# Ford 4000 Starting/Running issues. Need ideas



## Bama (Sep 8, 2014)

Hoping that someone one here is much more knowledgeable than I am and can guide me in the right direction.

We have a Ford 4000 with 3 cyl Diesel that has been unusable since it died on me about 20 min after changing the fuel filter. It was getting dragged down fairly easy while bush hogging and while I was refueling I decided to change fuel filters to see if that would alleviate the problem. After getting the fuel sys primed and tractor started I got back to cutting. Ran great for 20 min and then died on me. Would restart on starter fluid and run for about 2 min before dying again. Towed it back in and it sat for a few weeks before I had a chance to get into it.

Got around to looking at it. Checked strainer on the injector pump and it had muck in it. Cleaned it and blew out lines going back to tank. Checked filter for water before trying to fire it up and it ran clear for a while. Checked fuel in tank and the same thing. So dropped the watery fuel, flushed tank, cleaned tank screen on fuel shutoff valve, and replaced filter. We pulled it around for a bit to pull start it and go it going, somewhat.

New problem, Throttle is wide open and it will only run at 1200-1100 RPMs and will run for 10-15 min before dying. Thought it could be starving for air so we go through the oil bath filter sys and clean it all up. Also assume water probably got in pump and has the metering valve hanging up. Crack the pump open and find some muddy looking gunk around metering valve. Flush it out with some Lucas fuel additive and work the valve back and forth a good bit. Put it all back together and prime it. Same thing. Wide open throttle and will only do 1200 RPMs. We take some starter fluid while it running and give it a few squirts and got the motor up to 2000-2100 RPMs. It would hold it for a while(10 min) before tapering off. Any type of load will drag it down and kill it quick.

Any ideas on what to try next???

I thought the injectors could be bad/clogged, but I have no idea what kind of symptoms it would show. 

It has been hard starting for the past year and would have to use starter fluid to get it going even after its been running for a while.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!


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## Rustynuts (Sep 13, 2014)

Bama said:


> Hoping that someone one here is much more knowledgeable than I am and can guide me in the right direction.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Hi there, what's the exhaust smoke like? White generally mean sunburned fuel and black could be air starvation. I don't want to teach Granny to suck eggs here but I would drop the air hose off the inlet manifold just to eliminate the air cleaner system, collapsing hoses etc, I would also remove the fuel tank cap, in case of a vacuum in there. I'm not a fan of either starter, Old Fords get addicted to them, it glazes the bores and you lose compression. Did you try cracking off the lines to the injectors in turn, just to make sure they're bled out ok and is the engine missing when it runs? How many hours has she done? Those CAV rotary pumps are easily upset and as you mention water and muck in the fuel, it sounds most likely that the pump is at fault and needs checking out at you local fuel shop. You may also want to make sure that the throttle linkage it ok and you're getting her wide open, also just make sure the stop control is fully in, so in the fully running position, the cables can deform and you may not be fully closed. I know all this sounds a bit basic but these things are easily missed, I knew a guy that stripped a 7610 gearbox because of a collapsed inlet hose!! Good luck.


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## Bama (Sep 8, 2014)

Thanks for the reply.

I think the tractor has 8500 hours. It stays on property about 30 min from me so getting detailed info is a pain and so is finding the time to load up all the tools and go work on it.

We have covered most of the suggestions. Removed fuel tank cap while it was running to rule out vacuum and to make sure the fuel return line was working well. Air intake hose has no been off but we visually checked to the filter sys looking for a collapsed section. Checked throttle linkage and stop control multiple times, even cracked injector pump top again to make sure it was all lined up properly.

When it started this last time the smoke was white or greyish. It was in a shaded area and hard to really say it was straight white. What do you mean by "sunburned fuel"?

The pump actually seems to be pumping stronger since we cleared the muck out of it. Supposedly the pump was rebuilt a few years back. We bought the tractor about a year ago from a guy that had let it sit for a while since he had upgraded to a newer tractor. For the first month or so that we had it it cranked with ease. After that seems like the only way to get it going was with ether, which I'm not a fan of it either really.


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## jhngardner367 (Apr 5, 2011)

The only way you can be sure of the pump is to use a pressure gauge,and test its output pressure,and running pressure.
Use a "t" fitting on the outlet of the pump,and a fuel pressure gauge rated for your system's pressures. 
Roll it over ,3-4 times,while watching the gauge.If it isn't within specs,it may be weak.
If it is within specs, start the engine,and watch the gauge,to see if pressure drops off. If it doesn't reach full RPMs,use a short shot of fuel,from a spray bottle,and,if it speeds up,watch the gauge,for a pressure increase.
These pumps can act normally,even letting it start,and run well,at lower engine speeds,but then drop pressure when demand increases. This usually means an internal leak , in the pump.
Since there was muck,etc., in the system,before,it may have strained the pump,trying to draw fuel.


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## Rustynuts (Sep 13, 2014)

I think spellcheck was at play there, should read un- burned fuel! Appreciate you've covered all the usual things but might still be an idea to physically remove intake hose from inlet manifold completely when you next try it, as I said, I've known them collapse. If you have access to a compression tester, it might be worth doing a cylinder compression test, not that this will fix your current problem but if you find it hard to get her firing, especially in winter, it may be an underlying problem. Have you tested your injectors? you could remove them one by one and reconnect to the fuel line and crank her up to see what a kind of spray pattern you get, it may show where the weaknesses lie. Good Luck!


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## Bama (Sep 8, 2014)

Sorry it took me a few days to get back here. Next time I go over in a few weeks I will remove the air in take hose and see how it runs then. After that if no change, I have found a diesel shop that will pressure test the injectors and clean them for $10 each and do the same for the injector pump for $250. I may can borrow a compression tester and check that as well.

Thanks for the help guys!


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