80 bird with 3208 cat keeps stalling - PLEASE help

[George Lowry]

Hi John,

One of the first things that comes to mind is algae in the fuel. Never
let a diesel tank sit unless it is full. Always use an algaecide when
leaving the coach for two weeks or more.

With a partial tank, you have an air space and condensation will form
putting water in the tank, especially in your climate. There are
"bugs" in the diesel and they will grow at the point where the water
and diesel meet. If left long enough, they will clog everything. Best
thing to do is to use an algaecide whenever you are not going to use
the coach. When we are traveling and are refueling every couple of
days from a source that has fresh fuel, I skip the algaecide. But when
I am returning from a trip and/or will be parked for a while, I always
give it a dose of algaecide and fill the tank as full as I can get it.

You can get algaecide at any truck stop. There are several good
brands. I happen to currently use Howe's but others are just as good.
I learned this the hard way, having to change filters several times as
well as treating with algaecide on another coach before it would run
right. Since I keep the tank full and treated, I have had no problems
in over 15 years.

One other thing: I am not familiar with the BB of that vintage but
many manufacturers used a sock filter on the pickup tube in the tank.
It works great at keeping large stuff out of the fuel line but it will
clog with algae and give the symptoms you describe. If BB used such a
filter, that could be your problem. Usually treatment with algaecide
will correct it - worse case would require dropping the tank for
cleaning. It is much cheaper and easier to keep the tank full and
treated.

George Lowry
'95 WBDA 4203 & GM 4106 (for sale)
Spearfish, SD

Adria Haynes wrote:

> Gurus,
>
> I had been here for a while, took a break, but have been lurking
> again
> for a while. I NEED HELP!
>
> What I have is a Wanderlodge 35fc with a newer 3208 Cat. We just
> used it last month for a long weekend that was 2 hours away and
> everything went excellent. We started the trip with 1/4 tank,
> filled up, and had 1/2 tank when the trip was over - which how it
> has sat for the past
> month.
>
> I fired it up for a few minutes on Thursday night to make sure we
> were ready to rock for the long weekend. After getting everything
> ready to head out - it wouldn't stay running. Per advice from
> friends and family, I changed the fuel filter at the back of the
> motor with a brand new one that was FULL of fuel. I also changed out
> the water seperator and filter under the LP compartment door. I
> removed, refilled, and reinstalled the engine bay fuel filter a
> number of times. Each time priming it with the primer.
>
> After removing the air filter, the bus would start and run if I shot
> and kept shooting starting fluid down the intake. After a while, it
> seemed to be able to sustain on its own. I had to keep the throttle
> pulled back to keep it idling a little over 1200. While the tach
> indicated steady RPM's, the cloud out the back indicated sputtering
> within. Again, after a while it would run on its own, seem to run
> well, but not for long before it would start to sputter. At that
> point, I would remove the new fuel filter and find it to be only
> about 1/4 full of fuel - making me to believe that it died when the
> fuel filter ran out of fuel. When removing the new filter, at the
> point when the seal breaks, it gives out that "shtook" popping sound
> as though it were under heavy suction.
>
> Another interesting thing is that after having been run, I would
> turn the valve on the water seperator. Not only would the liquids
> not just stream out - it would "burble and chug" out the bottom but
> only do so after it looked like it sucked air IN - as though there
> were a natural vacuum.
>
> After having the vacation already wrecked, I need to focus on
> getting it back up and running again ASAP. I read a post on the
> vintagebirds.com site in which a gentleman indicated that he had an
> 81 with a 1/2 tank that acted like he was out of fuel and that he
> added more fuel and it behaved as long as he kept it above the 1/2
> tank level until he did something with a 1/4" copper line.
>
> I'm unclear as to what he did to fix it and cannot contact him.
>
> Is it a common problem for a bird such as mine to ALL OF A SUDDEN
> act like it has a heavy fuel restriction or act like its out of
> gas? My uncle seems to think its acting like it's sucking air into
> the line or there is a restriction.
>
> Please help, I'm desperate. Any help, suggestions, or anything
> would be HUGELY appreciated.
>
> Thanks, John in Flint.
>
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