one more time before I take drastic measures

[idi traveler]

I may have a couple of problems or I may have one that could be one of a couple of different things!

I drove my truck to town the other day and it blue white smoked and ran rough all the way there. It was a 15 mile drive went into wal-mart and back out 20 minutes later and drove home, no smoke still ran rough. No trouble running 70, I've had it up to 85. I have to have the ip advanced as far as it will go or it smokes at idle. with it advanced all the way it doesn't smoke till 2000-2100.

I've just been using the truck around the farm sense I got it a year ago and had never gotten past the smoke before. I had been using it today around the farm and decided to make the drive over to a little country store, it smoked all the way over to the store so I thought that I would drive the long way home and see what happened. About 2 miles later it quit smoking. All of this is with 100% diesel no WMO, with a heavy dose of diesel klean. The truck will cold start at 15* and no problems with temps in the 112 out starting and stopping as you would do around a farm mending fences checking on cattle and putting out feed. It will idle all day and 30minutes after shutting down fire right up.

With the ip on the static marks it is hard to run 60 and hold it there.

It doesn't use any oil.

The truck is my signature truck and the ip is a reman.

I have put fresh BB delphie's in.(that wasn't the problem.)

I have a new fuel pump on it (that wasn't the problem)

The problem is on both tanks.

The engine starts quickly and stays running.(I don't think I have air intrusion)

Is there a screen on the fuel in port of the ip and could that be the problem?

I have not changed the return lines, none are leaking.

fuel economy is crap 1/4 tank to town and back, I think most of it was while it was smoking on the trip to town, 30 mile R/T (that would be 6 or 7 mpg)

anybody with any thought or suggestion welcome. I have a half of a mind to pull the timing cover to verify that everything is lined up before replacing an ip that seems to work just fine except run like rough and smoke blue white at over 2k until good and warm!

 

[GenLightening]

Have you had it timed or did you just line the marks up (keeping in mind that each pump is marked differently at the factory when installed)? That would be my first step.

 

[idi traveler]

I didn't put the pump on it. When I got the truck it had this problem and had been sitting for some time. Before I started it though I put fresh fuel heavy dosed with lucas and pull started to fairy home(back roads to avoid cops)32 miles. When I got home I started bumping the timing a dimes width at a time until it quit smoking at idle and then I knew I was going in the right direction. I went to our local diesel guru and he told me that I had already done all he could do, he only times by ear.

 

[GenLightening]

I would say that the timing is retarded and the gear may be a tooth off. If the PO pulled the pump with the housing then that could happen. You've moved it as far as the slots will allow which suggests possibly a tooth off or a problem with the pump.

 

[idi traveler]

I would say that the timing is retarded and the gear may be a tooth off. If the PO pulled the pump with the housing then that could happen. You've moved it as far as the slots will allow which suggests possibly a tooth off or a problem with the pump.

I have thought about trying to just bump it a tooth and if I screwed that up then tear it down and line everything up. Would I turn the gear counter clock wise?

 

[icanfixall]

I feel its out of time also but... Pulling the gear cover to check it is a tuff job if you get it wrong... About the smoke... Is the air filter and supporting ducts clean. How old it the pump and the filter. Can you look at the injection pump gear cover and tell if its been removed before you got the truck. If you remove the gear cover don't have the injection pump connected to it. remove the pump first... Then you can easily remove the gear cover. Then use a tiny inspection mirror and reach down into the gear to see the timing marks. They should look like this....

 

[GenLightening]

Using the pics, take the small cover off the front of the IP housing and you might be able to tell if the dowel is in about the same position when the timing mark on the crank pulley is lined up. Worth a shot.

 

[6 Nebraska IDIs]

Yep, that definitely sounds like a misaligned timing gear on the IP. My dad had one of our trucks skip a tooth once when we installed a new IP, it ran just as you described. We had to advance the pump as far as we could flex the injector lines to get it to run. We ran it one day like that and tore it back down.

I believe for the gear to be retarded it has moved one cog counter clockwise, to advance it you need to move it clockwise.

 

[idi traveler]

Yes, Yes and Yes the pump gear cover has been remover, lots of red sealant and the inspection cover, lot and lots of red sealant. Does everybody agree with 6 Nebraska to turn the pump gear clock wise as you are looking at it to advance it?

 

[GenLightening]

That should be correct. Good luck!

 

[Diesel JD]

You really just need to look and see if the gear is misaligned. A poster here by the name of "Zigg" tried to show us an easy way to do it. That info should still be in his public profile. It has something to do with counting the number of teeth on the IP gear, marking stuff and getting it all lined up. When we're talking gear timing it's not something to guess about. You need to be sure.

 

[suv7734]

Write-up is here

 

[Brianedwardss]

When I got my truck, it was advanced a tooth. I pulled the little plate on the IP timing cover and used a coat hanger bent into an 'L' to feel for the marks. I unhooked all the injector lines at the injectors, pulled the bolts on the cover, loosened the filter hard line, and lifted the IP/timing cover up. Cleaned and applied new sealant, then I used the coat hanger to feel for the marks as I slowly lowered it into position, making small adjustments as I was letting it down. Worked first try with not a lot of effort.

 

[Shadetreemechanic]

There is really no need to "experiment" by moving the gear. Like others have said you can put the motor on TDC and "feel" the marks with a coathanger. It has been a couple of years since I have done it, but I moved the gear +1 tooth and -1 tooth off alignment just to make sure it was obviously correct. You can't mess it up.
As for the smoking that started all this. That is the same issue that my truck had when I brought it home. It was a bad advance piston on the IP. There is a lever on the drivers side of the ip. At idle, if you take a screwdriver and push it in the truck should run rough and smoke badly. If you push it in and nothing changes the mechanism is bad.
checking the timing marks is the cheaper diagnostic, but be prepared to replace the ip while you are in there.

 

[idi traveler]

There is really no need to "experiment" by moving the gear. Like others have said you can put the motor on TDC and "feel" the marks with a coathanger. It has been a couple of years since I have done it, but I moved the gear +1 tooth and -1 tooth off alignment just to make sure it was obviously correct. You can't mess it up.
As for the smoking that started all this. That is the same issue that my truck had when I brought it home. It was a bad advance piston on the IP. There is a lever on the drivers side of the ip. At idle, if you take a screwdriver and push it in the truck should run rough and smoke badly. If you push it in and nothing changes the mechanism is bad.
checking the timing marks is the cheaper diagnostic, but be prepared to replace the ip while you are in there.

I already check that, It works as advertised. But thanks for keeping us on our toes.