Once again, I drove to work with no problems, ran just fine an everything but i had to run to the store to get supplies for work and as I was backing out of my parking space the truck sputtered and died and would not restart. It has a full tank of fuel so I know that's good. Could this be the fuel filter? I know it needs changed but i just haven't gotten to it yet. Any ideas on what it could be? Truck is an 85 Ford 6.9.

 

sounds like a leak.. is their any fuel by the return line caps on top of the injectors?

good possibility that air is seeping in and letting the fuel drain back down into the tank

could also be a plugged filter

 

It needs the injector return lines replaced, I have the kit to do it but do not have the know how. I also have a new fuel filter that I'm going to tackle at some point today. I'm hoping that its mostly just the filter.

 

return lines are really simple, that will most likely fix your problems. new o-rings and caps will not leak diesel out or let air in.

if you have an hour or 2 give it a shot, just make sure to prime the filter with fuel before it goes back on or you will be cranking it forever!

also invest in a electric fuel pump, they work wonders on those motors.. you can pour all the fuel u want out of leaky return lines, and the elec pump will reprime the system when you start it up... not sayin leaking diesel is good but in a pinch.......

 

The previous owners put an electric pump on it, whether it actually works or not I have no clue. I got 4 gallons of fuel, a bottle of Power Service, and all week so I think I'm just about set other than the truck could use new batteries but they are going to have to wait a bit until I can save up a couple hundred bones to get some. I'm just kinda worried about trying to do the return lines without knowing what I'm doing, because I don't want to mess anything up and when it comes to taking things apart, I can be pretty good at messing something up...haha

 

Just take the injector line off the cap side and move it out of the way.. don't bent it much! and take the lines off.. pop off the plastic cap and o-ring and put the new ones on... repeat x8 make sure all the clamps are tight and snug the lines back on. don't be afraid of doin this at all, the parts are pretty tough, and if you do manage to break one you can always just use the new o-rings on an old cap to get by.

the truck will be 100% better to you after you do this (if they were leaky anyways)

when I first got mine the lines were all cracked and dry rotted and it poured as much fuel out of em as it burned in the motor I was using the stock mechanical lift pump and when I shut it down all the fuel would drain back out of the system and I would about kill the batteries(even did a few times) trying to get it restarted. did all the caps o-rings and lines and added an electrical pump and never once has a problem with the fuel system that wasn't filter related.

found something on youtube that might help.

 

Do I need to take the injectors out like he did in the video?

 

nope!

only need to come out if u feel like looking at them.. you also dont have to take the pump off.. just loosen the injector lines and move them away.

 

Ok, sounds simple enough. Weather got crappy so maybe if its nice I'll tackle them tomorrow. One advantage to no job is that you have plenty of time to work on your truck , just no money for parts...

 

good deal,

wish ya luck with it, just don't be afraid to do the work.

another suggestion for the truck if it hasn't been done is to cut the "soup bowl" part out of the air cleaner lid.

and when you get sick of it being gutless you can turn the pump up a bit, there's a sticky in the ford section on how to do it. mine went for not even being able to chirp the tires to being able to lay rubber all the way down the street