# Ford 1510 low rpm/power issue



## Asymair95 (Nov 22, 2017)

Hello everyone, new member but long time tractor enthusiast. I recently purchased a 1986 Ford 1510 with loader that is having a low power/rpm issue. It has a hard time starting even after a prolonged glow plug cycle. It does not like to idle, and can only reach about 2200 rpm. Max no load rpm is supposed to be 3000 rpm. It drives fine, but when under load it obviously is lacking power.

Here is what I have done so far:

Cleaned fuel tank
New fuel filter
New fuel lines
Had injectors rebuilt by Oregon fuel Injection
Compression check is around 320 psi on all cylinders
Valves were adjusted to .008 on all valves
New air filter
Inspected exhaust for blockage
Inspected intake for blockage

When I was bleeding the fuel lines it seemed like the fuel pressure coming up to the injectors was low. It took forever to get fuel up to the injector, and when it did bleed out of the line, it just kind of oozed out with little pressure. I currently have the injector pump half apart looking for any obvious signs of damage, but so far have found none. 

Maybe this is a governor problem? Should I pull the timing cover and do a spill check on the pump? I do have a service manual for this tractor.











This is the victim.










The pump has no obvious damage. The delivery valves on top were removed, cleaned, lubricated, and reinstalled. The piston springs all compress and return with no issues. Fuel rack slides smoothly. 










Inside the pump there are no chunks of metal or corrosion. The linkages move smoothly, and both springs are present and not stretched out. The cam has some light scoring, but nothing major.

Any help is greatly appreciated. The snow is starting to fly here, and I need this tractor for snow removal duty.


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## sixbales (May 18, 2011)

Howdy Asymair95, welcome to the tractor forum.

You've covered just about everything. One thing that will make a diesel run poorly is a plugged or partially plugged diesel return line. Returns excess fuel to the fuel tank. Item 65 & 66 on attached diagram. When the tractor is running you should have a small/continuous flow of diesel through this line back to the tank.

Your injection pump puts out a very small volume of fuel (high pressure/low volume). It's not very impressive when you crack the injector lines. I suspect that your observation at the injectors is OK.

Your manual should detail how to adjust the high end rpms. I did this to my Ford 3600 a while back. I went strictly by the manual to make this adjustment. Works fine.

You may have an injection pump problem. I'm going to alert the "pumpguy". I haven't seen him on this forum for a while. But he always shows up when I email him. Just hold on....the cavalry is coming!


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## Asymair95 (Nov 22, 2017)

Six bales, thank you for the help. I have replaced the leak off lines. I haven’t checked for fuel flow at the leak off lines though. I do have good fuel flow right up to the injector pump banjo fitting. Before I run the engine much more I need to fix a no hydraulics problem I’m having. I believe the pump needs to be primed, but not sure of the best way to go about this. Was thinking of blowing compressed air into the reservoir with a rag around the chuck to cause enough head pressure to get fluid to the pump. On this tractor the pump sits higher than the reservoir.

A little more info about this tractor. I bought the tractor with this problem a few months back, hoping the issue was just a plugged filter or linkage adjustment. I quickly discovered someone had been inside the engine at some point in its life. The tractor has 950 hours on it. The previous owner only had it for two years, and bought it from someone who had restored it. This tractor is a Shibaura, made for Ford.

When I pulled the valve cover off it was obvious the valve clearance was way out, like .060” and it is spec’d at .008”. There was a missing oil tube from the engine head to the rocker arm shaft. The rockers were without lubrication for who knows how long. I was able to adjust the valves back into spec without issue. The rockers need replaced, but they are expensive and not in the budget at the moment. I fabbed a new oil tube up out of heat resistant ptfe tubing.










Here is a shot of the rebuilt injectors and new leak off lines.










Thank you again for the help. Will await word from the pump guru.


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## sixbales (May 18, 2011)

I haven't heard from 'thepumpguy' yet. Be patient. He may be out of town for the holiday. It might be good to observe flow through the return line. To me, that would indicate that the system is working OK.

In the meantime, lets get the hydraulic system going. See attached diagram. Make sure the reservoir is full. Change the filter if it hasn't been changed for a long while. These Shibaura pumps can be a PITA to prime. The best way is to disconnect the high pressure line (the smaller line) from the pump. Put a bucket under the pump to catch fluid. Put the transmission in neutral. Kill rod out so it will not start. If it starts, you are going to make a mess. Crank the engine till you get fluid with no air from the pump. Button it back up & it should be good to go.


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## thepumpguysc (Jan 25, 2015)

Man OH MAN.. if all my customers were a thorough as you. I'd be outta business.. Lol
ONE THING you didn't mentions is>> did you CHECK the glow plugs>> & how?
Its BEST to pull them out & put 12v to them, one x one & watch them glow.. count to 10.. IF they aren't CHERRY RED or white hot.. get new ones.
Is it gravity fed or is there a supply/lift pump in the system.. manual or electric?
Have you "tried" to adjust the rpms w/ the hi idle screw? DONT get crazy w/ it.. just back it out 1 full turn & see if you can HEAR it raise.. or look on the tach..
BUT then again, we're talking about a 700 RPM DIFF!!! Probably NOT a screw adjustment??
What about "fuel quality"?? BIO is horrible on the fuel system.. you "could" rig a gallon jug of "straight" diesel fuel & see what she does..?? an old oil jug or even a windshield washer jug will work.. give her a try & let us know.. TPG


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## Asymair95 (Nov 22, 2017)

Thank you so much for the reply. I did check the glow plugs per the service manual. This was just an ohms check, and a voltage check. There is a coiled wire indicator on the instrument panel that glows red when the plugs are engaged. It takes awhile, but I think the manual says 30 seconds or something like that. I think if I could get the fuel system sorted out it would start better. It just acts like it’s not getting fuel. No smoke or anything.

I believe it is gravity fed. I don’t see any pumps prior to the injector pump.

The full throttle stop screw is turned all the way out and does not even touch the throttle linkage when the throttle is in max power. Even when I disconnect the linkage and move the pump shaft manually it still does not touch the high idle stop. It is stopped by something internally inside the pump. Here is a pic at idle, and one at full power.



















Fuel quality should be fine. I used fresh fuel and added some white bottle power service. It runs fine in my Ford 1210 with no issues. It also had this problem with a totally different batch of fuel that came with the tractor. I drained that and used it in my 1210.

Something I did discover today was a jam nut, and bolt set up directly in front of the governor assembly on the timing cover. Could this be some kind of tension adjustment knob for the governor spring? The service manual doesn’t mention it. The first pic is the jam nut and knob, I’m pointing to it with a screwdriver. The second pic is of the governor spring directly across from it.



















Thank you again for all the guidance. I will get to work trying to pull the glow plugs for testing.


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## thepumpguysc (Jan 25, 2015)

You know what they say, "a picture is worth a 1000 words".. great job.
What I would do is> remove the linkage COVER, 4 screws.. & move the PUMP RACK[slider] BY HAND.. don't rely on any linkage or mechanical connections.. THAT WAY, your in control & you can run the pump to its max..
make a note of how far the rack moves from side to side & SEE if it goes THAT FAR once inside the engine. & you'll get a REAL GOOD idea of what that screw in the front is for.. I "think" its max fuel & torque.. should be a screw & spring inside the stop.
I think you BACK IT OUT for more fuel..??
Once you get THAT figured out.. it looks like you can adjust the throttle.. not by the screw but by removing the lever, turning the throttle shaft w/ a screwdriver & reattaching the lever..
The 1st & 2nd pic shows a scrdr. slot in the throttle shaft & the lever tightened down on the shaft.. 
IF the rack on the pump isn't going all the way to one side..at start-up, it'll never pump enough fuel to start the engine.. its gotta go to MAX travel for starting.. I've never seen one that didn't have a "start spring" on it.. one end hooks to the linkage or engine casing & the other end hooks to the pump rack.. its a very fine coiled spring. Good luck & Happy Turkey Day..
I'll be home all day stuffing my face, so post back if'n ya find something.. Lol TPG


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## Asymair95 (Nov 22, 2017)

Ok thank you. So remove the side cover and manually move the fuel rack. I have a digital tach, so I can check rpm as I’m making adjustments.

