Diesel injectors clean adjust or replace

Apache_58

Member
I have a 1969 Ford diesel tractor.
Manual says have injectors cleaned and adjusted every 600 hours. Probably never been done. Tractor is hard to start when cold and noisy until it warms up. Other than that it seems to run alright. Does anybody service these or do they get replaced with new ones?
 
Those injectors can be repaired as the tips are replaceable. If it runs fine warmed up I wouldn't worry about it. With good filter care injectors will go 4 to 5000 hours before needing service. Dirt and/or water in fuel is your biggest worry. Hard starting cold is more likely a low compression issue. While diesels will run fine warm with 300 PSI compression, they won't start well when cold. PSI of 350-400 works best for cold starts.
 
My 1987 6610 is hard to start when cold, and low hours.

If yours has the SIMMS pump, do you use the cold start button?
 
I tried using that cold start procedure but the button stayed stuck in after it started. Not sure if it helped. Tractor had a starting fluid holder welded to it so I?m sure it?s been this way awhile.
 
The reason I was looking into this was the fact that this tractor showed signs of not being maintained. There was water in the fuel tank due to the wrong fuel tank cap being used. I have resolved that issue and replaced the fuel filter. I watched a video of a newer tractor having the tips removed and cleaned and I know I could tackle that project. Wasn?t sure if the 1969 injectors had removable tips. Additionally the injector tube nut on top of the pump was loosened and now it leaks even when tightened down. I?ve taken it fully off and it looks clean. Any tricks to getting it seated?
 
That is not correct, the governor should kick it out once RPM's are up.

Mine will NOT start below 40s without button in.

Might be good to send to Dieseltech and have him go through it.
 
Thank you for mentioning this issue with the Simms pumps. So few people have no clue as to changing the oil in their injection pump at the same interval as their engine oil.

Please read your owner's manual, and please get one if you don't have one!

Beagle
 

It is normal for diesels to be hard to cold start and clatter until the unburned fuel is cleared from the combustion heater .
Plug in the block heater and pre-heat the coolant and the engine . It is a normal winter procedure .
 
I do have operators manual.
I?m chipping away at the service. So far changed rear end fluid, flushed transmission and replaced filter, replaced fuel filter, changed engine oil and replaced filter, greased zerks.

Planning on replacing power steering filter, loader hydro filter, change fuel pump oil, service brakes, adjusting throttle linkage, setting valve lash, and clean injectors.

Then there is the issue with the 3 point lift.
Will be here asking questions for awhile.

Sounds like the injectors should be pulled and inspected at the least.
 
B&D, in case you have not owned a Ford.

The Fords generally have 1 or 2 levels of starting aids that are normally used before block heater is needed.

1. Fuel enrichment button on pump, this retards the timing and enriches the fuel, is kicked out by governor once started, or by pulling out fuel stop.
2. Thermostart, drips and burns fuel into the manifold (optional)
 
Diesel injectors should not be tampered with unless a poptester is available to check and adjust the opening pressure. Need to know what the pump make and model is too, some Fords have Simms inline, some have DPA rotary, some have Delphi DP 200 pumps. Later New Holland Fords have Bosch rotary or inline pumps. Without that info you will get all sorts of advice, some right and some wrong.
 

Like Dieseltech says there is no point to removing the injectors to clean them without testing the pop off pressure, for which you need the tool. So far as the ether injector, some models of Fords had them put on at the factory if going to a cold region. Your manual may show one for yours.
 
The video I watched showed a guy cleaning the outside of the tip with brass brush, then removing tip and checking for plugged holes by spraying carb cleaner through it. If one was plugged, it was cleaned out with a small wire. The manual indicates that a diesel shop could adjust the injector, but it seems like you would need to know what pressure the worn pump is delivering?
 
(quoted from post at 22:52:00 11/21/18) The video I watched showed a guy cleaning the outside of the tip with brass brush, then removing tip and checking for plugged holes by spraying carb cleaner through it. If one was plugged, it was cleaned out with a small wire. The manual indicates that a diesel shop could adjust the injector, but it seems like you would need to know what pressure the worn pump is delivering?

I see how you might think that, but injection pumps put out very high pressure and what small amount they may lose to wear doesn't enter into the picture compared to the injectors holding the pressure until it reaches the correct amount, which is what you need to test for.
 
(quoted from post at 16:34:04 11/21/18) B&D, in case you have not owned a Ford.

The Fords generally have 1 or 2 levels of starting aids that are normally used before block heater is needed.

1. Fuel enrichment button on pump, this retards the timing and enriches the fuel, is kicked out by governor once started, or by pulling out fuel stop.
2. Thermostart, drips and burns fuel into the manifold (optional)

Plug it in anyways . The block heater is not to be used as a last resort when fuel enrichment and thermostat won’t start the tractor .
The engine will operate smoother , quieter, with less wear , less fuel consumption and less crankcase oil dilution . If a block heater is used instead of hammering a cold diesel to life . A lot of owners fuss over that type of oil, filters and oil change intervals . Then they go out and wash the lube oil off the cylinder walls with raw inburned fuel .
Some people are just so penny wise and pound foolish .
 
(quoted from post at 01:30:47 11/22/18) Premium grade #2 diesel will help keep them clean. It has a cleaner built into it.

Why on earth would you pour #2 diesel into a fuel tank in the winter time ? Want to add plugged fuel filters to the list of problems ?
In the winter use #1 diesel that has had the wax removed .
 
Block heater would be nice, but I?d have to pack a generator out to the tractor each morning.

It?s not that it doesn?t run alright, just thinking maybe it might run better if the injectors were cleaned compared to possible partially plugged injectors. Maybe just do what everyone else did and just run it until problems show up.
 
(quoted from post at 02:21:54 11/23/18) Block heater would be nice, but I?d have to pack a generator out to the tractor each morning.

It?s not that it doesn?t run alright, just thinking maybe it might run better if the injectors were cleaned compared to possible partially plugged injectors. Maybe just do what everyone else did and just run it until problems show up.

No light and power to the shed ? Gotta get that fixed asap.
 
(quoted from post at 02:21:54 11/23/18) Block heater would be nice, but I?d have to pack a generator out to the tractor each morning.

It?s not that it doesn?t run alright, just thinking maybe it might run better if the injectors were cleaned compared to possible partially plugged injectors. Maybe just do what everyone else did and just run it until problems show up.

Could be worth it to crank up the generator for an hour before starting the tractor .
 
Well, there's more to "cleaning" diesel injectors than poking a wire through some holes. There's more to "adjusting" injectors than turning a screw with a left-handed adjustable metric nut rounder.

You take them off, send them to a diesel shop to be rebuilt and calibrated properly with the proper equipment, or you buy rebuilt injectors and turn your old ones in for the core deposit after you've swapped them out.
 
As I stated earlier, your tractor will be very hard to start without an aid, this being cold start, thermostart or plug in.

Being you have no electricity, I would send the pump and injectors in to be fixed and calibrated, it will probably start fine after that.
 
(quoted from post at 20:30:40 11/23/18) As I stated earlier, your tractor will be very hard to start without an aid, this being cold start, thermostart or plug in.

Being you have no electricity, I would send the pump and injectors in to be fixed and calibrated, it will probably start fine after that.
I would invest in a 5KW gear reduction clone or 7.3Kw gear reduction MT39 clone from the local starter shop. A pair of 2/00 welding cables and at least one Group 31 battery with 1050 CCA. Bolt the ground cable under a starter mounting bolt instead of some random factory location.
What is the voltage across the starter while cranking ? Could be just a high resistance connection or cable ?
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top