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bwest
Administrator
United States
1824 Posts |
 Posted - 03/19/2013 : 08:31:03 AM
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I told everyone here when I had problems with the propane bus, we purchased two years ago, I would keep everyone up to date.
The driver has been having trouble starting the bus when it sits over night. I called Clean Fuel (maker of the propane conversion on the 8.1 GM engine) and they instructed me to do an initial test. This test goes like this: turn key on, push throttle all the way to the floor, and wait for "wait to start" light to go off. Then as engine begins to start take your foot off the throttle. If this makes the engine start your probably have one of more injectors leaking down.
Clean Fuel emailed me information on how to test injectors. I went through the test and found 5 out of 8 injectors leaking down. I ask if I should just order all 8 and he said not really because they may never go bad. So I ordered the injectors (little pricey I thought at about $225 each) and got them in. Now I'm waiting for a warm day to work on the fuel system outside because my shop is not set up to work on the fuel system inside.
Just in case your wondering the bus has about 40k on it.
I hope my posts can help someone thinking of purchasing these engines. |
Bryan |
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joeheb
Senior Member
131 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2013 : 08:59:33 AM
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| Wow...40k??? I got 50k on a VT365 injectors. |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
1824 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2013 : 09:52:29 AM
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| lol, How much were they? I guess from what I've been told this doesn't happen often. Who knows, I just hope this is not a trend. |
Bryan |
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joeheb
Senior Member
131 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2013 : 10:41:05 AM
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Just over $1600 for new injectors, International wanted over $1700 for reman injectors. It was a no brainer.
Edit: That's for all 8 injectors... |
Edited by - joeheb on 03/19/2013 10:42:57 AM |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
1824 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2013 : 11:20:41 AM
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| That's good information. That means the propane injectors are about in line with the diesel injectors. |
Bryan |
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Mechan1c
Top Member
USA
624 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2013 : 12:17:44 PM
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Not to sound cheap , but I wonder if/what the downside to changing the start procedure to include stepping down and letting up on the throttle during cranking would be?
And of course the mechanic in me wants to know what's going on internally keeping these things from sealing up??
Do these people make the V-10 injectors also?
Thanks for sharing Bryan. |
Edited by - Mechan1c on 03/19/2013 12:18:52 PM |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
1824 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2013 : 12:33:35 PM
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| No, they are not the company who makes the system for the V10. It has been getting increasingly hard to start. So I would say that eventually it would just not start at all. Also, I wouldn't think that a build up of fuel can be too good on things either. lol I don't know what's going on in the injectors other than erosion of the surfaces. Why it wouldn't happen to all of them is a mystery to me. It's kind of like why does an incandescent bulb go out when it does? Who knows. |
Bryan |
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Crown
Active Member
38 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 08:06:00 AM
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| We have several of the Vision propane buses, many right around that mileage. We have changed lots of fuel pumps and other in-tank gadgets but no injectors yet. I wonder if there is, or has been, moisture or something else in the fuel? |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
1824 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 09:36:30 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Crown
We have several of the Vision propane buses, many right around that mileage. We have changed lots of fuel pumps and other in-tank gadgets but no injectors yet. I wonder if there is, or has been, moisture or something else in the fuel?
Could be. Wonder how a guy would figure that out? What was the symptoms with the fuel pumps? |
Bryan |
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Crown
Active Member
38 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 1:01:07 PM
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In most cases the pumps have gotten weak and gave some warning in the way of low engine power. If a pump quits, the engine simply doesn't run. We haven't run across much in the way of hard starting issues.
Hard to say on the fuel supply. But in talking to others there seems to be some issues out there pointing to rust and/or corrosion in some supply tanks and even some bus tanks. It may have to do with sitting open some time in the past. There is also a certain amount of water that is expected with propane fuel deliveries. Like most things, it's not always simple.
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Propane bus problems