The bit about the fuel rack needing to be in max flow for start makes a lot of sense. I believe the governor spring is sticking too far into the pump cavity to allow the rack to move over far enough for a start position. That would explain the lack of fuel during start. 

Just to confirm...

-Make note of fuel rack travel
-Reinstall the pump
-Pull the side cover
-With engine off, slide rack to full flow position and adjust max torque/fuel limit screw to allow rack to move to max flow position.
-ensure rack moves from max flow to stop
-Reinstall side cover and linkage
-start engine and adjust rpm 
-possibly adjust rpm limits with stop bolts or slotted shaft repositioning

Does that sound like what needs to be done?

I will be traveling over hill and dale today, be back tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Please remember those who can not be with family today.


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## thepumpguysc (Jan 25, 2015)

I would start & run it w/ the side cover off, operating the rack manually..
You'll NEED 2 PEOPLE TO DO THAT.. 1 to turn the key & 1 to control the pump rack..
REMEMBER, you WONT have control over the rpms when the cover is off..
Then once you get it to start & fueling like you want, put the cover on & set the rpms..
You'll probably put to much fuel to it initially.. you can always run the screw in to lower it.
What about a "start spring"?? does your parts book show one?
Happy Thanksgiving..


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## Asymair95 (Nov 22, 2017)

Here is a picture of the internal linkage set up with the governor spring on the left side, and the start spring on the bottom.










Will try and get some work done on it today, but have some firewood chores to take care of first. Will report back soon, thank you for the help.


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## Asymair95 (Nov 22, 2017)

Success! Had some quality time with the 1510 today, and after a rough start, have made some progress on my multiple issues.

I first wanted to get the hyd pump priming sorted out. I removed the pressure line at the diverted block and cranked the engine with the starter...no fluid came out. I then started the engine...no fluid. I then stuck a blow gun from my air compressor inside the hyd fill port and gently applied pressure inside the reservoir...still no fluid.

Shut everything off, and removed the suction line from the top of the pump. I used a harbor freight fluid transfer pump and pumped some hyd fluid from the reservoir into the suction tube and also the top of the hyd pump where the suction tube attaches. Started her back up and immediately had fluid pouring out of the pressure line I had removed earlier. Buttoned that back up and everything seems to be working fine. Here is a pic of the suction line I removed and filled with fluid.










The rpm issue was tackled next. Before putting the pump back together I made sure the max fuel adjustment bolt did in fact move the spring inside the pump, and it did. I turned the max fuel screw out about a full turn before assembling everything, and started the engine. It did bleed and start easier, but now had a surge. The surge was more pronounced at higher rpm, and was almost acting as if it wanted to run away on me. I screwed the max fuel screw in about a quarter turn and things calmed down. Using my digital tach, I set the max rpm to 3000 using the high rpm stop screw externally on the pump. If I did not set this screw I could have achieved a higher rpm, maybe around 3200. But, using the external stop screw, I was able to limit throttle travel to 3000 rpm...if that makes any sense.

My question is now, how do I know when I have the max fuel adjusting bolt set correctly? 

Should I try and set the max rpm to 3000 using the max fuel screw, and then just adjust the external stop screw up to the throttle lever?

There is no black smoke or anything, just a normal amount. Here is a pic of the throttle linkage at max power up against the external stop. 










Thank you again for the help...we are so close!


