80 bird with 3208 cat keeps stalling - PLEASE help

[Adria Haynes]

I can see that. Storing it with only 1/4 tank over the winter was
stupid, but didn't really hurt anything because it would have been
too cold to grow any algae. The past month has been pretty hot and
cold both - making water and doing as you said. I didn;t think a
month would be a problem, but still - what a moron. Live and learn,
eh?

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, George Lowry
wrote:
> 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.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >