Help. Diesel won't start. Air leak at filter?

[preservedkillick]

Well, I thought I had ticked off a good list the last month:

• Replace both primary and secondary fuel filter
• replace fuel hoses with new ethanol safe line
• oil change as usual
• pulled and tested glow plugs. Seem ok.
• replaced wiring to glow plugs
• removed a squeeze bulb fuel primer in from the line between tank and primary filter

Now, when staring for the first time this season, she won't start. Turns and turns. Sounds like no fuel. My engine (vetus) manual states the system is self priming. Didn't appear to be. I checked the cap on the front of the fuel pump, there's no fuel in there. So I proceed to pump the little priming lever behind the pump. Like a hundred times. Not doing anything. Still no fuel. I opened the ir bleed bolt on top of the secondary fuel filter (on the motor, just before the injector pump) and pump the priming lever. Still nothing.

I take the line off of the tank and put the squeeze bulb back in. This is just like a squeeze bulb on an outboard motor. That certainly gets fuel in the system. If I take the air bleed bolt on top of the secondary filter and squeeze the bulb, I get fuel coming out.

So I think it is full of fuel, but still wont start.

One thing I wonder about is that when pumping the squeeze bulb, I can hear air hissing from the area of the secondary fuel filter. The ir bleed bolt on the top is tight. I can't tell exactly where the air is coming from. Filter gasket not seated? I'm thinking air hissing is not normal?

Also, thinking more on this, I wonder if I should open the breather bolt, squeeze the bulb and shut the breather bolt as fuel is leaking out, rather than fussing to wipe up the fuel, then closing the bolt. I may have let some air back in. I'll go down to the boat and test this theory. I'd hate to take that secondary filter off for nothing.

Suggestions? I'm about to pull the secondary filter off and check everything.

[preservedkillick]

Glow plugs are getting 12v on the engine. I tried opening the bleeder bolt on top of the secondary filter and squeezed the bulb until fuel came out then closed down the bolt as fuel was coming out. Still won't start. Removed filter bracket from engine so I could tilt to look at the gasket. Priming the line does not push fuel out of the gasket.

At this point, priming the bulb is pushing fuel through the system and back into the tank at the return line (I believe because I can hear the fuel trickling back into the tank).

Still hear an air leak somewhere near the filter when I prime.

[Hartley18]

It seems to me that about the only thing you haven't checked is the injectors.

If you pop the fuel lines off the injectors, are you getting fuel out? When were the injectors last serviced??

[IronSpinnaker]

did you give it a shot of starter fluid to see if she will fire? That will tell you if it is a fuel delivery issue. May need a new injector pump.

[blt2ski]

You may have to bleed the system, as when you changed the filters etc you may have gotten air into the system.

You may have to crack different lines starting at the closest item to the tank, then pump you manual pump, or turn key on if you have an electric pump, until fuel spurt out, then do the same to the next place inline. UNTIL you get fuel squirting out of the last inector in the line.

I would also recomend you NOT use either. Use WD40 as a starting fluid, this is easier on the cylinder walls, and will burn before diesel will etc. with out the hot dry lack of lubricity that WD40 has. Works well on all my 5 or 6 diesels when things go haywire. IF you have glow plugs, use no starting fluid, UNLESS< you are cranking when spraying in, and crank after the spraying stops if you get a no start, or the glow plugs with fire the either etc, and your motor will be toasted or at least potentially toasted.

Marty

[Faster]

As you fight this be sure to have your RWC intake closed until the engine fires. You run the risk of flooding your exhaust as you try to start otherwise.. and you think you have problems now.....

If you can hear air hissing you MUST find that and fix it. It's sure to be the main part of the problem... at least prime until the hiss turns into a gurgle.. then you'll know you have fuel that far, (and it will be easier to 'see' the leak) but even so if not fixed that will be an air intrusion source and you won't run for long.

[Gladrags1]

Did you seal all gaskets with a drop of fuel when reinstalling the filters? This helps them seat better and could be the cause of your air leak. Otherwise, if everything worked well last season and you can't get things to work now after changing your hoses, etc it seems the engine is still air blocked. Most probably it is at the injectors since you have fuel everywhere else up to that point.

Oh, regarding hissing air leak, check all of your hose clamps for tightness just because.

Tod

[JimsCAL]

Two thoughts:

1. Definitely you need to completely bleed the fuel system. Follow the instructions in the manual carefully. Don't skip any steps.

2. You need to find the air leak at the secondary filter. Once you get the engine running you will have a fuel leak.

[CapitainMike]

Originally Posted by preservedkillick

Well, I thought I had ticked off a good list the last month:

• Replace both primary and secondary fuel filter
• replace fuel hoses with new ethanol safe line
• oil change as usual
• pulled and tested glow plugs. Seem ok.
• replaced wiring to glow plugs
• removed a squeeze bulb fuel primer in from the line between tank and primary filter

Now, when staring for the first time this season, she won't start. Turns and turns. Sounds like no fuel. My engine (vetus) manual states the system is self priming. Didn't appear to be. I checked the cap on the front of the fuel pump, there's no fuel in there. So I proceed to pump the little priming lever behind the pump. Like a hundred times. Not doing anything. Still no fuel. I opened the ir bleed bolt on top of the secondary fuel filter (on the motor, just before the injector pump) and pump the priming lever. Still nothing.

I take the line off of the tank and put the squeeze bulb back in. This is just like a squeeze bulb on an outboard motor. That certainly gets fuel in the system. If I take the air bleed bolt on top of the secondary filter and squeeze the bulb, I get fuel coming out.

So I think it is full of fuel, but still wont start.

One thing I wonder about is that when pumping the squeeze bulb, I can hear air hissing from the area of the secondary fuel filter. The ir bleed bolt on the top is tight. I can't tell exactly where the air is coming from. Filter gasket not seated? I'm thinking air hissing is not normal?

Also, thinking more on this, I wonder if I should open the breather bolt, squeeze the bulb and shut the breather bolt as fuel is leaking out, rather than fussing to wipe up the fuel, then closing the bolt. I may have let some air back in. I'll go down to the boat and test this theory. I'd hate to take that secondary filter off for nothing.

Suggestions? I'm about to pull the secondary filter off and check everything.

If you think you got an air leak going in try changing the washers check the gaskets fitting on the primary filter and secondary rilter. if its coming out try washing up liquid and a little water look for bubbles.

If in doubt bypass all. if still not working check if there is a blocked filter inside the fuel tank

[preservedkillick]

Hey everyone, thanks for the replies. I went through everything, and found a tiny rubber o-ring inside the primary fuel filter was mashed up. I replaced the o-ring, moved fuel through the system and it started right up! It ran smoothly for a while. I shut down and it started quickly again.

After talking to a tech rep at Vetus, I believe the air leaking sound is normal, a function of the self bleeding capabilities of the primary fuel pump.

Thanks again for your help. What a pain!