Ultra Low Sulfer Diesel - Problem in 1HZ??

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

owensexport

owensexport

10 Year 15 Year 20 Year
Joined
Apr 4, 2005
Threads
48
Messages
291
Location
chatsworth, ca
Website
www.owens-export.com
My local fuel station recently changed over to the new Ultra Low Sulfer Diesel
fuel that is being phased in here in California.

I have ran several tanks through my 1HZ engine with no noted difference
in power or smoke.
Here is the problem, I started noticing a diesel fuel smell when driving, I stopped
and popped the hood and saw a very small fuel leak developing on the
injector pump where the throttle control shaft goes down through the top
cover.
Has anyone else had problems with this fuel (if you are running it yet)?

I have heard stories about the low and ultra low sulfer fuel eating seals in older
diesel engine....
 
I don't think we have gone ultra low sulphur in Canada yet. Here is a good thread from earlier this year:

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=88973&highlight=low+sulphur

On this thread there was a link to an article from Chevron:

http://www.chevron.com/products/prodserv/fuels/diesel/documents/elastomer_chevron_tb_2005Aug.pdf

Unfortunately it looks like the 1HZ/HDT fuel pumps may be vulnurable according to experience down under.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showpost.php?p=1071683&postcount=7
 
Some aussies have actually got the oil companies to pay for repairs to their ND pumps if they could prove they used one brand of fuel.
Some say it eats the seals ,others have told me the sulpher reduces friction on the metal parts.
Others say its a combo of a crap design with the fuel making it worse as the
1HZ pumps were already dying at below 250000 klms anyway.
Boidiesel is probabaly the best thing to use,maybe try some additves that soften seals and assist in lubrication.

I also have a theory that heat is an enemy of these pumps and maybe larger fuel and returns lines can help,no proof though.
 
MICKruiser said:
I don't think we have gone ultra low sulphur in Canada yet. Here is a good thread from earlier this year:
Click to expand...

Yes, in many places it is there. My local card lock is now this fuel.

I read a bit about it, not a lot.... but here is my take. The sulfer provides no lubrication. In Canada about 6 yrs ago we switched to low sulfer diesel. The process involved in removing the sulfer damages the lubricity of the diesel. Also this diesel is not very high in cetane number(lower power).

In sept 2006 or so, All diesel sold will now be Ultra low sulfer fuel. In response to the lubriaction problems this fuel is now with additives during manufacture. Also the sulfer PPM content is down to 15 ppm instead of 500 ppm.

This fuel is much cleaner and refined. It will have more lubrication than previous low sulfer combinations.

In a Petro Canada article i read at work, dated around 2000, they said the major problem of lubrication defincencies is most prevalent in rotary injection pumps, The older linear style pumps are not as effected.

In europe the Ultra version has been in the pumps for years. 1HZ engines and many more are operating there. So I highly doubt your engine will know the difference. IMOP don't worry about the new fuel. But time will see if there is a seal issue like you might have mentioned.
 
Interesting reading in the Chevron Report, Thanks for the link.

I ordered a new o-ring and governor top cover gasket yesterday.

It looks like I can pull the top cover and replace the o-ring on the
speed control shaft without removing the pump from the motor (I HOPE!).

I will give a report as soon as I am finished.
 
We went through the same crap! when we went to low sulphur....Leak, leak, leak, fix, fix,fix, $, $, $.. one has to just bite the bullet.. on go on.....
 
What preventive measures would be needed to keep from having a problem with a 3B engine in a BJ42?
 
I think I'll just run a 50/50 bio diesel mix when I get my HZJ60 back. That should solve problems. I hope!!!
 
Parts came yesterday. 1HZ parts straight from the warehouse in
Ontario California!!
I will install the oring and gasket on Saturday and report back.
 
Fixed the injection pump today.
Here is a photo of the governor adjustment lever (throttle control for you non-diesel types).
The fuel was leaking out from under the spring when the engine was running.
PICT3529a.webp
 
After pulling the fender mirror and the forward battery, I started removing some of the brackets and wire clips from the top of the injection pump.
The pump cover is held on with 5mm allen head bolts. You will need a 3/8" drive allen head driver to remove them. Mine were very tight, had to use a breaker bar with an extension to get them loose. Some of them require a swivel extension to get the 5mm tool into the bolt.

SUGGESTION: Suck all of the fuel you can out of the hole exposed by the fuel return banjo bolt (the 17mm head shown in the first photo). I thought about it after I removed the banjo bolt and saw the fuel inside the governer. The fuel would have spilled all over the place when you loosen the cover.
If you notice in the first picture, the shaft that goes through the cover has pulled down quite a lot due to the spring tension.
Be very careful when removing the spring and the retaining clip on the governor control lever (right side of the cavity). If any of these parts fall into the housing you are screwed!
PICT3530b.webp
PICT3532a.webp
 
Last edited:
The control shaft was pretty much pulled out of the cover by the time I hit the bench. The oring was intact but pretty flattened. When I removed it from the groove, it split in two really easy.
I am guess that the fuel has hardened the rubber and shrunk it.
After I replaced the oring on the shaft (and the large formed oring on the cover), I had to lubricate the rubber to get the shaft back into the cover. It was quite tight. The old oring was shrunk down quite a bit.
After cleaning everything and putting it all back together, (dont forget to lubricate your balls!! :rolleyes: ) I started the engine... started right up and died.... After a few pumps on the priming pump, she re-started and was running perfect.
PICT3536a.webp
PICT3539a.webp
 
Overall a pretty easy fix, took about 2 hours.
Suggestions for the next victims:
Remove the front battery tray - makes it easier to get at the brackets on the
side of the pump.

Remove the bolts that hold the P/S Pump tank from the intake and swing to
the side - Helps for reinstalling the cover and spring.

Get the factory manual!! The pictures of the pump parts help a lot.
Had one challange for reinstalling the cover that is not noted in the manual, the engine max fuel adjustment (as show in some other threads) is not noted as needing to be removed from the cover during installation.
I had problems getting the cover to re-seat. I figured out you need to push the governor control lever forward to allow the adjustment screw to clear it. You could remove the screw or do as I did, push the lever forward with a small pick through the hole in the top of the cover as you drop it down.

I hope none of the other o-rings in the pump go... I will run a few more tanks of the new fuel and report back.
 
G'day i've spent the last cupla years livin in New Zealand and they brought low sulphur diesel 10ppm onto the market . the diesel pump repair shops ran out of parts for older nissan/toyota/isuzu diesels. the seals harden up an leak in 3 to 6 months.
 
Does the cetane boost additives help with this issue? We just got the Low Sulpher diesel here and I don't want to worry about it eating my pump.

Also, how hard is it to change the diaphram on the inline pump on a 2B? I think mine might be the source of a small leak on the rearward end of the IP.

Thanks!
 
ATF helps Low Sulfur

I have heard of truckers using ATF (automatic tranny fluid) in their diesel to add lubrication to the Ultra-Low Sulfur diesel. Environmentally I don't know the effect of burning ATF but I have tried it in my F-250 and the truck seemed really happy, no additional smoke or anything.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom