, and a check at the carb fuel inlet shows no fuel.
I have been having a intermittent problem with the Dodge 251 cid in my Bombardier Tracked Skidder. Once in a while it will simply shut down from fuel starvation. No fuel is pumping when checking at the carb. With the choke pulled, it may or may not start. Today was the day to attack and fix it with snow time coming soon. This was a good time since she had once again quit and would not start....no fuel feeding the carb.
I put a bottle of fuel near the fuel pump and she quickly started to pump fuel..and immediately started. The fuel tank appears to be really clean when looking in the fuel fill. I blessed the fuel pump and moved towards the tank. The fuel line from the fuel pump to tank was fine.
I had to now pull the fuel pickup out of the tank. Bombardier built the skidder cab with only roughly 2 inches of clearance between the fuel tank pickup fitting and the cab. The cab ha to come off to get to the fuel pickup, thats roughly a day of removing hydraulic hoses and wires. I quickly decided the easiest way was to cut a access port directly above the fuel pickup fitting and sender. A .125" kerf Walters Zip Wheel on my angle grinder I made a quick opening, later to get a access door in case I ever need to change the sender.
The fuel sock was perfectly clean. I removed the fuel sock and with my finger on the end of the pickup tube, I put a vacuum on the fitting end. Walla.....a slight vacuum leak. On inspection, I could see a crack in the solder that held the pickup tube in the fitting. Wiggle the tube a little and total loss of vacuum. The Bombardier as built in 1967. In 45 years of moving and the fuel pickup vibrating the crack developed allowing a air leak and the fuel pump could not suck fuel.
I re-soldered the tube in the fitting and all is now ready for snow time. Tomorrow, I will make a .125" Aluminum Diamond Plate Door where I cut my access.
Our PW's are old, you might also run into this problem. Something to keep in the back of your mind if you have fuel delivery issues.
Paul
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