New guy to the IDIs

[MC770]

Hey all just wanted to take a minute and introduce myself to the forum. I've got a 1991 F250 Custom with a N/A 7.3 4wd with the ZF5 Manual transmission. I picked this truck up when I still lived in NC (now in Adams County, PA) after it had sat for ~5 years according to the previous owner. The truck was a former NC Forest service truck in the western part of the NC mountains so being a southern truck there is still unfortunately some rust issues, particularly on the bed. Plans are in place to swap it over to a CM flatbed here in the next few months and to ditch the OEM dual tank set up for a 75gal bed mounted tank. Trucks in overall great shape for the age and its past life, thanks to the guy I got it from getting it from the forest service and barely using the truck while he owned it. Currently its having some air intrusion issues I believe due to the difficulty to start the first time in the day (cranks right up perfectly fine every other time until it sits over a few hours again). Plan on working through all the systems on the truck over the next year or so and getting it back to its former reliable glory. Anyways, beginning to ramble on here now lmao, been cruising the forum post for the past few days and I look forward to being able to pick the brains of the vast amount of knowledge and information that I've seen so far from the members of this fine forum!

-Matt

 

[Nero]

Welcome to the forums! Sounds like you got a solid truck, even with the mild rust on it. Engine will still tread on, body might fall apart!

 

[Brian VT]

You've come to the right place. Lots of knowledge and friendly advice here.
I hope I can do my part to help you when I can.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Welcome Matt. Here's a couple of things that I picked up from your post.
1) Accuracy in describing your problems will help them be solved quicker. That said, I'm getting back on my soap box and being picky here, but what you're experiencing is not air intrusion. It's fuel drain back. They are easily confused partly because they can happen from the same source (leak). Air intrusion only happens when the engine is running and air is being drawn into the fuel system and going through your injectors and injector pump. Fuel drain back happens when the fuel drains slowly away from the engine while the truck's sitting, usually overnight. An example of the reason why accuracy is so important is that a while back, a member had a noise when he started his engine and it would only go away after he would rev the engine a little bit. It turned out to be a bad dual mass flywheel, but it turned into a long, drawn out thread of him trying everything to prove that it wasn't.
2) I haven't tried it and don't know for sure, but I think that you may have some issues with only running a bed mounted 75 gallon fuel tank. I'm thinking that the fact that the fuel returning to the tank that sits higher than the engine would create excess pressure in the return system and that could cause your engine to run poorly or not at all. You may have to get creative and install a small tank for the fuel to return to and then have a separate electric pump push the fuel from that tank back into your big tank on the bed.
Other than that, have fun owning, working on, and driving your new-to-you truck.

 

[MC770]

Welcome Matt. Here's a couple of things that I picked up from your post.
1) Accuracy in describing your problems will help them be solved quicker. That said, I'm getting back on my soap box and being picky here, but what you're experiencing is not air intrusion. It's fuel drain back. They are easily confused partly because they can happen from the same source (leak). Air intrusion only happens when the engine is running and air is being drawn into the fuel system and going through your injectors and injector pump. Fuel drain back happens when the fuel drains slowly away from the engine while the truck's sitting, usually overnight. An example of the reason why accuracy is so important is that a while back, a member had a noise when he started his engine and it would only go away after he would rev the engine a little bit. It turned out to be a bad dual mass flywheel, but it turned into a long, drawn out thread of him trying everything to prove that it wasn't.
2) I haven't tried it and don't know for sure, but I think that you may have some issues with only running a bed mounted 75 gallon fuel tank. I'm thinking that the fact that the fuel returning to the tank that sits higher than the engine would create excess pressure in the return system and that could cause your engine to run poorly or not at all. You may have to get creative and install a small tank for the fuel to return to and then have a separate electric pump push the fuel from that tank back into your big tank on the bed.
Other than that, have fun owning, working on, and driving your new-to-you truck.

Solid points, no worries about you being 'picky' on my end. I'm here to learn what I can and get help from the vast pool of knowledge here! Diesels are a relatively new venture for my I'm primarily familiar with dirt bikes (mainly 2strokes) and what I know of diesels comes from my past job as a Industrial Maintenance Mechanic mainly just spot checking generators here and there with a guy that was a former diesel mechanic so I know what I know from brief explanations of systems when I would ask questions over the 5 years I was there. So I'll do a little searching on the forum and see what I can find about drain back problems and hopefully that can give me a spot to start checking. I'm thinking I should probably at the very least start with the rubber return lines on the injectors themselves as the truck had sat for ~5 years or so and all the rubber is fairly rough on the ol girl. I'm sure it's not helping my case anyways lol

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I'm primarily familiar with dirt bikes (mainly 2strokes)

As I like to say, "when the two strokes smoke, it ain't no joke!" I'm a two stroke guy through and through, but I'm also slowly working on a project 1982 XR500 that I bought for $450 a week before Thanksgiving. As you can imagine, for that price, it's rough, but it's coming together nicely.

 

[Old Goat]

If you are going to replace the return lines, then you need to also replace the 2 Viton "O" Rings on the top of each Injector.

You don`t always need to buy the return kit with the Caps every time.
Buy a length of the Hose, use the old pieces to cut to length. Use the old Spring Clamps.
Put it all together and replace as an assembly, not ea individual Cap and Hose.

Grease up the Injector grooves, and the Rings, roll the first one on, then roll the 2nd one over the first one.

Push the Caps down, they should snap into place.

