Hey guys, I’m slowly learning my way around this 2H engine, but recently have hit a wall. Once the motor is warmed up, I’m having what I think is a fuel starvation issue that makes it almost impossible to accelerate and has even led to the motor stalling a few times. The fuel filter is new, separator has been drained, and I recently changed the primer pump with no change. The motor starts right up and I’m able to drive without any issues for a good 5-10 minutes before the trouble starts. I can typically pull off the road once it starts and the problem will improve, but it quickly returns once the engine is back under load. I’m thinking it could be the fuel feed pump or maybe a clogged screen on the pick up, but I’m honestly not sure.
HJ60 fuel starvation
- Thread starter DocJD14
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Its not enough to drain the sedimenter.. it needs to be removed from the chassis, unscrewed and cleaned. Its the most common cause of fuel starvation on 47/60s - especially with the symptoms you've provided.
Images here of the sedimenter: HJ60 Sedimenter - https://photos.app.goo.gl/yTBd1qwecH7oP5L77
Images here of the sedimenter: HJ60 Sedimenter - https://photos.app.goo.gl/yTBd1qwecH7oP5L77
It would also be worth considering the lift pump as you've described.. its simple to remove, here's a video I made of one that has had issues.. similar symptoms to yours but was suffering lack of power 100% of the time - not after a short drive..
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- #4
Ok, that’s easy enough. Maybe I can tackle that one day this week. I’m trying to wrap my head around why it would only be an issue once the engine is warm. Is the engine just working through all of the fuel in front of the sedimenter and then having issues? I assume I can pull the sedimenter and clean/reinstall in a few hours time? Also going to assume that is in the chassis FSM and not in the engine FSM I have handy.
It would take an hour maybe to remove, clean, reinstall. Its not clear to me why the fuel restriction is intermittent when the sedimenter is all gunked up, nor why it often flows clean from the 10mm drain bolt at the bottom when upon disassembly its a mess.. but it definitely does frequently exhibit that behaviour.
I have found no mention of the sedimenter in a manual yet.. if you do find reference to it I'd like to know.
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Thanks Duncan. I will pass along anything I come across, but I don’t recall seeing anything about the sedimenter in either FSM.
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I think I’m going to pull the sedimenter when I get home from work this evening. Just for clarification, is the gasket for the warning switch reusable? Not worried about the o-rings on the plug bolts, those are easy. Also going to assume I need to prime the system at the pump once finished? Any other steps I need to take during disassembly such as the fuel lines at the sedimenter? Flush with diesel or is water okay for cleaning? Excuse my ignorance, just trying to knock this out in one go instead of waiting on pets or fixing mistakes after the fact…
Flush it with clean diesel after removing the level sensor. The level sensor is all that has to be removed, it provides all access needed for cleaning. It has an O-Ring.
The "IN" line to the sendimenter will free flow diesel from the tank after disconnecting so clamp it off or shove a bolt or something in it. Your system should not need repriming afterwards. The sedimenter will gravity fill and the non return valve in your lift pump will keep your filter and pump primed.
Its a 30yo vehicle so stuff can go wrong, hose clamps may break, the soft lines to and from the sedimenter might be brittle etc..
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Appreciate it man!
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- #10
Update:
I failed today, kinda. I was able to remove the sedimenter and flush it successfully. The “in” line didn’t really free flow too much, so I’m guessing maybe I have something blocking the system further back? The motor idled well at about 650 rpm in the drive until warmed up. I took off down the road and made it maybe a half mile before the engine stalled and wouldn’t restart. My mechanic friend came down to help and neither of us found success. Ultimately the big red bastard wound up being towed so a professional can sort it tomorrow.
Never nice seeing it on the back of a truck..
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- #12
Agreed. Hopefully my mechanic can get this fuel issue figured out. I’ve put a lot of time and work into this rig and just want to enjoy it for a bit. We are planning to take it from Italy to the UK in a few months when we move, hopefully all of the wrinkles are ironed out by then.
60 series Diesels here in canada , often have issues where the fuel pick tube comes out of the tank. It tends to rust out there and usually develops cracks when you try to remove the tank. You could use a glass tube filter at the injection pump to see if there is air entering the system. Alternately you could put a small tank of diesel under the hood near the pump to eliminate the tank as a possible culprit. Not sure how familiar the shop is with those trucks but it might be a good thing to mention to them to try to expedite their solution.
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- #14
Good feedback. Unfortunately there is a slight language barrier and my Italian is not the best. The mechanic claims to be familiar with Toyota diesels and says he owned a 70 series for a long time. The truck was back to running normal last night and drove great for ~30km. This morning I lost power again after maybe 15km and had to prime the system again. I’m pretty sure there is air entering the system somewhere, just not sure where. I think the next step is to bypass the sedimenter and order a new one since the old one has seen better days. This whole thing has been frustrating and I have the urge to completely redo the fuel system but cost, parts availability, and time are all considerations.
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- #15
A couple of quick questions... is there a reason I can’t use the fuel pickup from a 12H-t and plug the return line? Also, trying to rule out any and all sources of leaks, is there a reason why I can’t run a soft fuel line or even braided line from the tank to a (new) sedimenter and on to the lift pump? I’m trying to do as much of this as I can.. I’m to the point where I don’t have much faith or trust in the local mechanic. I would try to find another but my time left in Italy is short and this guy does speak some English.
You can run a rubber line from the tank but as I mentioned, the issue I believe is most likely the pickup from the tank. Yes you can use a 12ht fuel suction tube or one from a fj60 (more common in the US). A clear glass fuel filter near the lift pump will tell you most of what you need to know if you are getting air in the system other than the primer pump itself. Primer pumps are cheap and easy to replace. I would put that on the list of things to replace. The best way In my opinion is to replace the fuel supply with a small Jerry can under the hood near the injection pump. I would bet with a new primer pump, your issue will be solved.
I agree that the possibility of air getting in the system should be thoroughly investigated.
Also, while a bit of a long shot, I have seen fuel starvation as you describe as a result of rubber fuel lines deteriorating and collapsing on the inside causing flow to be restricted. Because the problem is internal, you can’t detect it by looking at the lines and it can be intermittent, only happening under higher loads or longer periods of running.
Also, while a bit of a long shot, I have seen fuel starvation as you describe as a result of rubber fuel lines deteriorating and collapsing on the inside causing flow to be restricted. Because the problem is internal, you can’t detect it by looking at the lines and it can be intermittent, only happening under higher loads or longer periods of running.
I recently had a brake rubber hose collapse internally , I've never had that one before either. Very tricky to figure out but process of elimination worked well. I'm not a big fan of throwing a bunch of unneeded parts at an issue.
I grew up in Middle Musquodoboit. Nice too see an easterner on here trying to help out.
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- #19
I have already replaced the primer pump, so that shouldn’t be an issue.. I will try bypassing everything pre-injection pump with a Jerry can this weekend and see how that goes. I primed the system today before leaving work and drove home without issue, but I did take back roads and took it easy. I can get an HJ61 tank pick-up here in the EU most easily, so I will likely grab one of those regardless. I’m planning to drop the tank, inspect, and replace the pick-up with fresh fuel lines to a sedimenter in the engine bay as soon as I can get parts in. This fuel issue is the last real mechanical issue I have to knock out before we move in a few months. I’d like to get a couple longer trips in before making the trek from Italy to the UK.