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## Asymair95 (Nov 22, 2017)

Back to the drawing board. Been trying to drive it and put a load on the engine to see how much tension to put on the spring. Every time I adjust it, it seems to surge worse. Wondering if the governor is broke on it. 

I removed the max fuel adjustment screw to see if anything was boogered on it, but it appears to be fine. On the left side is the spring that sits on the end of the fuel rack and applies spring force to it. I guess it counteracts the governor weights. This is the bolt I have been adjusting.


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## Asymair95 (Nov 22, 2017)

After doing some searching online, I’m wondering if I have some kind of air leak in the fuel line, or injector lines. I drained the fuel tank, and it did drain kind of slow compared to some videos I found online. I removed the shutoff valve and the rubber washer that seals it against the tank was petrified and torn. Not sure if this has anything to do with anything, but I will replace it. I vacuum tested the shutoff valve and fuel filter assembly, and they both hold vacuum fine. 

Something weird happened when I was running the engine and trying to finish bleeding the injectors. Every time I cracked an injector line to bleed it, the engine would die. Is that normal? Seems like it should run at least for a few seconds on the other two cylinders. 

Waiting patiently for the experts


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## Asymair95 (Nov 22, 2017)

Just wanted to bump this up here again. Does anyone have any ideas where I should be looking for this issue. As of right now the tractor is unusable.


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## thepumpguysc (Jan 25, 2015)

The tractor should run on 2 cylinders & not kill the engine w/ 1 cracked..
That tells me you have a delivery problem with/in the inj. pump.
Were you able to move the rack by hand w/ the engine running?
I'll send a PM.


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## Asymair95 (Nov 22, 2017)

It did not have any binding of the rack, very smooth. When I start the engine I have the power lever at full power, as soon as it starts, I then move the throttle to about 1200 rpm to warm things up. 

From 1200 it seems to rise on its own to about 2000 or so until I bring the throttle back, and then it almost dies. If I put any kind of load on it, it tries to die. Even turning the wheel will kill it because of the power steering drawing hydraulic pressure.

I think the best thing to do is make a video and post it on here for you to see. If you still think it is the pump, then we can definitely rebuild that with the price we spoke about. 

Will be back with a video.


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## Asymair95 (Nov 22, 2017)

Just an update on this 1510. After a visit to the local repair shop and $2500 later we have fixed the issue.

The injector pump was in need of rebuild, plus the governor linkage inside the pump was slightly bent not allowing things to engage correctly. 

Hope this helps someone down the road.


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## thepumpguysc (Jan 25, 2015)

HMMM.. I'm glad its fixed but something doesn't smell right..
How many times did you have the pump out & say the rack slides VERY freely??
The rack is the only linkage inside the pump.. actually its outside..
Anyway>> don't mean to pick at old scabs... Glad its fixed.


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## Asymair95 (Nov 22, 2017)

I believe the smoke screw was not aligned with the rack properly. He had to get a new one of these as it was bent. It’s possible I bent it when I reinstalled the pump the second time. However, I think it was removed from the tractor before I installed the pump because I knew it would hang up.

Not being fluent in diesel pumps, it may very well of needed a rebuild. I’m just glad it’s fixed, but bummed it cost so much. Now if I ever needed to get rid of the tractor I’m going to lose money as I’m into it for 10k now 

They put it on the dyno and it put out 16hp at the PTO, which is a bit low for this tractor.


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## thepumpguysc (Jan 25, 2015)

If it was on the dyno, they should have adjusted the fuel/HP to spec or 10% over per your request.. THATS WHAT THE DYNO IS FOR.. How do you think they do it at the factory??
EVERY engine is dyno'd & the fuel is set for the correct HP & RPM for THAT specific model..


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## Asymair95 (Nov 22, 2017)

I see. They did say the engine “Breathed hard” under load. When I asked what that meant they said there was blow by and it probably needed rings soon. Not sure if that has anything to do with where they set the adjustments though.


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