Here is a Thread that has the Mcmaster Carr link for a bag of 50 of the size 111 Viton "O" Rings.

What size O rings

What size O rings are used on the fuel return lines? Under the caps.

www.oilburners.net

Goat

 

[MC770]

As I like to say, "when the two strokes smoke, it ain't no joke!" I'm a two stroke guy through and through, but I'm also slowly working on a project 1982 XR500 that I bought for $450 a week before Thanksgiving. As you can imagine, for that price, it's rough, but it's coming together nicely.

I've got a 2000 RM125 that I'm working on a full restoration of right now, got the frame sandblasted the other day and going to powder coat here soon. The drain bolt was stripped out when I got it so I'm on the hunt for a replacement at the moment, going to put a time-sert or something in the current one for the time being. Building it to be a fun woods bike at vintage motorcycle events.

If you are going to replace the return lines, then you need to also replace the 2 Viton "O" Rings on the top of each Injector.

You don`t always need to buy the return kit with the Caps every time.
Buy a length of the Hose, use the old pieces to cut to length. Use the old Spring Clamps.
Put it all together and replace as an assembly, not ea individual Cap and Hose.

Grease up the Injector grooves, and the Rings, roll the first one on, then roll the 2nd one over the first one.

Push the Caps down, they should snap into place.


Goat

Thanks for the tips! If this cold snap hadn't hit or I had a heated workspace I'd be getting into re-vamping the whole fuel system since it all could use a refresh. Thankfully I have a company truck so I can pick at this thing when I've got time / warmth.. that is until race season starts back up anyway

 

[Brian VT]

I've got a 2000 RM125 that I'm working on a full restoration of right now, got the frame sandblasted the other day and going to powder coat here soon. The drain bolt was stripped out when I got it so I'm on the hunt for a replacement at the moment, going to put a time-sert or something in the current one for the time being. Building it to be a fun woods bike at vintage motorcycle events.

That ain't vintage. You gots to have 2 shocks, like my 1978 PE250. ;-)
I think I have more fun racing that than my "modern" bike (2003 Gas Gas EC300).

 

[Brian VT]

As I like to say, "when the two strokes smoke, it ain't no joke!" I'm a two stroke guy through and through, but I'm also slowly working on a project 1982 XR500 that I bought for $450 a week before Thanksgiving. As you can imagine, for that price, it's rough, but it's coming together nicely.

I had a 1984 XR500R when I lived in Utah. Was great in the desert and at Little Sahara.
Before that was a 1978 Bultaco Pursang that I burned up down in Moab.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I've got a 2000 RM125 that I'm working on a full restoration of right now, got the frame sandblasted the other day and going to powder coat here soon. The drain bolt was stripped out when I got it so I'm on the hunt for a replacement at the moment, going to put a time-sert or something in the current one for the time being. Building it to be a fun woods bike at vintage motorcycle events.

That sounds like a great project. I have a friend who used to have a '03 RM125 and he said that it ripped. I've had the '97 KX250 in that picture since 2005 and I love it. I'd like a newer, bigger bike, but I can't use this one to it's full extent so I can't justify buying another.

That ain't vintage. You gots to have 2 shocks, like my 1978 PE250. ;-)

I tend to agree, but there's some races that consider 20 years old to be vintage.

Before that was a 1978 Bultaco Pursang

Before this KX250, I rode a 1977 Bultaco Pursang. It hasn't run since 2006, but I still have it. I think it's an electrical problem, but I have no idea where to find parts or even a service manual to try to work on it.

 

[Brian VT]

I wish I kept that Pursang, and the '73 Alpina, but there was no internet then so it was pretty tough to find parts.
I'm sure I could have revived both of them today. And they would have some value.
I traded both of them (not running) at a shop for sprockets and a chain for my XR500R. Ugh.

 

[MC770]

That ain't vintage. You gots to have 2 shocks, like my 1978 PE250. ;-)
I think I have more fun racing that than my "modern" bike (2003 Gas Gas EC300).

I plan on going older on the next project for sure lol This one holds a special place for me though I grew up during this era of Supercross & Motocross so I couldn't pass it up when it came up for dirt cheap near me. I did have 2 70's era CB750 street bikes I was working on for a little.. Ended up selling them when I relocated to PA for work since they were only willing to move so many of my motorcycles for me before it started coming out of my pocket to move them haha

That sounds like a great project. I have a friend who used to have a '03 RM125 and he said that it ripped. I've had the '97 KX250 in that picture since 2005 and I love it. I'd like a newer, bigger bike, but I can't use this one to it's full extent so I can't justify buying another.

It's certainly been a fun one so far for me, I'm looking to go for an older XR650R (some year in the 80s) to make a desert racer out of when I finish the RM up so I can go race the Vegas to Reno desert race in Nevada

 

[MC770]

Also never put up any pictures of the old girl so I took some the other day,before the 6" of snow hit >:|

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Previous owner swapped in some later model OBS seats, glad he did I'm not the biggest fan of the bench seats that usually came in the older trucks

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Believe from what I've been able to tell that its only got 157k on it as it sits, certainly looks all original in the engine bay and underneath

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This is pretty much the only bad rust on the truck, there is a lot of surface rust on the under side of the truck but nothing really rotten thankfully and she's no longer driven in the winter with the company truck coming home now

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[IDIBRONCO]

I'm looking to go for an older XR650R (some year in the 80s)

I'm no expert on them, but I don't think that the 650Rs came out until in the 90's. I would LOVE a XR650R. I'd probably make that my only dirt bike if I could find one.