Diesel purging

William_A_Cormack1 · April 28, 2005, 11:35am

Posted by William A. Cormack (wacormack@…>)

Does anyone have tips on how to purge the air from ones fuel injection system? I’ve got the manuals and know all the steps (I think) but the limited access and low volume of the lift pump make the job seem extraordinarily difficult. In case you hadn’t guessed this is my first time doing this.

Some specific questions on my Yanmar 3GM30F installed in my F-36 (1986):

I did not notice the shut off petcock located before the filter (Racor R24T) and, therefore, when I removed the primary filter I lost the prime from the tank to the filter. I did fill the filter with fresh fuel before reinstalling it. After I bleed the rest of the system will the air in the fuel line then stop the engine?
The lift pump lever travels only about an inch in total and only the last 1/4 inch or so has any effect, is this normal? Thinking that the engine revolutions may have stopped with the cam lobe lifting the pump arm I’ve turned the engine over by hand a quarter revolution at a time with no effect. The volume of fuel advanced on each stroke is tiny.
The instructions I received indicate that air must be bled from the return line after the last injector. Why is this? I would think that gravity would return the fuel to the tank regardless of any air here.
The decompression levers on my engine jump back to the compression position after a short cranking period unless restrained from doing so. Is this normal?
Since I am working alone I have rigged a remote starter switch by unplugging the harness from the panel and inserting a single wire into the large white wire’s socket. Are there any dangers in doing so?

Any help you can give this diesel newbie would be appreciated. Thankfully the thing ran all last season without problem otherwise I might have been trying to learn this out on the water.

Bill
_________________________________________________William A. Cormack, CPAPrincipal and Chief Financial OfficerWhelan Associates, LLC, a Corporate Real Estate Service Firm100 Faunce Corner Executive Center, Suite 150500 Faunce Corner RoadNorth Dartmouth, MA 02747Voice: 508-984-4100, Fax: 508-984-4101, Cell 508-254-5828MailTo:wacormack@…

Lorman_Alvin_J · April 28, 2005, 1:51pm

Posted by Lorman, Alvin J. (ajlorman@…>)

Bill:

Since I bled my first engine two weeks ago, I can only contribute a little. (Why can’t all engines be self-bleeding, like my prior Westerbeke?)

Any air in the fuel system will bring the engine to a halt. You need to fill the line from the tank to the filter. In preparation for bleeding my 2GM20F, I installed a new Racor filter which has a built-in manual pump. It pumps a lot more fuel a lot more easily than the fuel lift pump.
I’ve read that you really need to push that lever down hard. I found that mine didn’t move much more than yours, but I had that nifty Racor filter to use instead (see answer to question 1).
I’ve never seen an instruction to bleed the return line and I did not do so. Engine ran fine nonetheless.
Can’t speak to this point.
Ditto.

Good luck!

Al

-----Original Message-----From: FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of William A. CormackSent: Thursday, April 28, 2005 7:35 AMTo: Freedom2Subject: [FreedomOwnersGroup] Diesel purging
Does anyone have tips on how to purge the air from ones fuel injection system? I’ve got the manuals and know all the steps (I think) but the limited access and low volume of the lift pump make the job seem extraordinarily difficult. In case you hadn’t guessed this is my first time doing this.

Some specific questions on my Yanmar 3GM30F installed in my F-36 (1986):

I did not notice the shut off petcock located before the filter (Racor R24T) and, therefore, when I removed the primary filter I lost the prime from the tank to the filter. I did fill the filter with fresh fuel before reinstalling it. After I bleed the rest of the system will the air in the fuel line then stop the engine? The lift pump lever travels only about an inch in total and only the last 1/4 inch or so has any effect, is this normal? Thinking that the engine revolutions may have stopped with the cam lobe lifting the pump arm I’ve turned the engine over by hand a quarter revolution at a time with no effect. The volume of fuel advanced on each stroke is tiny.
The instructions I received indicate that air must be bled from the return line after the last injector. Why is this? I would think that gravity would return the fuel to the tank regardless of any air here. The decompression levers on my engine jump back to the compression position after a short cranking period unless restrained from doing so. Is this normal? Since I am working alone I have rigged a remote starter switch by unplugging the harness from the panel and inserting a single wire into the large white wire’s socket. Are there any dangers in doing so?

Any help you can give this diesel newbie would be appreciated. Thankfully the thing ran all last season without problem otherwise I might have been trying to learn this out on the water.

Bill
_________________________________________________William A. Cormack, CPAPrincipal and Chief Financial OfficerWhelan Associates, LLC, a Corporate Real Estate Service Firm100 Faunce Corner Executive Center, Suite 150500 Faunce Corner RoadNorth Dartmouth, MA 02747Voice: 508-984-4100, Fax: 508-984-4101, Cell 508-254-5828MailTo:wacormack@…This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. This message contains confidential information and is intended only for the individual named. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail.

lance_ryley · April 28, 2005, 2:44pm

Posted by lance_ryley (lance_ryley@…>)

I can only tell you my own experiences with a 2gm, and with my
current Perkins.

My parents’ Hunter has a two-cylinder Yanmar. I’m doing this from
memory, but I think I’ve always bled it by cracking the top of the
fuel filter til it flowed, then the top of the first cylinder, then
the top of the second cylinder, then cranking the engine in bursts
til it starts.

