Oliver 88 Diesel Fuel Issue - Simple Final Solution?

[EdinKS]

So, I started in June to find out why my newly acquired '88 would start when cold/cool but not when hot. I studied everything I could find in this forum and others, learned it was likely the injection pump hydraulic head or possibly the fuel delivery adjust nut in the governor. I continued to study and learn about the very high cost of a new injection pump and lack of parts available for the pump industry wide.

At Dieseltech's suggestion, I finally adjusted the smokestop/fuel delivery nut on the governor, and IT STARTED both cold and hot. It took about 15 seconds of cranking when cold to start and about 20 seconds of cranking when hot. Everything was good in my world.

A few weeks later I drained and cleaned the fuel bowl under the fuel tank, restarted and took the '88 for a drive. Had a couple of stalling/coughing spells with the diesel and just made it home iin time for it to sputter and stall out. Wouldn't restart. I figured I'd bleed the fuel system, suspecting I'd got some air into the system. No fuel to the filter. What? In fact the supply pump (electric) did not seem to be running. I removed the fuel pump and discovered the hot wire was NOT connected. It appeared that it was never connected at least since I got the tractor, yet the engine had run for three months without problems except the hard hot starting problem that I had fixed, I thought.

So, I reconnected the fuel pump, put some new wiring and fuel lines on it and it started right up, ONLY NOW, It starts when cold after about 3 seconds of cranking and starts when hot after about 3 seconds! WOW! I'm happy that I stumbled on the solution to my hard starting accidentally after about 3 months. I should have discovered it earlier if I had checked out the fuel system from beginning to end. ED

 

[Olliejunkie]

I like to keep my tractors stock but an electric fuel pump sure makes for easier starting. On some of my mechanical pumps I hand pump them 10 or 15 times before cranking if they have sat long. Probably have a few leaks.

 

[Olliejunkie]

I thought i would add that i let my electric pumps run until i hear fuel coming back into the tank via the return line if they have sat long. Glad you figured it out.

 

[EdinKS]

(quoted from post at 21:19:36 09/07/21)
I thought i would add that i let my electric pumps run until i hear fuel coming back into the tank via the return line if they have sat long. Glad you figured it out.

Good tips OJ! Very needed and appreciated by those of us who haven't been around tractors all our lives. Or if we have been, maybe we forgot some of the little tricks. Ed :lol:

 

[Olliejunkie]

(quoted from post at 07:58:14 09/08/21)

(quoted from post at 21:19:36 09/07/21)
I thought i would add that i let my electric pumps run until i hear fuel coming back into the tank via the return line if they have sat long. Glad you figured it out.

Good tips OJ! Very needed and appreciated by those of us who haven't been around tractors all our lives. Or if we have been, maybe we forgot some of the little tricks. Ed :lol:

I dont know how hood they're but it seems to help. We will have to wait for the experts to ring in. The right thing to do would probably be to rebuild my fuel system but unfortunately that gets spendy on these diesels.