Starting a HJ45 after 17 years

[fluffybunnysui]

After sitting in barn for 17 years, I finally got her home. I am now going to spend the next few days changing the oil, fuel, water, in an attempt to get her running. I don't want to do any damage from not knowing to do something in advance so this is why i am posting this. Please give me your thoughts on what i need to check, replace, clean.

My basic knowledge tells me to 1st change all the fluids, oil, water & fuel along with new oil & fuel filter. I plan to drain the fuel tank, clean it out and reinstall it along with checking the fuel line to and from the tank, for splits & cracks. I was also going to pull the injectors and squirt some "Marvel Mystery Oil" and let it do it's thing on the pistons for a few days. Should i then try and hand turn the crank with the injectors out to make sure no rings are sticking?

How about vacuum lines? Is there a schematic for this?
This way i can make a check list.

Here are a few pics of the engine as it sits.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[amaurer]

There is no vacuum system, so don't worry about that.

Put in new oil and a filter, new fuel, top off the water, do your marvel mystery oil thing (go through the glowplug hole, not the injectors), and see if it fires up. It probably will.

If not then I'd start doing all the crazy stuff you're talking about like dropping the tank.

Starting it first saves you the trouble of wasting new fluids if, for example, your coolant hoses are old and pop when they get to pressure. Same thing with the fuel system, no need to break prime unless you have to when you don't even know whats on your hands.

 

[jgordon]

After 17 years, I'd drop the tank and replace the fuel lines per your original thought. Use a heavy hand with the penetrating oil.

 

[VTCruiser]

make sure your intake is clear. don't want to suck in any mice nests or anything when you crank it...

 

[roscoFJ73]

The big problem as I see it will be the pump. I had one sitting with fuel in it for 4 years and it had dried up and needed disasembly.
Any crud in the pump may move along the lines and block the injectors.

I would remove the delivery valves at the front of the pump,remove the glow plugs and spin the engine on the starter motor and try and flush the pump out.
Might work


I doubt the marvel mystery oil will do any better than normal engine oil.

 

[amaurer]

The big problem as I see it will be the pump. I had one sitting with fuel in it for 4 years and it had dried up and needed disasembly.
Any crud in the pump may move along the lines and block the injectors.

I would remove the delivery valves at the front of the pump,remove the glow plugs and spin the engine on the starter motor and try and flush the pump out.
Might work


I doubt the marvel mystery oil will do any better than normal engine oil.

As I understand it the fuel filter comes after the delivery pump, so there shouldn't be any danger to the rest of the IP or the injectors. If the pump is gunked up, then its gunked up and needs to be opened - spinning it shouldn't hurt.


Edit: An aside - I might consider priming the oil pump manually. 17 years is a lot of time for oil to drain off of things, and if you've lost prime somehow I wouldn't wanna have things spinning dry.

 

[D'Animal]

Good luck with your project!


Any pictures of the entire rig?

 

[Michael Hanson]

Check for anY electrical wires that could cause a fire.Mice love to chew on wires. MIKE

 

[RockDoc]

Good luck with your project!


Any pictures of the entire rig?

I bet this is the one: https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/239956-barn-find.html

 

[crushers]

nice find...
take your time and don't get in a hurry to start her up...
even with the fuel filter i would drop and drain the tank... there will be lots of crap in it. disconnect the fuel line at each end and blow compressed air through each one...

 

[D'Animal]

I bet this is the one: https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/239956-barn-find.html

Thanks!

Great find.


I need a bigger monitor to look at the pics in that thread.

 

[fluffybunnysui]

Thanks for the input. The gas cap key was missing according to the past owner and he said thats why he parked it. I found the key under years of crud in the ashtray, so i'm in business. I was looking at the tank behind the passenger seat and noticed 3 hoses coming out of the tank into a black plastic assembly. Off that comes 1 single hose that runs into what looks like a little bitty filter, then on to the engine. Is this a filter?

Also can someone tell me what this is coming off the back of my alternator? It has 4 hoses, 2 into the block and 2 that go to a canister under the passenger side footwell outside the frame rails.

Thanks for all the help !

 

[DanS HJ-45]

Thanks for the input. The gas cap key was missing according to the past owner and he said thats why he parked it. I found the key under years of crud in the ashtray, so i'm in business. I was looking at the tank behind the passenger seat and noticed 3 hoses coming out of the tank into a black plastic assembly. Off that comes 1 single hose that runs into what looks like a little bitty filter, then on to the engine. Is this a filter?

Also can someone tell me what this is coming off the back of my alternator? It has 4 hoses, 2 into the block and 2 that go to a canister under the passenger side footwell outside the frame rails.

Thanks for all the help !

That IS your vacuum pump. A diesel engine doesn't produce vacuum in the intake, so there is a vacuum pump attached to the back of the alternator. The two lines that go to the block are oil lines for the pump, the other two are vacuum lines.

Dan

 

[roscoFJ73]

That IS your vacuum pump. A diesel engine doesn't produce vacuum in the intake, so there is a vacuum pump attached to the back of the alternator. The two lines that go to the block are oil lines for the pump, the other two are vacuum lines.

Dan

Would the vac pump need some lubrication??

 

[amaurer]

Would the vac pump need some lubrication??

Yes, thats why it has oil lines to it? If the oil system has prime I would imagine that pump will be fine for the half second it takes to get pressure.

 

[roscoFJ73]

Yes, thats why it has oil lines to it? If the oil system has prime I would imagine that pump will be fine for the half second it takes to get pressure.

Im thinking about the 17 yo oil that maybe in there already. It would be like tar by now

 

[amaurer]

Im thinking about the 17 yo oil that maybe in there already. It would be like tar by now

I haven't known motor oil to dry out like that, personally, unless something else gets in it.

(On the driveway or something is different, where it can seep into something porous and trap dirt)

At some point you just have to bite the bullet and start it. If you're worried about oil scum in the pump, then you'll also need to run pipe cleaners through all the oil passages, disassemble the rockers and shaft, hell, why not pull the bearing caps too. But... I wouldn't.

 

[aircrew]

I would change all the fluids like you said. And I would also not use a thick oil in the cylinder, use something thin, even a penetrant would work. WD-40..... And don't try turning it over with plugs and penetrant inside. just let it come out of the glow plug holes. anything sitting in the cylinder like rust and crap can then com out.

And I would definatley take off the injection lines and let the pump clean itself out. Then when it starts up, you could use seafoam in the intake ( slowly, and not to much, as it can burn it as fuel) This should clean things out nicley.

 

[kim]

Don't start it and sell that beast to me, immediately!



Unbelievable find!

 

[BC40]

Nice project. Before changing any fluids I would check that it is indeed not seized. Then do what you need to get it running.

We started a B engine that sat at a marina for many years. Lots of surface corrosion but not seized. After changing oil we pulled the glowplugs to spin the engine over with no compression and some oil squirted down onto the cylinder walls. It would not build up any oil pressure. We removed the oil pressure sending unit, attached a fitting, and manually forced in a couple quarts of oil into the main gallery. Put the sending unit back in, cranked for a while no load and finally we had oil pressure. Reinstalled the glowplugs and the old BJ40 fired right up.

hth