Engine loses power after 45 minutes

[whaler23]

74 Cat 3160(3208) orig. loses power after 45 minutes of running. Tried switching tanks same issue so it's not a tank problem, fuel filters clean, again if they were clogged it wouldn't take 45 minutes for rpm's to drop. engine always starts right up, runs out at close to 3K rpm under load just as other engine does. Won't stay above 2200 after 45 minutes. Temp is always fine, oil pressure good, wandering what symptoms of failing injection pump would be? Any ideas?

[Boss Lady]

Take a look at this website on low sulfur diesel. We will probably see more bizarre symptoms before this is over.

http://www.mbm.net.au/b100/lsd.html

It sounds to me like your pump is giving up the ghost.

[MikeP]

I'd change the fuel filters and try it again. I've had fuel filters clog so as to stop the boat after 20 minutes. Restarting they would only idle. Then, when started the next day, they were fine for another 20 minutes. Give it a try - can't hurt. Filters are cheap and it seems fairly likely that it's a fuel supply issue anyway so it's the first thing to do. Does it have hose lines or copper lines from the tanks to the filters? Old hose can collapse under the suction after a while...

[Genesis]

Next time it happens get a vacuum tank, hook to output of Racor, and turn it on.

I bet you have a blob of gunk on the pickup - you have to suck it through or its going to keep happening......

Had this happen with Gigabite, and once we cleared it, no more problem....

[whaler23]

Copper lines from the tanks, will try the filters again, I agree on the pickup issue, thats what it seems like.

[(Nobody You Know)]

Next time it happens get a vacuum tank

Karl,

I too have 3208 CATs. Not sure what this is. Where would you find this?

[Boss Lady]

He said the filters are clean and he switched tanks.

[jim rosenthal]

does the 3208/3160 have a fuel lift pump? the one that supplies fuel to the injector pump? Might be that. If you switched tanks and that didn't cure it, I don't think it's a filter issue, although fuel supply problems are frequently filters.

[Genesis]

Hmmm... well, if he switched tanks that eliminates that possibility.... Oh well.

[garyd]

Had this happen to a crane truck with a Cat in it. It was brand new from the factory we got about 45 minutes down the road three times and it quit. The whole rig got towed back to the crane supplier every time.

Third times the charm they found out they pinched a fuel line when installing the crane. It would run no problemo for about 45 minutes then quit.

keep hunting you'll get it.

garyd