So how about advancing timing a dime width, drive it from there?
I will definitely advance the timing. Any advice how far? A dime’s width? I do not have a timing meter, anyone you recommend?
Yeah, a dimes width rotation towards the passenger fender should give you a few degrees advance and would be fine to try. I'd recommend scribing a line across the IP and IP gear housing BEFORE you loosen the nuts holding the pump. Then you can see how far you have moved it and easily set it back to where it was before if you need.
I will read up on the clear tubing. I can easily put a piece from the filter to the IP.
Yeah that should work. It's usually put between the lift pump and filter head, but with your filter being in an odd spot may be easier to go between the filter and IP like you said. Just remember any air will have got in either at or before the lift pump regardless of where it shows up. Everything after the lift pump is under pressure and can only leak diesel but not pull air, at least while the engine is running.
Regarding Compression: yesterday to bleed the air out of the system, I disabled the GP relay. 10 am, 70F, and it fired without the plugs on what fuel was in the IP. Been at least 2 weeks.
Starting without the plugs is a good sign, but it doesn't necessarily rule anything out. I have a 7.3 that has a hole with really bad compression, but it has no problem starting. Assuming it's primed lol.
Just cold started it. 60F here. 1 cycle of GP’s and fired right off without hesitation. And this is the photo of exhaust.
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Seems to me like a reasonable amount of smoke for a cold start. Does it clear up any once the engine gets to temp?
Fuel Filter has been relocated to trans crossmember by DOE. I was treated to this
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Just to clarify, on this picture, the fuel enters on the left of the filter and exits on the right?
Regarding the air intrusion/white smoke, I get 2 scenarios when I can almost guarantee it will happen.
1. Long grade descent (more than a mile) where I’m never on the accelerator. It will produce smoke when I re-engage OD and lightly step on the pedal. If I get on it hard to actually accelerate it will buck a few times (misfire due to air?) but will accelerate fine. Only puffing white smoke on the “bucks”.
2. Long hard climbs where direct is a must. And will only climb at 40-50 mph due to being NA and high elevation. I can only push the foot-feet so hard otherwise it pukes black smoke. I stop at a very slight haze. ONLY when I crest the Mtn pass and let up on the throttle position, engage OD and come back up to the speed limit will it start bucking and emit white smoke in rhythm. Again I can step on it hard and get it to work the air out sooner.
The relation of the OD engagement is to signify when the IP gets a break after a long strenuous climb, or after a long engine braking descent.
Thinking about things in terms of OD may be making the problem more difficult to reproduce. Would be better to think in terms of engine speed (rpm) vs accelerator pedal position. With an engine that's running retarded, you'd expect it to put out a good cloud of grayish blue smoke anytime the engine speed is significantly lower than where it should be for a given accelerator position. Keep in mind a normally timed engine will do this as well when the difference is high enough e.g. going up a hill at low rpm then hitting WOT. But you'd see it happen a lot more frequently if the engine is out of time.
Also, like IDIBRONCO said, it sounds like you may be having some tranny issues wether or not it's related to the smoke/air/timing issue. I don't know too much about these auto transmissions, but it sounds like you may need to look into adjusting your shift points or testing your throttle position sensor. You should be able to stay on the throttle going uphill. Being in high altitude, you may see some extra smoke vs sea level folks like me, but the trans should still downshift to match throttle position. On a long steep climb I'd expect it to drop to second and ride the governor. Depending on slope, you may only be moving 55, but that engine should be roaring!
And, I don't think it's contributing to your problem either way, but the injection pump isn't working hard at all when engine braking. As the engine spins faster then the throttle speed, the IP meters less and less fuel. To the point that if the throttle is at idle, and the engine is at high rpm like when engine braking, the IP is basically injecting no fuel.
In any case, it sounds like you have a good plan of attack. Let us know how it goes!