Truck won't idle

[Jbevs]

I started it up today (took some ether) and left it to warm up for a bit. I went back out and it was not running. It started back up easy enough, but wouldn't idle. I could keep it running using the accelerator. It was also shaking a lot at lower RPM's. Here's my two guesses at the problem. Low on fuel or terrible leak in the fuel system. I know that two injectors leak. They were leaking so bad today that it was audible under the hood immediately after the truck was turned off. Is the fuel leak a likely suspect here or is it just that I'm running low on fuel? My fuel guage doesn't work of course.

 

[Goofyexponent]

Air intrusion caused by the leaky injectors?

 

[hesutton]

When the injectors are functioning poorly, the idle will suffer. The truck will be a pain to start, it will idle like crap, smoke too much. But, having the idle set too low in RPM can be an issue as well. What RPM do you have your idle set at? It can be adjusted if needed. Does your fast idle solenoid work? That should bump up the idle speed when the engine is cold.

Heath

 

[Jbevs]

Idle is about 1k cold and 650 warm.

 

[icanfixall]

I'm guessing here but... If you can hear the fuel leaking when the engine is turned off thats a broken injector hard line... If so you probably don't have the hard line vibration clamps on the lines... Without thos 4 clamps you surely will break lines. Also you can't use just any line and bend it to fit other cylinders... We have seen that before too. Nobody here did that but they bought a truck where the po did that... A broken hard line will cause a cylinder to not fire too because it can't make enough pressure to pop open the injector... You did say two injectors were leaking very badly....

 

[Goofyexponent]

I started it up today (took some ether) and left it to warm up for a bit. I went back out and it was not running. It started back up easy enough, but wouldn't idle. I could keep it running using the accelerator. It was also shaking a lot at lower RPM's. Here's my two guesses at the problem. Low on fuel or terrible leak in the fuel system. I know that two injectors leak. They were leaking so bad today that it was audible under the hood immediately after the truck was turned off. Is the fuel leak a likely suspect here or is it just that I'm running low on fuel? My fuel guage doesn't work of course.

What is your fuel filter like? Is the lift pump pushing fuel? If you had to use ether...it sounds like you are DEFINITLY not getting the fuel to where it needs to be!

 

[Jbevs]

There are a couple clamps on the lines but I think there is only one clamp on each set of lines. I bought a new fuel filter but have been waiting to install it until I have a jerry can of diesel on hand to prefill it. I have an electric pump that works fine. Both leaking injectors have been leaking quite profusely the past few days, but I have a return line kit on the way to hopefully take care of that.

I had thought a hardline was broken, as the driver's side of the intake manifold is covered in what is most likely diesel, but I couldn't locate a leak.

 

[gatorman21218]

just fill up the new filter with 50/50 ATF and diesel Kleen. heck straight ATF will work too.

 

[icanfixall]

A note about prefilling a fuel filter... Make sure you pour whatever it is into the OUTER RING OF HOLES ONLY.... If you pour any fluid into the big easy center hole it will not be filtered before it sees the injection pump. Any dirt... Even the stuff you don't see will kill the tight tollerances in the injection pump. Be careful here. Even the atf directly out of the bottle has enough "stuff" in it to harm the injection pump. ATF is a good choice for filling the filter with. You need two clamps per side of the engine. The cracks are usually up near the hard line nut. Don't think you can just fix a broken line either... They are a special length and the pressures are 1800 + lbs....

 

[Jbevs]

Thanks for the info on filling the filter. I have seen the lines talked about on here enough to know they are specialized, hard to get, and will probably run me about $40 a line IIRC.

 

[GenLightening]

Wrecking yard for the lines and clamps shouldn't cost much at all. There's a couple sets to be had at my local yard.

 

[icanfixall]

Ebay has some lines posted at this time. Usually I find them all the time on ebay....
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ford...r_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2a0ce6124b Here you get some spare parts to make back some of the money you spend buying these....

 

[Agnem]

I think you should fix what you know is broken. It's madness trying to troubleshoot a problem while second guessing extrapolated outcomes. Fix the leaks!

 

[Jbevs]

I am just waiting on my kit to get the fuel sytem air tight again, then hopefully all is well. If that fails I will most likely start replacing the injector lines. The filter will also be getting replaced shortly.