Need help with stuck Injection Pump

[Randybee1]

Hey guys, I FINALLY went to crank the Cat engine today and I am not getting any fuel to the injectors. I had read 2 others guys on this forum had the same issue and it was a stuck injector pump. In both cases they said they took the pump to a shop to have fixed. My question is: Why can't I take the pump off and hit it with some penetraing oil?

Randy B

[Henry W]

Hi Randy,

I would take it off and send it out to get fixed. I believe that injector pump was priced over $900.00 a few years ago. When an engine is sitting it is best to turn it over a couple revolutions every six months.

Henry

[Randybee1]

Henry, Any idea what to expect to be charged for this repair?.. just a general ball park figure would be nice.

Randy

[Henry W]

I do not know, the best thing to do is call an injector shop.

[Randybee1]

Thanks, That's what I'll do... but first I have to AT LEAST take it out and soak it in some penetrating oil for a few days. They really do not seem that difficult to disassemble, but then again I do not want to have to buy a new one for $900.00!

[mobile_bob]

i am not sure of your little cat pump, but if it has the little shutdown solenoid
remove it and take a look up inside the pump... there should be a little lever that the solenoid pushes on to shut down the fuel rack.

if you can see the little lever, try and stick the end of a "clean" dowel rod in and see if the lever moves or if it is bottomed out.

it should move an appreciable distance, maybe 3/8" from full fuel to no fuel, if it only moves a very slight amount or not at all you have a stuck governor spool on the governor shaft...

often times i have found that the little buggers will move just a tiny bit, if so fab up a short piece of coat hanger wire, or some other stiff wire, with a small hook on the end.

carefully insert it so that the hook goes behind the lever and see if you can gently pull it back toward the outside of the pump... sometimes you have to pull a bit, then push the lever back, pull some more, pull more... until it comes clear out.

i see this a lot on little kubota's and yanmar tractors and such around here, that are used intermittently and allowed to sit for months on end.

it takes very little moisture in the fuel to gum up the shaft and stick the spool.

if you can get it worked loose, i have added ATF to the fuel and sometimes even a quart of 30 weight motor oil to help add some lubrication to the very dry fuel they sell these days.

so far i have been able to recover 5 or 6 such pumps without having to remove them to send out to a pump shop.

once you get it unstuck and running it might stick again, and it might several times until there is enough lube and enough wiping action to clear the binding caused by tight fits and a touch of corrosion.

fwiw

bob g

[mike90045]

...if you can get it worked loose, i have added ATF to the fuel and sometimes even a quart of 30 weight motor oil to help add some lubrication to the very dry fuel they sell these days......

Bio-Diesel (not grease/veg oil) also will add lube to the fuel, but be careful to not let it gum up things too.  It's stopped the squeak from my 6/1 injector pump.

[Randybee1]

Thanks Bob!, I took off the fuel solenoid, stuck a little hooked rod in there and sure enough the rack was stuck closed. As soon as I tugged  ever so slightly on the rod it slid forward. I cracked the injectors open and there is fuel seeping out through the nuts. My battery is pretty much drained from cranking it yesterday so I'll have to charge it and finish purging the air out tomorrow

Randy B

[Randybee1]

Well, I hooked a battery charger to my Cat battery and she fired right up.... what a nice sound. Now I have to start hard wiring everything and maybe take some pics to post
Thanks for the help guys

[Henry W]

That is great news! Glad it is running.
Bob, good call.

Henry