On my 4 cyl. Perkins, I had a helluva time last season after the
boat was hauled with sediment that got past the primary and
secondary filters. In the end, it turned out that I had a blockage
in the fuel return line to the tank, which I blew out with my
electric air compressor. I did not ‘bleed’ the return line
afterward, and I haven’t even had a hiccup since.

Lance

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “William A. Cormack”
<wacormack@w…> wrote:

Does anyone have tips on how to purge the air from ones fuel
injection system? I’ve got the manuals and know all the steps (I
think) but the limited access and low volume of the lift pump make
the job seem extraordinarily difficult. In case you hadn’t guessed
this is my first time doing this.

Some specific questions on my Yanmar 3GM30F installed in my F-36
(1986):
1… I did not notice the shut off petcock located before the
filter (Racor R24T) and, therefore, when I removed the primary
filter I lost the prime from the tank to the filter. I did fill the
filter with fresh fuel before reinstalling it. After I bleed the
rest of the system will the air in the fuel line then stop the
engine?
2… The lift pump lever travels only about an inch in total and
only the last 1/4 inch or so has any effect, is this normal?
Thinking that the engine revolutions may have stopped with the cam
lobe lifting the pump arm I’ve turned the engine over by hand a
quarter revolution at a time with no effect. The volume of fuel
advanced on each stroke is tiny.
3… The instructions I received indicate that air must be bled
from the return line after the last injector. Why is this? I would
think that gravity would return the fuel to the tank regardless of
any air here.
4… The decompression levers on my engine jump back to the
compression position after a short cranking period unless restrained
from doing so. Is this normal?
5… Since I am working alone I have rigged a remote starter
switch by unplugging the harness from the panel and inserting a
single wire into the large white wire’s socket. Are there any
dangers in doing so?

Any help you can give this diesel newbie would be appreciated.
Thankfully the thing ran all last season without problem otherwise I
might have been trying to learn this out on the water.

Bill

William A. Cormack, CPA
Principal and Chief Financial Officer
Whelan Associates, LLC, a Corporate Real Estate Service Firm
100 Faunce Corner Executive Center, Suite 150
500 Faunce Corner Road
North Dartmouth, MA 02747
Voice: 508-984-4100, Fax: 508-984-4101, Cell 508-254-5828
MailTo:wacormack@w…

Doug_Payne · April 29, 2005, 2:59am

Posted by Doug Payne (doug.payne@…>)

I ran my 2GM out of diesel once (stupid
and embarrassing) and of course introduced air into the line. As I needed another
matter tended to on the engine, I had a Yanmar factory trained mechanic out
after I failed to be able to successfully bleed the engine. Turns out the lift
pump on the primary fuel pump no longer worked so seemingly no way to lift fuel
through the line to bleed. The mechanic took off the air filter and shot WD 40
into the air intake while simultaneously hitting the starter. This causes the diesel
to fire rapidly and suck fuel. He was able to draw fuel to the secondary
filter, the injector pump and both cylinders in succession. He said only use WD
40 for this purpose not either based products designed to fire gasoline systems
as damage can occur. Any comments on this approach?

Douglas M. Payne
Managing Partner Arizona Colorado
Tatum Partners
480-614-4915 Office
480-236-4561 Mobile
480-614-4916 Fax
doug.payne@…
TATUM PARTNERS
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Tatum CFO Partners, LLP - Tatum CIO Partners, LLP www.tatumpartners.com
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-----Original Message-----
From:
FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of William A. Cormack
Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2005
4:35 AM
To: Freedom2
Subject: [FreedomOwnersGroup]
Diesel purging

Does anyone have tips on how to
purge the air from ones fuel injection system? I’ve got the manuals and
know all the steps (I think) but the limited access and low volume of the lift
pump make the job seem extraordinarily difficult. In case you hadn’t
guessed this is my first time doing this.

\

Some specific questions on my Yanmar
3GM30F installed in my F-36 (1986):

I did not notice the shut off petcock located before
the filter (Racor R24T) and, therefore, when I removed the primary filter I
lost the prime from the tank to the filter. I did fill the filter with
fresh fuel before reinstalling it. After I bleed the rest of the system
will the air in the fuel line then stop the engine?
2.
The lift pump lever travels only about an inch in total
and only the last 1/4 inch or so has any effect, is this normal? Thinking
that the engine revolutions may have stopped with the cam lobe lifting the pump
arm I’ve turned the engine over by hand a quarter revolution at a time with no
effect. The volume of fuel advanced on each stroke is tiny.
3.
The instructions I received indicate that air must be
bled from the return line after the last injector. Why is this? I
would think that gravity would return the fuel to the tank regardless of any
air here.
4.
The decompression levers on my engine jump back to
the compression position after a short cranking period unless restrained from
doing so. Is this normal?
5.
Since I am working alone I have rigged a remote
starter switch by unplugging the harness from the panel and inserting a single
wire into the large white wire’s socket. Are there any dangers in doing
so?

Any help you can give this diesel
newbie would be appreciated. Thankfully the thing ran all last season
without problem otherwise I might have been trying to learn this out on the
water.

\

Bill

\

William A. Cormack, CPA
Principal and Chief Financial Officer
Whelan Associates, LLC, a Corporate Real Estate Service Firm
100 Faunce Corner Executive Center, Suite 150
500 Faunce Corner Road
North Dartmouth, MA 02747
Voice: 508-984-4100, Fax: 508-984-4101, Cell 508-254-5828
MailTo:wacormack@…