CK30 - One cylinder not firing, other two are fine

[JimHall]

Hi All, first time posting here after doing a lot of reading! Trying to diagnose a problem with my CK30. Was running fine but now on start up, I get a lot of white smoke. I have pulled all 3 glow plugs and they all seem to be fine. It is the cylinder closest to the driver seat that causing the problem. I can feel the exhaust manifold getting hot on the other 2 cylinders but the other one stays cold. After about 5mins on idle the problem cylinder seems to pick back up and get hot and the white smoke stops when the revs are up. But the idle is quite rough and a slight knocking at higher rmp. I haven't got into the fuel injectors yet as the white clouds of smoke would indicate (to me at least) that there is fuel getting in there. Before I get any deeper, thought I would post here to see if anyone has any suggestions. Thanks,

 

[thepumpguysc]

Before u start it again, loosen the steel lines AT THE INJECTORS .. for that matter u can take them off..
Slide the nut back so u can see the end of the line when sitting in the seat..
Now crank the engine & watch the fuel squirting out of the lines..
Are all 3 pumping fuel.??
U can’t tell the quantity of fuel being pumped but it should give u an idea..
If all 3 are pumping, the problem most likely lies in the injector..
U can remove the injectors and swap holes and see if the problem follows the injector..
Good luck

 

[JimHall]

Before u start it again, loosen the steel lines AT THE INJECTORS .. for that matter u can take them off..
Slide the nut back so u can see the end of the line when sitting in the seat..
Now crank the engine & watch the fuel squirting out of the lines..
Are all 3 pumping fuel.??
U can’t tell the quantity of fuel being pumped but it should give u an idea..
If all 3 are pumping, the problem most likely lies in the injector..
U can remove the injectors and swap holes and see if the problem follows the injector..
Good luck

Thanks so much for the advice, I actually started to pull the steel fuel line off the first injector as my plan was to swap them around. I got the fuel line off no problem but the next bolt down (which seems to hold down a pipe that connects all 3 injectors is so tight it wont budge at all. I've given it some penetrating spray and letting it sit for a bit but if there are any tips to remove this...other than force...please to let me know!

I will go back and check if all three lines are pumping fuel whilst I wait.

 

[Coyote_CS2220]

hmmmm..........i have seen similar symptoms before.

Might want to take the valve cover off and have a look.

CS2220 Started smoking/rough idle

 

[thepumpguysc]

The only way I’ve been able to loosen the nuts without breaking the line is with a hand impact driver / w a hammer and a 17mm socket..
Otherwise the line WILL TURN AND BREAK THE LINE.

 

[thepumpguysc]

U need to see IF the pump is pumping fuel TO that cylinder before u go to the injectors..

 

[JimHall]

Confirmed that the pump is pumping to all 3 cylinders, put my fingers on all 3 and there is a good amount of pressure there. Manage to get the nuts off and remove the fuel overflow lines. Now onto the next nut which is even harder to get to and also I don't have a 19mm socket thats deep enough to get to it and a spanner is very tricky to get in there. And...they are very tight again.

 

[5030]

Go buy one....

 

[thepumpguysc]

Use the larger hex on the injectors ONLY..
If u use the smaller hex, u stand a better than average chance in unscrewing the 2 halves of the injectors.!!
There’s all sorts of springs and shims in there that will be hard to locate..

 

[thepumpguysc]

I do so many of these that it’s hard to remember what size they are..
15/16.??
1-1/8.??
Actually they’re metric but standard sockets work just as well..
Incase you haven’t thought of it, u have to replace all the gaskets when u reassemble it..
The bottom of the injector takes a copper gasket..1 for each injector removed.
And the return line takes a gasket..1 for each injector..
AND u need to torque the injectors into the head.!!
50 ftlbs works well..as long as u use the LARGER HEX.!!
And the return line nut, 20-25 ftlbs works well..
Don’t make the common mistake of reassembling the return line wrong..
It goes:
Gasket FIRST,
Then the line..
Then the nut..
Torque..

 

[JimHall]

Use the larger hex on the injectors ONLY..
If u use the smaller hex, u stand a better than average chance in unscrewing the 2 halves of the injectors.!!
There’s all sorts of springs and shims in there that will be hard to locate..

Ah, thank you! That could have been a rookie mistake! They are on the bigger size, looks like 20-22mm or something like that, will try figure out a way to get down to them easily!

 

[JimHall]

I do so many of these that it’s hard to remember what size they are..
15/16.??
1-1/8.??
Actually they’re metric but standard sockets work just as well..
Incase you haven’t thought of it, u have to replace all the gaskets when u reassemble it..
The bottom of the injector takes a copper gasket..1 for each injector removed.
And the return line takes a gasket..1 for each injector..
AND u need to torque the injectors into the head.!!
50 ftlbs works well..as long as u use the LARGER HEX.!!
And the return line nut, 20-25 ftlbs works well..
Don’t make the common mistake of reassembling the return line wrong..
It goes:
Gasket FIRST,
Then the line..
Then the nut..
Torque..

Amazing, thanks for all the advice. Assuming I get the injectors out...!!... do you think it would be ok to use the same gaskets just to swap them around to make sure thats the problem and there isn't anything else wrong with the 1st cylinder? If so, I can pull them all out and replace the faulty injector and all the gaskets.

 

[thepumpguysc]

That would be acceptable.. but ur gonna want to replace it with new when done with diagnostics..
U don’t have to put the injector return line on for the diagnostics..unless the line goes back into the filter..
If it does, just pinch off the line so it doesn’t suck air into the filter.
Good luck

 

[JimHall]

Thanks again for all your help / advice. Made some progress (after a visit to the shops) and got 2 of the injectors out (1 and 3). Quick question before I swap them around and try it out, is it worth cracking the suspect injector apart and giving it a very gentle clean inside with carb cleaner? I've seen other do this online and wondering if its got gunked up. The one I suspect of being faulty does have a bit of carbon on it v's the other which is clean.

 

[thepumpguysc]

If u clean it and it starts working, u won’t know if that was the problem or not..
FIND THE PROBLEM FIRST..
THEN fix it..

 

[JimHall]

Ha, yes thats true! My logic was if I clean it and it all goes back together and it works...I don't have to take it all apart again! As I'm clearly no expert, I will take your advice for sure and do as you advise.

 

[thepumpguysc]

But u DO have to take it all apart again.. TO REPLACE THE GASKETS..

 

[JimHall]

this is true!

 

[Robin Veerman]

Check that the engine oil isn’t diluted with diesel fuel due to unburnt fuel….

 

[JimHall]

Update: All back together an the engine fired up fine with no white smoke now! All cylinders are firing, I checked this by cracking the fuel lines individually. So thats the good news but I haven't actually changed anything. What did is give a little spray of carb cleaner to the two injectors that I pulled as they picked up some dirt on the way out?!?

The other question I have now is about a knocking noise coming from cylinder 1 on idle. When I crack the fuel line it stops. It goes away when the RPM increases. I have no idea if this has always been there because I've never had the hood up and had my head in there listening but its quite audible. In my research I did hear other say the engines could be noisy like this. Any thoughts?