Morbark Chipper Won't Start

Mine ended up being a bad breaker. Stupid $7 part. Calmed down enough to not replace it right now but on the hunt patiently
 
You burn clear diesel over there in California?

So the engine will run as long as you hold the key? What do you mean? Hold in the start position? When you let go and the key goes into the run position it dies?

If the engine runs I would not think that it is a fuel issue. If you do change the filters, pour the contents through a t shirt. Water will not run through.

It sounds to me that you have an electrical problem. The run circuit fails to stay energized when the key is moved. Could be a bad key switch. Not sure what kind of Murphy system your chipper has, but the ones I have been around reset if tripped, or you hold them in while starting. A switch is either on or off, protecting the engine from low oil pressure or high water temps. Not all Murphy systems will cover both oil and water. If tripped, an engine will not "sorta" run.

I would check for 12 volts dropped at the solenoid on the pump when the key is in the run position. It should be hot.


Some engines will not run if various fluid levels are not up to par. Check the oil and water.
This. The actual best person to ask/listen to around here is 1BUS(joe). Bona fide diesel mechanic.
 
Looks like fuel starvation or water in the diesel.
Change filters, fuel lines and maybe clean the tank.
Just my take mind.
 
Nick...I don't know much...but...is it an autofeed problem? That is disabled on my Vermeer...the Vermeer mechanics said they are pretty bad about going bad...about a
$500 fix from Vermeer. Can you turn "autofeed" off...maybe it is being recalcitrant.
 
The autofeed, as I understand it, monitors RPM's and adjusts them when a heavy load gets put on the engine. It slows or stops the feed rollers until the RPM's get back up and then starts the feed rollers again. Maybe it is going bad?
 
here ya go Nick


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Auto feed doesn't control rpms, it reacts to them. Rpm is all mechanical. Might be a bad fuel injection pump. Only thing it could be I'd think other than water in the fuel. Have you drained the water separator? Changed filters? There should be 2.
Also, I'd think 3k rpms is too high for diesel
 
Hey Nick,
Just google "diesel dies under load"
Lotsa pertinent info you might find helpful.
 
Nick when you do get it figured out let us know what it was.

A) It brings some closure to something that a bunch of people try to give you help with.
B) Some of us can learn and benefit from your hard won experience.
 
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We're still trying to figure it out. The local kubota mechanics are backed up couple three weeks. We're renting a machine.

We replaced all filters and fluids on Friday- just to see. Didn't make a diff.


love
nick
 
Unless there is a MASSIVE drag somewhere, like a bad bearing or seven, or maybe like something wrapped around a rotor, (?) the engine should run fine if it is getting enough fuel and Air in the right mix at the right time.

If the filters did not help, I would wonder about a fuel supply problem. Like a bad transfer pump or something. I am not sure what kind of engine this chipper has though. If it is getting enough fuel, a governor problem might be the culprit. You did change the air filter?

Aneroid valve?

From the vid it acts like it is running out of fuel, which made me think transfer pump.
 
Fuel problem of some sort, like air getting sucked into a line.
My old (gas) C&D Woodchuck once had the fuel pickup tube break off unexpectedly inside the tank. On a job in the boonies.
Took a bit of head scratching to sort that out.
 
Check line from tank. Work way up fuel system from there. Recheck filter to see if more stuff was pulled.

I hope it's not the high pressure pump

Also, so engine have a little manual primer pump in the event you run it out of fuel. Make sure that's working.

White smoke usually means fuel issue
 
Hey, for people that know more about diesel engines (I just now own my first). If something is starving the engine for fuel and I am trying to muddle through it doing re -starts and running the engine, is that cutting lubrication to the engine enough to do damage?
 
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